And I'm not even in the ER...
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
Another week in RehabLand...
And what a week it was! Lots of ups and downs, happiness and sadness. I got what I asked Santa for already: equipment and the start for a new clinic. And I got four pounds of espresso! Ho ho ho! I can't wait until clinic starts in the New Year.
At Madison, one of our doctors celebrated ten years at the Hotel. We finally got a new doctor to replace our last one who retired recently. Then our boss announced that he/she is taking a new job in a month, four hours away.
One of our staff complained of chest pains and got a cancer diagnosis instead once he/she was hospitalized.
School is on hold, I'm awaiting sentencing, as one of my old professors used to say. (Actually, he said waiting for the plea bargains....really miss that sense of humor.)
In a way, I feel the same. I'd like to plead for my sanity, but I'm just going to relax and see what happens.
More to come...
At Madison, one of our doctors celebrated ten years at the Hotel. We finally got a new doctor to replace our last one who retired recently. Then our boss announced that he/she is taking a new job in a month, four hours away.
One of our staff complained of chest pains and got a cancer diagnosis instead once he/she was hospitalized.
School is on hold, I'm awaiting sentencing, as one of my old professors used to say. (Actually, he said waiting for the plea bargains....really miss that sense of humor.)
In a way, I feel the same. I'd like to plead for my sanity, but I'm just going to relax and see what happens.
More to come...
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Friday, November 30, 2012
Two weeks...
Yes, in two weeks, this odyssey will be over. No longer will I have to say, "No, I have to go home and study this weekend."
I am a little sad to leave, but not enough to stay. I have learned so much as I've gone along, that I still cannot believe that from the time I applied, got accepted to now that so much of my life has changed.
I am no longer a new nurse. I have grown in my practice. I have mastered much of one, and now, am learning another. My dreams from ages ago have actually come true
The genie is no longer in the bottle. The education I have has changed my job and my outlook.
Like the song says, I'm headed to the future...and I like it.
I am a little sad to leave, but not enough to stay. I have learned so much as I've gone along, that I still cannot believe that from the time I applied, got accepted to now that so much of my life has changed.
I am no longer a new nurse. I have grown in my practice. I have mastered much of one, and now, am learning another. My dreams from ages ago have actually come true
The genie is no longer in the bottle. The education I have has changed my job and my outlook.
Like the song says, I'm headed to the future...and I like it.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
A topper
I really did think when I called my friend N. on the Left Coast, that I really did have a story that could top anything that happened to her.
N. is a manager of a Borg Pharmaceutical vendor, who will remain nameless.
My day was fine and dandy until Mr. and Mrs. Lost came to my door. I figured it was a simple, direct-them-to-the-SU kind of thing that normally happens. Nope.
Mr. Lost told me that he was going to kill someone. (Ding, ding, ding -- alarm bells) To top it off, he had a plan.
Hello...there went my beautiful boring morning. Calm Mr. and Mrs. Lost down and call the psych people.
No one is answering their phone. (Maybe that lunar eclipse thing messed them up?) So I went looking for the mental health staffers on our team. After much searching, I found one.
Mr. Lost stayed in my office while J., our mental health staffer, called the "Heightened state" team. Chief says, "Send Mr. Lost to the ER for evaluation."
Surprisingly, Mr. Lost was okay with that. J. stayed with him until the ambulance came. Mrs. Lost went home to collect some things and call Mr. Lost's daughter.
And so, J. had a teaching moment with the student today.
I'm so glad I got to be the lucky person...stay tuned for more.
N. is a manager of a Borg Pharmaceutical vendor, who will remain nameless.
My day was fine and dandy until Mr. and Mrs. Lost came to my door. I figured it was a simple, direct-them-to-the-SU kind of thing that normally happens. Nope.
Mr. Lost told me that he was going to kill someone. (Ding, ding, ding -- alarm bells) To top it off, he had a plan.
Hello...there went my beautiful boring morning. Calm Mr. and Mrs. Lost down and call the psych people.
No one is answering their phone. (Maybe that lunar eclipse thing messed them up?) So I went looking for the mental health staffers on our team. After much searching, I found one.
Mr. Lost stayed in my office while J., our mental health staffer, called the "Heightened state" team. Chief says, "Send Mr. Lost to the ER for evaluation."
Surprisingly, Mr. Lost was okay with that. J. stayed with him until the ambulance came. Mrs. Lost went home to collect some things and call Mr. Lost's daughter.
And so, J. had a teaching moment with the student today.
I'm so glad I got to be the lucky person...stay tuned for more.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Temps are dropping...
And they are calling for snow. I guess winter really is around the corner!
Bubba is asleep early. I hope none of his classmates shared any special viruses they got during Thanksgiving.
More to come...
Bubba is asleep early. I hope none of his classmates shared any special viruses they got during Thanksgiving.
More to come...
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Ah, a couple of days...
It just takes a couple of days away to really enjoy the start of the holidays.
Thanksgiving dinner was delightful. The day was sunny and the food all turned out really good. No politics was discussed at our dinner table (a major feat). We watched movies after lunch and just vegetated. (Thank goodness for the dishwasher!)
Black Friday came and went. I worked on a paper (I actually felt like writing) and Dahey and Bubba went shopping. Since most of the hardcore shoppers were out on Thanksgiving, it wasn't nearly as crowded. I did most of my shopping online. I did go to a store, but couldn't find anything I wanted.
The boys came home with an unusual present. They decided they needed a ukelele. (Dahey wanted a guitar, but didn't like the one he saw that was in the price range). The ukelele was in the price range and even came with a teach yourself DVD. Should be interesting to see if Bubba can get good enough to qualify for one of these scholarships. (Yes, there are scholarships for ukelele!)
Today, we're going to a local holiday fair and Bubba is excited. He knows the Santa there is not "real Santa" but he promises not to mess it up for the little kids.
Should be interesting...stay tuned.
Thanksgiving dinner was delightful. The day was sunny and the food all turned out really good. No politics was discussed at our dinner table (a major feat). We watched movies after lunch and just vegetated. (Thank goodness for the dishwasher!)
Black Friday came and went. I worked on a paper (I actually felt like writing) and Dahey and Bubba went shopping. Since most of the hardcore shoppers were out on Thanksgiving, it wasn't nearly as crowded. I did most of my shopping online. I did go to a store, but couldn't find anything I wanted.
The boys came home with an unusual present. They decided they needed a ukelele. (Dahey wanted a guitar, but didn't like the one he saw that was in the price range). The ukelele was in the price range and even came with a teach yourself DVD. Should be interesting to see if Bubba can get good enough to qualify for one of these scholarships. (Yes, there are scholarships for ukelele!)
Today, we're going to a local holiday fair and Bubba is excited. He knows the Santa there is not "real Santa" but he promises not to mess it up for the little kids.
Should be interesting...stay tuned.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Thanksgiving eve
Yes, this is the night yours truly spends chopping, slicing, dicing and baking. And vexing over a house that's never clean enough!
I have decided to just go with the flow this year and live with it. Life is indeed too short.
Stay tuned.
I have decided to just go with the flow this year and live with it. Life is indeed too short.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Sunday stealing
Ah, yes, the crazy meme blog. I've missed ye not because I didn't want to visit, but I've been busy.
Here are some good ones for this weekend here and my abbreviated version below.
What if you came across a backpack stuffed with one hundred thousand dollars. Would you keep it?
Heck no! I know exactly where they send you if you do, and it's not worth the sentence frankly. I would be trotting it to whomever owned it or the nearest police station--with a witness and I'd get a receipt.
What if you were the most powerful person in the world. How would you use that power?
Gee, so many things you could do. I'd probably start small and see what happens. World peace and ending starvation are pretty big tasks. I've always wanted to grow up to be a full-time philanthropist!
I have a list of people I'd like to meet and a list of people who I'd like to ask for advice. They're not the same for a reason.
What if you found a magic lamp?
Ask these questions my mother taught me: Does it go with the current decor? How much would it take to redo the decor so the lamp would fit? What does the genie look like and what is his/her offer?
So many darned decisions. :)
What if the internet didn't exist?
Ack! I'd still be in my very first job if it didn't. Or I'd spend lots of money on phone calls and expedited mail! And I would not be in the job I am in today. I did a lot of research on the internet before I became a nurse.
What if you never started blogging?
I would have never encountered some of the interesting people I've met online. Or I'd be in jail for killing some of the idiots I've worked with. Blogging is cheap therapy, kids.
Write out your frustrations, let go, keep growing and look back later. Evaluating yourself later is not a bad thing. It prompts something called growth.
What are your November 22 Thanksgiving plans?
Eat, drink and be merry (and I'll be cooking!) There is so much to be thankful for this year in spite of the craziness of the past year.
Here are some good ones for this weekend here and my abbreviated version below.
What if you came across a backpack stuffed with one hundred thousand dollars. Would you keep it?
Heck no! I know exactly where they send you if you do, and it's not worth the sentence frankly. I would be trotting it to whomever owned it or the nearest police station--with a witness and I'd get a receipt.
What if you were the most powerful person in the world. How would you use that power?
Gee, so many things you could do. I'd probably start small and see what happens. World peace and ending starvation are pretty big tasks. I've always wanted to grow up to be a full-time philanthropist!
I have a list of people I'd like to meet and a list of people who I'd like to ask for advice. They're not the same for a reason.
What if you found a magic lamp?
Ask these questions my mother taught me: Does it go with the current decor? How much would it take to redo the decor so the lamp would fit? What does the genie look like and what is his/her offer?
So many darned decisions. :)
What if the internet didn't exist?
Ack! I'd still be in my very first job if it didn't. Or I'd spend lots of money on phone calls and expedited mail! And I would not be in the job I am in today. I did a lot of research on the internet before I became a nurse.
What if you never started blogging?
I would have never encountered some of the interesting people I've met online. Or I'd be in jail for killing some of the idiots I've worked with. Blogging is cheap therapy, kids.
Write out your frustrations, let go, keep growing and look back later. Evaluating yourself later is not a bad thing. It prompts something called growth.
What are your November 22 Thanksgiving plans?
Eat, drink and be merry (and I'll be cooking!) There is so much to be thankful for this year in spite of the craziness of the past year.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
A special delight
The weather. Hey, it's cold, because winter is really coming (barring no global warming) to RehabLand.
I ran around like crazy today filling in for a few folks AND doing my regular "yes, it's clinic day" and run all over the freaking place looking for patients and making copies.
But the special delight was a few of my patients. I had to do an two education sessions since today was the Great American Smokeout, I was worried during the second one when no one showed up.
I finally got two people --one clinic patient who watched my presentation just before his ride showed up and the other who I convinced to come in off the street following his therapy appointment.
Always a good day when people show up!
Stay tuned for more excitement in RehabLand...
I ran around like crazy today filling in for a few folks AND doing my regular "yes, it's clinic day" and run all over the freaking place looking for patients and making copies.
But the special delight was a few of my patients. I had to do an two education sessions since today was the Great American Smokeout, I was worried during the second one when no one showed up.
I finally got two people --one clinic patient who watched my presentation just before his ride showed up and the other who I convinced to come in off the street following his therapy appointment.
Always a good day when people show up!
Stay tuned for more excitement in RehabLand...
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
A loss in the family
Some times, they say you spend so much time at work it's like your second home. And yes, sometimes that home is inhabited by some pretty dysfunctional family members.
But there are others who remind you of what working together is all about.
I should be finishing one of my very last grad school papers tonight, but I can't. We lost a member of our work family and frankly, I still can't believe it.
Eddy was a nurse who had worked at the Hotel (and Washington, our sister hospital) here in RehabLand for over 10 years. Eddy started out at the Hotel, and just thought he wasn't learning enough, so he transferred to Washington and worked in the ICU. He came back to the Hotel a couple of years ago, when he moved to the same neighborhood.
He had a grand old time there with those ICU patients and was known for having a easy, laid back humor. He could get riled up, but it was rare. If he were freaking out inside over a code or anything, he never showed it. He worked with a nurse in our clinic, K. and he always gave the two of us trouble when we were together. He'd say, "One of these days, I'm going to get my BSN and get a cushy job like you guys have." K. always said, "Eddy, come on down. I'll show you what this 'cushy' job looks like."
Eddy died today. He was on leave with his wife, since she had recently had a baby--their second. We threw a big shower for them days before she went into the hospital to be induced. They brought their older girl and we had a grand old time on the unit. We said, "See you when you get back...before the holidays" and meant it.
When I was in charge (I just like saying that, I'd joke to Eddy) with him on my crew, I never worried. Even though I had less experience, Eddy would ask for my advice. This floored me. "Eddy, why on earth are you asking me, you old ICU nurse?" He would also go home at lunch or dinner time to see his wife (they lived right near the hospital) or she'd bring his dinner to work.
Eddy would just say, "RehabRN, you know a lot, and I ask you to get the real dope on stuff." Guess that made me the "real dope dealer". (Eddy was fond of bad jokes!)
We're still waiting to find out for sure, but they suspect Eddy had some kind of cardiac issue, not unlike many of the patients he had cared for in the ICU. Eddy was reasonably young, didn't smoke, and wasn't overweight.
It's still hard to believe on such a beautiful clear, crisp day, on the cusp of the holidays, he was snatched away from us and his little family to meet his eternal destiny.
May the angels come to greet you, even though we mourn you who were taken away from us too soon. It was a pleasure to know you for the time we had been given.
Godspeed, friend.
But there are others who remind you of what working together is all about.
I should be finishing one of my very last grad school papers tonight, but I can't. We lost a member of our work family and frankly, I still can't believe it.
Eddy was a nurse who had worked at the Hotel (and Washington, our sister hospital) here in RehabLand for over 10 years. Eddy started out at the Hotel, and just thought he wasn't learning enough, so he transferred to Washington and worked in the ICU. He came back to the Hotel a couple of years ago, when he moved to the same neighborhood.
He had a grand old time there with those ICU patients and was known for having a easy, laid back humor. He could get riled up, but it was rare. If he were freaking out inside over a code or anything, he never showed it. He worked with a nurse in our clinic, K. and he always gave the two of us trouble when we were together. He'd say, "One of these days, I'm going to get my BSN and get a cushy job like you guys have." K. always said, "Eddy, come on down. I'll show you what this 'cushy' job looks like."
Eddy died today. He was on leave with his wife, since she had recently had a baby--their second. We threw a big shower for them days before she went into the hospital to be induced. They brought their older girl and we had a grand old time on the unit. We said, "See you when you get back...before the holidays" and meant it.
When I was in charge (I just like saying that, I'd joke to Eddy) with him on my crew, I never worried. Even though I had less experience, Eddy would ask for my advice. This floored me. "Eddy, why on earth are you asking me, you old ICU nurse?" He would also go home at lunch or dinner time to see his wife (they lived right near the hospital) or she'd bring his dinner to work.
Eddy would just say, "RehabRN, you know a lot, and I ask you to get the real dope on stuff." Guess that made me the "real dope dealer". (Eddy was fond of bad jokes!)
We're still waiting to find out for sure, but they suspect Eddy had some kind of cardiac issue, not unlike many of the patients he had cared for in the ICU. Eddy was reasonably young, didn't smoke, and wasn't overweight.
It's still hard to believe on such a beautiful clear, crisp day, on the cusp of the holidays, he was snatched away from us and his little family to meet his eternal destiny.
May the angels come to greet you, even though we mourn you who were taken away from us too soon. It was a pleasure to know you for the time we had been given.
Godspeed, friend.
Monday, November 12, 2012
It's almost like Christmas
When you actually clean out that closet in the office that was bursting at the seams. Here are a few of my finds in there today on my day off (I know, I just know how to have fun...)
- acceptance letter to nursing school
- computer tools I'd thought someone had taken
- a computer part I needed for Dahey (the one I bought at the dollar store broke in a week)
- my old laptop and other oddball computer parts
- wallet with my student ID from 2001
- and $6 cash
More to come...the semester's slowly finishing. Another paper is nearly done.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
For all our veterans today
Thank you for your service and for all those who have paid the ultimate price...because freedom is not free.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Finally, some research
This report, out of Norway, came out recently. As a longtime asthmatic, I am not surprised.
If Dr. R. wasn't retired, you can bet I'd bug him about this. I know my new doc will have something to say about it when I go visit him soon.
If you want more information on women and asthma, check out this WebMD page with lots of information.
That is all. Only a few days left in the semester and I need to catch up!
Stay tuned...
If Dr. R. wasn't retired, you can bet I'd bug him about this. I know my new doc will have something to say about it when I go visit him soon.
If you want more information on women and asthma, check out this WebMD page with lots of information.
That is all. Only a few days left in the semester and I need to catch up!
Stay tuned...
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
So, so glad
It's Election Day, a day we should thank our lucky stars that many veterans have fought and died for us to stand in line and vote for what we believe will make our lives better.
I'm also so happy that the robocalls will finally stop. It's so sweet when a call comes over and says "Political call" on the caller ID.
Quiet at dinner time? I can only hope...stay tuned!
I'm also so happy that the robocalls will finally stop. It's so sweet when a call comes over and says "Political call" on the caller ID.
Quiet at dinner time? I can only hope...stay tuned!
Monday, November 5, 2012
One thing after another
I thought we'd chalk up all the weirdness last week to the full moon.
However, it surely was a crazy Monday...for teeth. I had two of my coworkers break one (or more) teeth today after start time.
Oh, right before open season. At least, they can start planning for some of that dental work ahead of time.
Back to work and what a welcome it was. Lots of happy campers...
However, it surely was a crazy Monday...for teeth. I had two of my coworkers break one (or more) teeth today after start time.
Oh, right before open season. At least, they can start planning for some of that dental work ahead of time.
Back to work and what a welcome it was. Lots of happy campers...
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Hallelujah!
One word: passed!
Yes, the corks will be flying soon! Was just too tired after the marathon journey yesterday to stay up and enjoy.
Now to finish the rest of the requirements. In the home stretch!
Yes, the corks will be flying soon! Was just too tired after the marathon journey yesterday to stay up and enjoy.
Now to finish the rest of the requirements. In the home stretch!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Once upon a time, not so long ago...
Oh, we're halfway there...
Oh, livin' on prayer...
We'll make it, I swear.
Here we go, folks. We have sunk years into this and we are GOING to make it. Bring on those comprehensive exams!
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