A little this, a little that

I've been escaped from the office and I've been busy. Dahey and I got Bubba from camp and took him on a road trip.

We're not the Griswolds, but we had a similar adventure on this trip. I inadvertently only read some reviews of the Hotel Hell we stayed at. I missed the good ones that said "Don't ever stay here."

It was really, really hot where we were. I packed lots of drinks in the truckster just in case.

The first clue we were in Hotel Hell was the neighborhood once we got off the highway ramp. It was sketchy. The lobby of HH looked decent, but I'm always a little concerned if they have doors to the outside, especially if the neighborhood is not so good. When you have to ring the doorbell to get into the lobby at night, it's not good.

Next, we got a non-smoking room with cigarette burns in the comforter. And if that wasn't enough, crumbs were on the floor (between the beds).

The room had a slightly musty odor and the air conditioning wasn't on. We turned it on, I inspected some more. There were no bedbugs or any other visible bugs and the in-room fridge looked new and was COLD. I got the extra strength Febreeze out and sprayed the room. I knew it would come in handy someday (have carried it, but never used it). I figured it would get better. It didn't.

All night we heard noise from the AC the room temp never went below 85 degrees. It was horrible. On top of that, there was a lot of noise from the parking lot. When that got quiet, the trains came by.

I probably slept about 4 hours all night. Needless to say, once the boys fell asleep, I booked another room in a nearby town for the second night. In the morning, I told the hotelier we were checking out.

We went off to see the sights and had fun. We even saw a movie while we waited for the check-in at the new hotel.

Our new hotel was an oasis. I checked everything then took a nice shower, so I could go out into the heat and sit at a baseball game.

It didn't matter. With more air conditioning and a clean room (and bathroom) I could tolerate anything.  Even a 110 degree heat index!

Now, it's back to staycation.  It's going to be fun.

Stay tuned!

So many things

I've had a lot of really diverse things going on. Is it busyness? Not really, just a lot of disruption to my regular routine.

Am I happy? I'm just rolling with the changes.

I'm working to get things done in my little world in the Hotel. Some things are incredible (technology IS nice) and some will be game changers for how we care for our patients. Many of these things have been done elsewhere, but no one's sharing a lot of info about how they did it. I'm trying to keep up with everything I can and make sure I avoid the potholes others have already run into on this road to modern health care.

My work has taken me out on the road--literally. That part has been fun. I've been out and about with staff I don't get to work with during my normal day.

I hope to write more in the next couple of weeks. I have some time to think. I can't wait.

I hope to see you again soon. Thanks for visiting. You are always welcome.

Stay tuned...

Monday again

Surprisingly, I did not have hundreds of e-mails when I returned to the office. I had about a dozen.  One of these days, the crazy admin who works for us will figure out that we ALL really don't need to receive a 9MB attachment on every e-mail she sends. (I bounced this request to the tech people today).

I worked with a patient (Mr. X) who always seems to show up in my office. Some therapists need to be working with him, but they're off doing other things, so I think of things for him to do. I allot about 30 minutes a day on this. I wish I could bill for my time in a clinic visit like the therapists do.

Meanwhile, Mr. X thought he was evading the medical staff on rounds by hiding out in an area near the remodeling being done in our part of the Hotel. Nope. They saw him. I managed to coax him out of the corner so he could talk to his doc. Once she arrived, I was out of there.

I also got a referral to one of our docs today. Patient found us on a website, made a phone call, and ended up in my voice mail. Before I could call, he called me. Mr. Persistent wants a second opinion with a specialist who works with us. He has a disease that requires a choice between two medications that will keep his disease at bay, but one, if he's got certain conditions, could actually kill him. Once specialist is back from his family jaunt across the country, he'll be on his consult list.

One patient made my Monday melancholy. Mr. E. has been coming to our place for a few years. His wife has never really coped with his issues very well. The caregiver stress they talk about in nursing school is starting to show. Mr. E. came in to a clinic visit with a week old beard. This is highly unusual for him, since he tends to shave every other day. Mrs. E. didn't come in with him, either, which is unusual.  She told us he had some issues and that she thought he was sick. She was correct. He got admitted.

Staff are getting bend out of shape about Mr. E. not being cared for. He's not the only one. I think Mrs. E. has finally broken. The strain of caring for her loving husband, who was once a tall, strong, highly educated man is killing her. Her back is strained from the weight. The role of loving wife and partner has been permanently replaced with caregiver. It's not what she signed up for. She doesn't say it, but the vacant look in her eyes tells you. The folks who promised to help just aren't doing it anymore.

The burden has fallen to us to carry at the Hotel,  as we wait to see how the rest of the questions in our minds will be answered.

Stay tuned...

Yes, there's no place like it..

No  place like home. So glad to finally get to sleep in my own bed again.

Stay tuned...

It ain't Bob and Bing on the Road to Utopia, but..

All of these things happened to me on the road recently with the boss.

1. I was accused of drinking the last of the caffeinated coffee in the conference room. I drank decaf instead, and waited for the new stuff to arrive. "No, " I replied. "It ran out before I got there."
2. Boss almost choked. Thank goodness I didn't have to do the Heimlich on him/her.
3. Boss kept borrowing so many office supplies that my return flight seat mate said, "What are you going to have to do next? Make coffee?"

But it wasn't all terrible.

1. Boss held my spot in line to get on the plane as I desperately ran to Starbucks for a coffee and he/she declined one. (I was nice and offered, as I always do.)
2. Boss stood in the rain to get a cab.

3. Boss and I sat near each other in the conference and I didn't hide his/her pens once (although he/she "borrowed" my only notepad to take calls from people at the Hotel.) Yes, while the meeting was in progress. Boss also wrote remote orders on his/her laptop.
4. Boss complimented me on my knowledge in front of our work group, who had come from around the nation.

It is always interesting to watch
1. Specialists squirm when they don't understand something.
2. People getting in those inside comments, "We finally went out and got Nurse X a Queen's Square hammer for the clinic after that study." Thanks to Grumpy, I actually KNEW that one. (still have to find out what Boss's favorite is though...I'm guessing a Troemner)

Nevertheless, I survived. Boss, I'll miss you when you're gone the next time.

Just remember...I have pictures of you sleeping with your mouth wide open on the plane, proving, yet again, that you're still human like the rest of us.

Stay tuned...could be on the road again before you know it.

The weekend draws to a close...

Lots and lots of fun was had by all at the RehabRN household.

I got lots done in the house and started getting ready for the next road trip coming in a few weeks. Travelling partner and I don't have to share a room this time, but we plan on learning AND having fun, even if Manglement makes us give three presentations on our spiel when we get back to the Hotel. We may even let Big Boss buy us lunch this year (he/she ditched us last year in Vegas).

Bubba went to his last baseball games and had a grand old time, hitting and fielding. He even talked Dahey into a bounce-back thingamajig so he can practice all the way up until soccer season. Dahey managed to find it on the local sales board at the grocery store.

WildDog actually got to go outside once or twice, and get spoiled with freshly broiled chicken and the occasional leaf of salad (he loves veggies as much as meat).

So now, I return to chores, until I get another moment of freedom. Stay tuned...

Terrible tornadoes

Are currently terrorizing the middle of the country, and a really scary story..a tornado hits a hospital in Joplin, MO.

So happy our tribe made it back in one piece, since there were storms aplenty on our way back home. Bubba was content assembling his new toy dinosaur (which has a million pieces) and a trip to Dahey's favorite sandwich place. He wolfed down his Italian sandwich like we hadn't fed him in days. This couch potato child swam and played for hours and he ate everything in sight.

He also slept soundly every single night, which was lovely. Can't wait until the tribe can hit the road again one of these days.

It was nice to be away, though. I, am back to reality: housework, computer work and work at the Hotel. I'll be praying for no tornadoes.

On the eve of the voyage

 To get away from one's working environment is, in a sense, to get away from one's self; and this is often the chief advantage of travel and change.  ~Charles Horton Cooley

Yours truly, Dahey and Bubba will be heading down the long road travelling for a piece. Will update as we can.

Stay tuned for exciting updates from the road. Kids (and husbands) are so much fun.

The countdown

How many things can I cram into a day before the infamous conference trip with the boss? Plenty...stay tuned!

Summertime

Yes, it's here again...hazy, hot, and humid.

Bubba's getting ready to go fishing with his kiddie pole with the scouts and Dahey and I are figuring out what has to get done before the heat of the day comes...to mow or not to mow. That is the question today.

And I decide to add a theme that looks a bit more summery, thanks to the new template designer in blogger. Has me wanting to hit the road again...maybe the boys will decide we need to take a little road trip.

More later...stay tuned.