Yes, it's hot

Here in RehabLand, it's getting to be just like the rest of the country: downright hot. This is not terribly unusual for us in July.

However, why on earth is the crime rate going up?

Here are a few things on the local TV crime blotter this morning:

• Man kills his friend for spilling beer in his car around midnight
• Wife kills husband in upscale gated community with a knife

This is can be great for business (people end up in rehab hospitals if they survive) but terrible for society in general.

Just one more reason I really like fall...

More later.

Up, down and all around

This describes my week perfectly.

The ups: getting my new clinic finally going after two months and seeing the look on the patients' faces. They are really excited.

Another up: I'm getting sent to a HUGE conference. And I am presenting a poster. It is a really huge honor. Pinching self that the Manglement at the Hotel really came through. I know the Big Boss really made it happen. (Thank goodness he/she is a nurse!)

Downs: when I had the administrative people tell me that "no way is this clinic set up right." Good thing they had their wits come back the next day, and they recanted everything they said the day before. (So I put the Tums and Nexium away...)

All around: Me in the house. Doesn't matter that Dahey's off work, I still have my chores.

But when I'm gone to the MegaConference, he'll just have to hold down the fort for me.

Happy weekend to all, wherever you are!

More to come...

Resolutions

A new year means new resolutions.

2013 came (finally) after what seemed to be unrelenting drama here in RehabLand, both personally and professionally. I saw births and deaths (often too many of the latter) and I found out that I don't really need to highlight my hair anymore, because lots of it is turning white. Yes, I hear stress will do that to you and does show up in those follicles. Only my hairdresser knows, but those follicles would have one heck of a story after this past year.

Thankfully, the stressors are slowly going away. No one has died yet this year (crossing fingers). Bubba got the flu after I waited too long to get him a flu shot, but thankfully, with speedy antiviral treatment, he's doing well. The boss is leaving, but supposedly, we have candidates for replacement. I'm still waiting for a new manager that I asked for at Christmas. Hopefully, someone will start before the folks who are nearing retirement are ready to go this year (we have a few candidates).

I am learning to just keep going. The administrative hellhole that paperwork tends to fall in at the Hotel is still there (just fished out some stuff that went missing a month ago) and got my coworker K. to rescue some more. I am plugging away at new projects that really will change the face of our little clinic and the way we take care of patients.


My biggest resolution is to better myself physically. Stress took a toll last year, on more than just the hair. I bought myself a cool little pedometer that links into my computer. I have been tracking my diet and exercise. I am enjoying not being a student at the moment.

The short term may be stressful, but when I look to the long term, the future, I am encouraged.

There's a saying that the race belongs not to the swift, but to those who keep on running. That's my plan, to keep on going, for me, for my little white hair follicles, for Bubba, Dahey and WildDog.

Stay tuned!

Ever have a Monday? I did.

My Monday:

1. Get up, drive Bubba to camp, have gas light come on.
2. Drop Bubba off at camp, go to gas station.
3. Get blocked in by monster truck (luckily monster left before I was ready to go.)
4. Get behind every slow idiot who does not understand the difference between a yield sign and a merge sign. For some reason this is a HUGE problem here in RehabLand.
Remember kids, yield is red (may need to stop), merge is yellow (go slow, don't stop dead)...
5. Go to work and find out you need to sign more useless papers. (Don't sign them because they are as useless as the last ones.)
6. Find out that the scheduled opening of the patient unit really isn't  as scheduled. This means your programs have to find a new home until it is open.
7. Spend a good chunk of the morning doing admin work on room arrangements, etc. Secretaries don't do that...that would be WORK (a 4 letter word)!
8. Finally get all the details done, e-mails sent, arranged, rearranged and technical details scheduled. How much of this really required an RN?
If you guessed absolute zero, you are correct.
9.  Meanwhile, secretary is still attached to desk phone whispering each time I pass the printer. Would love to audit her phone log! (Which would require an Act of Congress). If I had a dollar for every minute she wastes, every copier she leaves run out of paper, ink, toner, etc. (and every single one is no more than 20 feet from her desk)...
10. Eat lunch, attend a conference call.
11. Get a call that Bubba is sick. Dahey to do pickup duty.
12. Get on conference call that starts, stops and sputters. Give up when I can't hear a thing.
13. Finally get everything done and go home.
14. Start to wind down and relax...and another telemarketer calls.
15. Thank goodness for online complaint submissions!

Benefits of being a student

1. You get to read lots of magazines that have absolutely nothing to do with nursing, but are interesting when studying the US healthcare system.

This FastCompany article on Medicare fraud was very enlightening.

2. You get an international perspective from more than just your classmates on privacy issues, whether it's HIPAA or some other national protocol.

Word to staff: Don't try this one, even if she is cute.

3. Another plus: idiots exist wherever you go, just like the MD and her husband in this article.

Thank you Vince Ciotti for posting these links via HIStalk. You make being a student very interesting, indeed. Keep up the good work!

Off I go to work. More later...

Thud!

Dear Bubba,

When you get a new baseball bat, swing a little too hard and klunk Dad (Dahey) in the head, you know it's time for a little education.

Please dear, do not inflict a TBI on your dad. Mom has enough TBI patients at work to take care of and I'd like to not have one at home.

Love and Kisses,

Mama (aka your personal RehabRN)

Why is it...

That when you're a kid on vacation that things just seem more interesting than they do at home?

This explains Bubba's fascination with a particular dinosaur exhibit...that he had to see...that he ALREADY saw in RehabLand. It's just more fun seeing it on a gorgeous day with thousands of other people and just as much fun when you don't have to worry about posing for photos because Dad forgot the camera.

At least, so far, we've gotten a souvenir plastic cup to remember the trip from the bowling alley up the road.

Now after all that dinosaur visiting, Bubba's sound asleep snoring away. We'll see how it all goes.

More to come...

Burnin' down the house

I wasn't just thinking of this song...I had a rack of spare ribs browning in the oven, when a little too much grease met a little extra broil power. Kitchen fires are just not my thing.



Thankfully, everything survived intact. The smoke alarm didn't even go off. Boy, it sure made my safety director Dahey jump, though.

Weekend madness

It's a whole lot of this and that on the weekends I don't work. A lot of errands, shopping and sometimes cleaning sandwiched in between working on grad school projects and scout stuff.

So is it really necessary for your husband or significant other to arrange entertainment at your house, which hasn't seen a mop in ages?

Arrrgh! I'd kill him if it didn't make another big mess I'd have to clean up!

What more...

Can you ask for this lovely Mothers' Day weekend:

1. Weather prediction: storms.
2. Husband sick. Dahey worked and something worked him over.
3. That last paper of the semester looming over your head.
4. Working all weekend.

Here's to crossing fingers that I'll get to wear my new dress without being rained on!

More to come...

Everyone knows everyone

Especially when you're from a smaller town.

Some examples (aka 6 degrees of separation):

J, one of our longtime RNs has a sick husband. We're chatting about him and I found out I worked with several docs in hubby's MD's practice. I even know some of their peculiar habits, like riding bicycles to work (one lives very close to the office).

One of our patients came from Saintarama to our rehab unit. People ask about him/her all the time, since patient comes in our place from time to time. (Hi, Zee! ) Patient visits them, but not as much (and the old coworkers are really jealous!)

Our boss is familiar with one of my docs. All I did was mention Dr. G's name and he diagnoses me. Nice. At least, I can keep a few things to myself. Besides, Dr. G. has known me forever. Dr. G. scared the bejeezus out of me recently when he/she asked, "Do you know what?" I was waiting for the "I'm retiring" speech. Thankfully, Dr. G. just told me I've been a patient more than half of my life.

Dr. G. forgot about seeing me in peds...must have just been doing research on those roaches or something.

Dahey had a party recently and invited all the geeks to our house. One has an MD relative, so I asked Dr. Specialist if he/she knew Dr. Miscellany. "Oh, I don't think Dr. Miscellany is (fill in specialty here)."

"Really?", I said, "I thought he/she was."

So what happens. Dr. Specialist's curiosity is piqued, and he/she heads to Google. "Well, I do know Dr. Miscellany was in xx practice. I know who trained him/her at xx university. He/she must be 60. Is your husband that old?" PA sitting next to Dr. Specialist is not amused (PA is 60+ and most of our patients enjoy his cameraderie).

Ahh, I love doctors! (tongue planted firmly in cheek)

Stay tuned...more excitement to come...