Brrr!

The polar vortex has arrived. It arrived just at the start of the weekend. I have already fallen even in "slip-proof" nursing shoes. They don't help when it's also windy. I added some of these to my shopping list.

Some virus from the neighborhood has invaded. Dahey is recuperating and Bubba is acting a little out of sorts, despite my hand washing protocol and cleaning schedule. We've all had our flu shots, so hopefully, it's just something random. Another joy of winter!

I'm happy this week will be the last one I work this year. More to come in 2017. Stay tuned!

This is going to be a bad Monday

How do you know?

1. Your kid is sick with this (when you were hoping it was just a migraine).

2. Your town is experiencing an ice storm. (even better reason to be trapped with all these germs inside). My Lysol fumigation continues...

3. You planned a busy day while kiddo was off school (doctors appointments, dentist appointments, meeting your friend for lunch). All get cancelled.

Maybe I just need to go back to bed and hide until Bubba calls me again...stay tuned.

If you plow it...

Dear Maintenance:

People will want to come to work, since they won't slip on ice in the parking lot.

Some of us can't wait until next week when it warms up, since we have patients to take care of now. And most of them don't need to be traipsing over all that snow and ice, either.

That is all.

Yours sincerely,

RehahRN

Cold and snowy

Yes, as Phil predicted, winter is back in RehabLand. It's cold and snowy and I've been snuggled in reading and playing on the computer.

Sometimes, I like the news I read, but this article about shortages of vital drugs just makes my blood boil.

Back to reading...and hopefully relaxing. I'm not going anywhere right now!

Stay tuned...

Winding down

Ah, so glad the week is nearly over. It's been taxing with this random assorted virus I have--one moment constant nose running, another coughing. I can't wait until it's run its course and is over.

Ice, snow and mayhem have come to RehabLand. Why do sane looking people think it's okay to try to do 80mph down a snowy road with black ice and winds at 30-40 mph? People died here on the roads today. So glad I don't have to drive where these crazies are. I wish my boss understand why I want to telecommute (yes, I can!) on days like today.

I'm happy despite the snow and biting cold. My people in our sister hospitals are finally back from vacation! (only took what seemed to be a month). They are answering e-mails AND participating. Joy, joy, joy! I am thrilled. And, yours truly did her first group presentation, to a group of nurses all over the place via computer. It was very, very cool.

Bubba and I enjoyed playing in the snow with WildDog when work and school was done. It was the highlight of my day.

More to come...

From 0 to 60

It sure seemed like my day went like that this morning. I got in, started and away I went. I even volunteered to judge a contest at work. (Thankfully, I won't be judging my coworkers.)

The weather was unseasonably warm in our neck of the woods, so I was enjoying every second of it.

Ice and snow surely will be lurking out there somewhere...stay tuned.

Should I stay or should I go...

The news today: ice, ice, ice everywhere.

Hence the reason that Clash song is reverberating in my head...decisions, decisions.

A long lunch

Maybe this should go under the "expect the unexpected" category.

You go to take your sister to lunch and find out she has some odd swelling on her arm. You finish lunch, then go to the urgent care center on your way back to her house to investigate.

Then you proceed to sit for 45 minutes while you wait for them to get done with the one person ahead of you.
Three x-rays later they determine that she'll need to see an orthopedic specialist next week if it keeps hurting, since the doc sees an anomaly on the x-ray, but no fracture. Since it looked sprained, the doc wrapped it and ordered ice and Tylenol.

At least lunch was good, even if it was a little longer than we anticipated.

More to come...

Damp and wet

Susie, my nurse friend in California, told me it was coming our way, but it's really damp, wet and dreary here in RehabLand today. I could complain, but at least, it's not snow, or ice...at the moment, anyway.

I'm just waiting in here with WildDog at my feet while my freshly pedicured toes dry.

In the news today:
Bring robots to the ER (from nurse.com) Forget just ER...can we have one for the little stuff for our patients at the Hotel? That would be nice!

Stay tuned...

In case you're wondering...

Dear Nosy Coworkers:

Yes, I did already talk to the boss about leaving early today. Maybe you should have too, since you like to observe (loudly) that I'm "always getting off for something." Reminds me of the verse, "Seek and you shall find..."

I did earn my kudos for that project I'm working on...remember you didn't want it when it was offered to you, because it was "too much work."

No, I don't mind doing whatever it takes to keep my people happy. I will turn on the computer and set it up for the quad, since it's his/her only link to the outside world via that laptop. Yes, taking care of people and their stuff really IS nursing. Hopefully, if you're ever in a similar situation someone will do the same for you.

And finally, if someone can have a cold Diet Coke on the rocks in a room that's steaming, you'd better believe they're getting it from me.

That is all.

RehabRN

Robots?

One of my patients recently asked me when we were going to get robots to hand out the meds like they did in another hospital he visited. They've been in the media a few times, so you just never know....

I can think of a few uses for a robot right now at the Hotel.

1. Monitoring one-to-one patients. If we equipped one with Taser turned on a low setting, maybe we could keep one particular character from ripping off his/her dressings all the time.

2. Entertainment. When someone wants to talk for ages, we'd send in our friend, the robot. "Gotta run, but BOB the robot will be glad to talk to you for a while." Or you could play a video game on BOB's screen.

3. Send the robot on emergency call lights runs for things like ice, water, and blankets. Now if we could add an ice maker to said robot...ooh!

But finally, I don't think we'll be doing this with our robot: marrying folks on the unit. I just don't think Giacomo and the other chaplains would go for it!

More later...stay tuned!

Ice and snow are back again

In these parts, the folks have to be reoriented to driving in winter weather. Ahh, there's nothing like the first snow fender benders to slow up your morning.

Today was a typical Monday, where somebody, everybody and nobody worked. Somebody was supposed to gather supplies for the patient going on pass out-of-town tomorrow, everybody knew about it, but nobody did it. An astute nurse who always helps out got the ball rolling and two other nurses (including me) got the job done...by quitting time. What a miracle!

I got assigned the only admission for today. Our doc comes down to assess the patient, and then decides to take said patient up to the clinic where it's more private for her assessment. A little later, we get a call that said patient will be discharged. Huh? Patient just arrived...about an hour ago and ate lunch. This patient had some issues that didn't really require being an in-patient so said doc discharged patient. Said patient will be back tomorrow to work with specialist, which was really the only reason why patient visited us. I'm so glad I didn't start the really long, eye-crossing paperwork!

The icy winds were blowing when I left, but I escaped intact, and only a few minutes late. Another day done...hooray! More to come...