Cramming in a few more things

It's that time of year, otherwise known as June, the due date month. Due date for presentations and my annual review (which I have to prepare feedback on every year, even if I don't get promoted.)

I have fun doing slide shows. Since we have to have everything we present approved in advance by legal, I have lots of fun. For a long time, I refused to use photos (I'd use free license cartoons, but no pictures). I decided this year that was dumb. For fun, I have added some old home ones with interesting captions. I'm actually in one, so I'm not technically picking on just relatives. And I don't have to ask for permission from anyone, which is helpful.

My annual review, unfortunately, doesn't include pictures. If it did, I could have a lot of fun.

Things I'd take pictures of to put in my review if I could:

1. The ethics consultation (no photo available) part. Can you photograph integrity? Maybe not, but our ethics chair looks like he came out of a film noir. (His photo would be  good in black and white).

2. The associate chief nurse looking befuddled when I explained that her simple project wouldn't be so simple.  It only took her a couple of years for her to believe that I actually knew my job. She thought another manager (who was directly assigned to his/her position with no experience) knew everything.

That look was priceless. I wanted to say "I told you so" but I didn't. Hindsight is 20/20.

3. The pie my coworkers and I bought after a long ride to take care of a patient in his/her home. The famous pie place was on the trip back. I'd have given our driver a gold medal, but it wasn't available.

I guess if they ever make us do a portfolio, I'll have to add more photos.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your week wherever you are. Friday will be here soon enough.

The little people

We finally found out where the VIP entourage went while they were touring Washington recently, and we were patiently waiting on the floor for them to stop by on our unit. The VIPs stood us up.

Since everything our hospital system does is now posted on Facebook, the photos told us where they went.

I'm used to being "cut" from the A list in my area all the time. Nurses are used to it. My bosses, he and she, are not.

It's not fun finding out you are the "little people" after you come to work when you really could be doing something better.

Life is full of small victories. Enjoy every minute.

More to come.

Happy Thanksgiving

What I'm thankful for this year:

1. Furniture at the Hotel. I have been shuttling around taking care of patients, and now I'm back home...at a desk.

2. Health. It's something so many people don't have. Health really IS wealth.

3. Family and friends. Some of them passed away this year. I am so glad to celebrate with the ones here today.

4. A family photo. We finally got one outside this year. It's going on the Christmas cards.

Wishing you much health, happiness, and good food today wherever you are.

More to come...

What a wonderful Monday

If you call getting prepped for the upcoming full moon wonderful. Sure!

My day in a nutshell:

1. Go to do your first rounds and they're looking for Dr. X. I go to the clinic Dr. X is usually in, and they say, no, Dr. X is off today.

2. Get on the elevator to go to your next part of rounds (your unit) and Dr. X. sends me a text saying "I'm here, where's the patient."

3. Call the cavalry, explain Dr. X. really is here now, so go find the patient. Cavalry is successful.

4. Run down several flights of stairs, find Dr. X and then see the patient coming in. Whew!

5. Return back to the ranch to figure out what is going on with a pending problem. No one is around. Finally get answers after two text messages and three phone calls. Problem not resolved until tomorrow.

6. Find out person you have worked with for five years is leaving her current job.

7. Find out people are retiring in droves due to pressure, illness and just plain ready. Sad on some, not on others.

8. Try to fix a patient's problem, but the help for that is not working today.

There were some good things, though.

1. The day was beautiful.

2. I went home for lunch and made a BLT. It was good, even though I set off the smoke detector.

3. I saw an incredible Buckeye butterfly today. It stopped long enough for me to snap a photo and send to my dear husband Dahey who collected butterflies as a child.

4. My friend's husband is getting stronger. He will also be getting a longer course of treatment. Neuro wanted five more doses, nephro wanted no more. They decided to meet (almost) in the middle: two.

Sure beats watching a neurologist and a nephrologist duke it out in his room.

I'm resting up hoping tomorrow is even better. Stay tuned.

Family reunion fun

All of the nurses myself included (a retired CRNA, retired COHN and a peds nurse) talk about disgusting stuff while eating BBQ. Pressure sores somehow seemed to be one of the big topics. Even the peds nurse (newly engaged) had a gross story. Her fiance went to talk to the cousin who was doing the cooking.

Thank goodness our family has a (warped) sense of humor. Everyone has been through some horror (or two) and survived.

Makes things very entertaining along with that snow cone machine my cousin brings every year.

Never a dull moment.

Stay tuned...

Points to ponder about social media

I'd love to print this article out and leave it in our break rooms at the Hotel.

Nursing and the social media battlefield

I follow all of these, but not friending folks at work. I had to overcome that because people kept asking me if I didn't like them. I am selective (I don't friend everyone), but I've put everyone from work is in a separate group. My main rule: I also only discuss two things on Facebook: food and family, and I limit what I discuss on family (food is open to all!).

So if you're unhappy that you see too many recipes, photos of food, and restaurant info, sorry, but that's all I'm saying.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I'll be doing laundry in the laundry room as WildDog sleeps outside it on his special rug.

More later...

Everything old is new again

This medical marijuana story will make you wonder about why more research is not taking place.

And if that's not enough, the before and after photos will blow you away.

More later...

The joy of tests

I had no idea there were so many standardized tests for grade school kids until I did a little recon.
Bubba is in the throes of standardized testing this week. So what to kids do to prepare?

In my day, (eons) we did all our homework and showed up at school with a number 2 pencil. The scoring sheets were sent off, then returned on a little printed slip for our parents. Nothing significant was really done with the information.

For Bubba, it's been a completely different story. We were prepped for the tests by the teacher at the last parent-teacher conference. Notes came home telling us to make sure Bubba goes to bed early and no texting or game-playing while in bed.

If that parenting tidbit wasn't enough, we were also given a menu of what "good" breakfast food is, and how Bubba needed to make sure he eats breakfast every day of testing.

Finally, Dahey and I were asked to write "motivation letters" to get Bubba excited about sitting through hours of testing. Dahey, of course, found goofy photos on the internet, including certain cats like this one and even some sarcastic cats.

I'm glad the two of them have a similar sense of humor.

More test excitement to come...

An amazing man

One amazing journey...around the world.

Wish I had a car like Otto! (just keeps running...)

I needed a laugh

Dr. K, one of our specialists who works with us in the SU, was part of a profile article on our program for the local paper. All the PR Hotel staff approved, said all the appropriate PR incantations and they came out to take a photo of us seeing a patient. Patient signed release (and a couple of autographs for his neighbor on the unit who egged him on, out of earshot, of course.)

When I told Dr. K. a few minutes before he came into the room, he says, "Darn it. I should have worn a tie today."

"Why wear a tie?" I said, "You never wear that or your white coat anyway. No one would know who you are."

When they say evacuate...

They mean evacuate. I wish I could hang a few of these photos from St. John's in Joplin, MO up on the unit so my patients could see them. Maybe then, the next time we ask them to move for a storm warning, they'll do it.

I just don't think people get it.

That is all.

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...

I'm so glad

They've made us get new high-tech ID cards. The photo on it makes my driver's license photo look like a glamour shot.

You'd think the old ones would be blurry and boring. Alas, no, but the new one sure is.

Where has RehabRN been?

That crazy late 80s song is reverberating in my head, even if I haven't seen Michael J. Fox anywhere. All those darned signs make me want to look for prospectors or some cowboy to appear on the landscape.

We'll begin the drive back to RehabLand soon, so this show will hit the road.

Please keep those cards and letters coming...Change of Shift is here on February 4th.

Nuggets for April 3

Here are a few goodies I've read lately from the internet and various blogs.

Doctor, did you wash your hands (from http://www.nytimes.com/)
This article discusses a study about patient questions to doctors and nurse. No, I don't mind if you ask at all.

60-plus, ripped and natural (from http://www.nytimes.com/)
This isn't your average bodybuilding article, and it brings up some really interesting points. Now, if they could just convince women to do it, not just for looks, but for the health aspects (like stronger bones, for one)

I don't like gas stations in the alternate universe very much (from drugnazi)
I really enjoyed this post, since I've had a few weird dreams like this myself.

I just couldn't pass this one up, in light of my recent dealings with car insurance companies.


see more crazy cat pics


Enjoy these goodies!