A patient comes up missing in your hospital? Do you call security? Do you knock on the door of the bathrooms or your rehab training room? Even at the Hotel, you're not supposed to lose patients.
No, you just complain about said patient because he/she never came out of the room. My office mate told me this story recently.
"Hmm." I told him/her. "I heard a story on the radio and I figured Patient R was discharged."
"What?" he/she says.
"Patient R was interviewed by a reporter at his/her house. Apparently, some nice neighbors did some stuff for him/her and they ended up on the 'Feel good news' segment on RehabLand's WXYZ's news."
Too bad no one had that channel turned on at the Hotel. It got lots of airplay recently. Must have been a slow news day.
Yesterday, I saw Patient R come back with the key to the training room. He/she apologized.
I just smiled.
Never a dull moment. Stay tuned for more interesting returns.
Showing posts with label craziness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label craziness. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Getting older...
Not better if you feel like c#$p from headaches. Not to mention, these symptoms stink. At least, all the tests came back negative.
The week has flown by in a blur, which always seems to happen the week after vacation.
Friday won't get here soon enough.
Stay tuned...
The week has flown by in a blur, which always seems to happen the week after vacation.
Friday won't get here soon enough.
Stay tuned...
Saturday, September 27, 2014
'Tis the season...to retire
Not me (I wish!) but certainly a lot of people around the Hotel are retiring. More than a few messages have appeared in my mailbox for parties for people leaving at the beginning or the end of the month.
It's even happening at the Hotel. A couple of our folks are retiring. They are looking forward to lives where THEY dictate what the schedule looks like. I can't say that I blame them. Others, such as one of our NPs, can't wait to be a grandma (any minute really!). What perfect timing...retire and spend as much time as you want with your grandchild. Another is working on his/her golf game and the travel associated with it.
Our boss really wants to retire, but since we can't find a replacement, he/she will have to set a date and retire and let the Manglement of the Hotel figure it all out. Waiting for years (yes, it's true) is really not fun.
It's too bad the Hotel only does lip service to succession planning. It might make the transition easier.
One of these days, they'll wake up...and someone will figure it out.
But I'm not sure if that will happen before I retire (many years down the road).
More to come...
It's even happening at the Hotel. A couple of our folks are retiring. They are looking forward to lives where THEY dictate what the schedule looks like. I can't say that I blame them. Others, such as one of our NPs, can't wait to be a grandma (any minute really!). What perfect timing...retire and spend as much time as you want with your grandchild. Another is working on his/her golf game and the travel associated with it.
Our boss really wants to retire, but since we can't find a replacement, he/she will have to set a date and retire and let the Manglement of the Hotel figure it all out. Waiting for years (yes, it's true) is really not fun.
It's too bad the Hotel only does lip service to succession planning. It might make the transition easier.
One of these days, they'll wake up...and someone will figure it out.
But I'm not sure if that will happen before I retire (many years down the road).
More to come...
Monday, August 19, 2013
Yes, it's coming!
Whatever you want to call this month's full moon, it's here.I should have known it when I got to work and my day started off smoothly.
The rest of it, got wild and crazy.
First, I got a lot of strange requests, and those were just from the people who came to my door. We had orientation in our conference room, so we always have those lost souls looking for the conference room.
Next, our doc had his clinic in the SU. One of his characters, after a procedure, decided to sit outside my office and say, "I don't feel so hot. Can you get me some candy?" He thought his blood sugar was low so one of the nurses took his blood sugar, then another got him candy. He bounced up, and our clinic RN checked him out.
Why didn't I do this? I was managing a few other fires:
1. A meeting for one of our patients was abruptly cancelled when one of the interdisciplinary team members didn't show up for work. No one knew until the last minute. It's always a joy rearranging schedules for people eight hours driving distance from you who won't answer phone or e-mail messages before you leave.
2. Another patient thought he had an appointment, while our sugar guy lounged on the chairs in the lobby. Nope, I told the therapist, I'll have to talk to him later.
3. Finally, a few minutes later, when I thought all was finally quieted down, I had to take a family over to another unit, because they were picking up a discharged family member. They had just driven in from far away and their relative was wondering if they ditched him because they ended up in our end of the Hotel, instead of his.
All went well after that. One of the nurses I know from one of our other clinics came to see me. We had a nice chat and I showed her all the stuff. She enjoyed it.
I was so happy to leave. Now I just have to wait for the full moon to be over...more to come!
The rest of it, got wild and crazy.
First, I got a lot of strange requests, and those were just from the people who came to my door. We had orientation in our conference room, so we always have those lost souls looking for the conference room.
Next, our doc had his clinic in the SU. One of his characters, after a procedure, decided to sit outside my office and say, "I don't feel so hot. Can you get me some candy?" He thought his blood sugar was low so one of the nurses took his blood sugar, then another got him candy. He bounced up, and our clinic RN checked him out.
Why didn't I do this? I was managing a few other fires:
1. A meeting for one of our patients was abruptly cancelled when one of the interdisciplinary team members didn't show up for work. No one knew until the last minute. It's always a joy rearranging schedules for people eight hours driving distance from you who won't answer phone or e-mail messages before you leave.
2. Another patient thought he had an appointment, while our sugar guy lounged on the chairs in the lobby. Nope, I told the therapist, I'll have to talk to him later.
3. Finally, a few minutes later, when I thought all was finally quieted down, I had to take a family over to another unit, because they were picking up a discharged family member. They had just driven in from far away and their relative was wondering if they ditched him because they ended up in our end of the Hotel, instead of his.
All went well after that. One of the nurses I know from one of our other clinics came to see me. We had a nice chat and I showed her all the stuff. She enjoyed it.
I was so happy to leave. Now I just have to wait for the full moon to be over...more to come!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
1500...wow!
Has it really been 1500 posts later in my nursing blog career? Well, that's what the number says as I'm getting this ready. Wow!
I almost have a feeling of a school commencement, where I'm supposed to say something meaningful and lasting to mark the occasion. Hmm...maybe I'll have to think of something profound for later? Or, I can just say, "Have a look at the body of work out there, and see what you think." (doesn't that sound positively literary?) (giggles)
For me, this blog has been a journal, diary, soapbox, and a creative outlet that has often been a lifesaver when work, grad school or the craziness of life has made things seem impossible.
I have learned in my short career as a nurse, that nothing really is impossible. It might be annoying, smelly, obnoxious, or darned scary, but never impossible in the long run.
As the maxim says, "The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running."And so I go.
Thanks for coming along. I enjoy the company.
More later...
I almost have a feeling of a school commencement, where I'm supposed to say something meaningful and lasting to mark the occasion. Hmm...maybe I'll have to think of something profound for later? Or, I can just say, "Have a look at the body of work out there, and see what you think." (doesn't that sound positively literary?) (giggles)
For me, this blog has been a journal, diary, soapbox, and a creative outlet that has often been a lifesaver when work, grad school or the craziness of life has made things seem impossible.
I have learned in my short career as a nurse, that nothing really is impossible. It might be annoying, smelly, obnoxious, or darned scary, but never impossible in the long run.
As the maxim says, "The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running."And so I go.
Thanks for coming along. I enjoy the company.
More later...
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
What I missed in 2011
Yes, since I was busy getting a new job, getting highly stressed from life and grad school, and running from airplane to airplane going to three conferences in the span of a week, I missed the good stuff on the internet.
However, Shrtstmtrooper posted about Guy on a Buffalo recently. Since Bubba has been obsessed with wild animals (such as the monarch of the Plains lately), I thought why not.
Two words: hysterically funny.
The back story is here from a 2011 Forbes article. (you know you're big time when you are in a business magazine's website)
Episode 2 is below. More available on YouTube.
However, Shrtstmtrooper posted about Guy on a Buffalo recently. Since Bubba has been obsessed with wild animals (such as the monarch of the Plains lately), I thought why not.
Two words: hysterically funny.
The back story is here from a 2011 Forbes article. (you know you're big time when you are in a business magazine's website)
Episode 2 is below. More available on YouTube.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Itching
The crazy weather has been creating havoc with my sinuses. I'll be so happy when one season or another sticks around here in RehabLand.
More to come...
More to come...
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Stupid things people do at work
Just some recent observations. Happy Friday all!
1. Plugging in items so people can trip over the cords. Safety first (at least on this list!)
2. Letting your lunch explode all over the microwave. Bonus points (you think) if you get away without cleaning it up. Bounty (not the quicker picker-upper, either) if caught in the act.
3. Filling up the Shred-it box so full that the company is refusing to pick it up (I wish I were kidding.) I'm not sure where someone is finding all these phone books to disassemble.
4. Bringing in a coffee pot to a conference room, then unplugging the video conference equipment because, "Oh we don't need that anyway. We need the coffee pot plugged in."
5. Wondering why they can't get anyone from New York on the conference call. (see #4) Obviously, they were drinking decaf...
1. Plugging in items so people can trip over the cords. Safety first (at least on this list!)
2. Letting your lunch explode all over the microwave. Bonus points (you think) if you get away without cleaning it up. Bounty (not the quicker picker-upper, either) if caught in the act.
3. Filling up the Shred-it box so full that the company is refusing to pick it up (I wish I were kidding.) I'm not sure where someone is finding all these phone books to disassemble.
4. Bringing in a coffee pot to a conference room, then unplugging the video conference equipment because, "Oh we don't need that anyway. We need the coffee pot plugged in."
5. Wondering why they can't get anyone from New York on the conference call. (see #4) Obviously, they were drinking decaf...
Friday, October 28, 2011
Simply the best
Oh, we're gonna celebrate at the Hotel. The place was hopping on evenings when I called S., who was leading the charge.
Now maybe the baseball fans will be quiet...until spring.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Thankfully, Monday's over...
Every man has a sane spot somewhere. --Robert Louis Stevenson
Will use my sharp nursing assessment skills to determine if my boss fits this category after his/her behavior yesterday.
I won't hold my breath, however.
Stay tuned...
Will use my sharp nursing assessment skills to determine if my boss fits this category after his/her behavior yesterday.
I won't hold my breath, however.
Stay tuned...
Monday, September 20, 2010
The countdown
How many things can I cram into a day before the infamous conference trip with the boss? Plenty...stay tuned!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Nurse vs. fax machine
Our education coordinator has access to all the tools allowing him/her to send us documents we can forward via e-mail.
So what does he/she do? Require us to fax him/her something...on a machine that is constantly busy.
Alas, this is my battle until report starts...fun!
So what does he/she do? Require us to fax him/her something...on a machine that is constantly busy.
Alas, this is my battle until report starts...fun!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Monday mayhem
And please, don't say your patient is causing mayhem, even if his name leads you to believe it.
Dahey got a day off, courtesy of Uncle Sam and he's finding all sorts of craziness online, including Cows with Guns.
Dahey got a day off, courtesy of Uncle Sam and he's finding all sorts of craziness online, including Cows with Guns.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Craziness part 3
My life:
Less staff for holiday, some patients on one-to-one, which makes staffing even worse. The Slug with a serious attitude problem. And of course, my techs ain't happy, either.
I thought about disposing a colostomy bag in a very inappropriate place as retaliation...like in his/her trunk. The weather's been just right, so it would ripen quickly enough.
This holiday surely is no holiday. The patients for the most part are good. Mr. Pain, though, is still a pain. They can't get his meds regulated. It is a crying shame.
So glad I've got a grad school countdown going to keep me occupied!
More later.
Less staff for holiday, some patients on one-to-one, which makes staffing even worse. The Slug with a serious attitude problem. And of course, my techs ain't happy, either.
I thought about disposing a colostomy bag in a very inappropriate place as retaliation...like in his/her trunk. The weather's been just right, so it would ripen quickly enough.
This holiday surely is no holiday. The patients for the most part are good. Mr. Pain, though, is still a pain. They can't get his meds regulated. It is a crying shame.
So glad I've got a grad school countdown going to keep me occupied!
More later.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wild and wonderful
That's been my story at work lately. The transition from one shift to another sometimes can be wild.
One day, I walk in, get going and the gates of Hades open all at once. Nurse Assistant has a patient who's got shortness of breath and "looks funny". Well, he's not acting funny, but probably is a little shaky from the albuterol he just took. Get him situated, tell docs, do vitals, get more albuterol. In a few minutes, patient looks happy as a clam and is chatting away as the nurse assistant gets him ready.
Another day, the specialists round. They like me. Not only do I get to deal with my patients, I have to help them with paperwork on a couple of others, because I know how to work the computers for that feature, even though, all I do is act as a witness. Gee, I feel so special! Thankfully, boss and company only follow these people around once a week. Other nurses thank their lucky stars that they don't get "picked". I've known the specialist for a while before I came to Madison. He can be loud and obnoxious, but underneath, he's a softie. He just doesn't want any of the nurses to know that.
Doc Specialist is also a running doc. It seems like the specialists drift to one of two categories--they either golf or they run. Our leader is the exception. He's too brainy to do either; although, if I had to guess, he'd probably fall in a lot easier with the runners rather than the golfers.
So after all the wild and crazy antics, I get a phone call. Miraculously, I got a scholarship for grad school. They confirmed I was there to send the fax to me. I looked it over and saw it was for the entire amount of the program. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I'll have some other restrictions and requirements as a result, but my financial burden will be lessened. I was so relieved. I don't have to keep doing number-crunching to figure out how many extra shifts I need to pick up to pay for each semester. Now, I just have to concentrate on getting my work done and my schoolwork done...just like Bubba, who starts school soon. Should be fun getting into school routine after some time away from it.
More to come...stay tuned.
One day, I walk in, get going and the gates of Hades open all at once. Nurse Assistant has a patient who's got shortness of breath and "looks funny". Well, he's not acting funny, but probably is a little shaky from the albuterol he just took. Get him situated, tell docs, do vitals, get more albuterol. In a few minutes, patient looks happy as a clam and is chatting away as the nurse assistant gets him ready.
Another day, the specialists round. They like me. Not only do I get to deal with my patients, I have to help them with paperwork on a couple of others, because I know how to work the computers for that feature, even though, all I do is act as a witness. Gee, I feel so special! Thankfully, boss and company only follow these people around once a week. Other nurses thank their lucky stars that they don't get "picked". I've known the specialist for a while before I came to Madison. He can be loud and obnoxious, but underneath, he's a softie. He just doesn't want any of the nurses to know that.
Doc Specialist is also a running doc. It seems like the specialists drift to one of two categories--they either golf or they run. Our leader is the exception. He's too brainy to do either; although, if I had to guess, he'd probably fall in a lot easier with the runners rather than the golfers.
So after all the wild and crazy antics, I get a phone call. Miraculously, I got a scholarship for grad school. They confirmed I was there to send the fax to me. I looked it over and saw it was for the entire amount of the program. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I'll have some other restrictions and requirements as a result, but my financial burden will be lessened. I was so relieved. I don't have to keep doing number-crunching to figure out how many extra shifts I need to pick up to pay for each semester. Now, I just have to concentrate on getting my work done and my schoolwork done...just like Bubba, who starts school soon. Should be fun getting into school routine after some time away from it.
More to come...stay tuned.
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