Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. Simone Signoret
Tonight...6PM a decade ago, I changed my life. Happy anniversary Dahey! What a wild ride it's been.
(clink) To many more...
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Breathe...
It's so simple, but I don't feel like I've done much of that lately. The pace of the day today was a running one, and tomorrow it will be the same.
The weather has been lovely here, so I walked outside on my lunch break. Clear, blue skies and a light wind was beautiful. There's a hint of fall in the air. I strolled over to another building eating my fall apple we picked recently. It was simply heaven.
I have a new RN working with me and she's doing pretty well. The program she's in is helping. I wish they'd have had something like that when I was new. She'll be with me a little while longer before she goes to her next rotation. I got a good report from her previous preceptor, so I think she'll do well. I just hope she applies for an area of interest before her program is over. We have jobs for new grads at Madison and Washington, but they're getting snapped up fast!
The nice thing is that we've had some time to actually talk about our assignment and plan it. I had her take a patient today. We reviewed his orders, then went in and talked to him. He was a bit balky, but Mr. X. eventually cooperated with her. Newbie had worked with him before (when she first came to the unit), so Mr. X. did not have to be oriented to her. Yes, sometimes orientation includes getting oriented to the patients and the patients oriented to you! Mr. X. was time-consuming, but he provided a lot of learning--learning about motivating people, teaching them how to care for themselves, and teaching them how to direct their own care if they can't do it for themselves.
Our other patients were easy. We set them up, and they did whatever they could themselves, which for a rehab nurse, is sheer, utter joy. I always tell them I'm not going to move into their houses, so they'd better get used to doing as much as they can for themselves.
We got all our paperwork done and even talked to a couple of wound nurses who were doing an in-service on the unit. It was a whole lot of learning rolled up into one day. By the time the day ended, it didn't seem like we did much at all! Time truly flew by, just like those fall winds.
More to come....
The weather has been lovely here, so I walked outside on my lunch break. Clear, blue skies and a light wind was beautiful. There's a hint of fall in the air. I strolled over to another building eating my fall apple we picked recently. It was simply heaven.
I have a new RN working with me and she's doing pretty well. The program she's in is helping. I wish they'd have had something like that when I was new. She'll be with me a little while longer before she goes to her next rotation. I got a good report from her previous preceptor, so I think she'll do well. I just hope she applies for an area of interest before her program is over. We have jobs for new grads at Madison and Washington, but they're getting snapped up fast!
The nice thing is that we've had some time to actually talk about our assignment and plan it. I had her take a patient today. We reviewed his orders, then went in and talked to him. He was a bit balky, but Mr. X. eventually cooperated with her. Newbie had worked with him before (when she first came to the unit), so Mr. X. did not have to be oriented to her. Yes, sometimes orientation includes getting oriented to the patients and the patients oriented to you! Mr. X. was time-consuming, but he provided a lot of learning--learning about motivating people, teaching them how to care for themselves, and teaching them how to direct their own care if they can't do it for themselves.
Our other patients were easy. We set them up, and they did whatever they could themselves, which for a rehab nurse, is sheer, utter joy. I always tell them I'm not going to move into their houses, so they'd better get used to doing as much as they can for themselves.
We got all our paperwork done and even talked to a couple of wound nurses who were doing an in-service on the unit. It was a whole lot of learning rolled up into one day. By the time the day ended, it didn't seem like we did much at all! Time truly flew by, just like those fall winds.
More to come....
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Back in the saddle update
You already know yours truly is back home at the Hotel, but did you know Tex is back doing the ED Sing-a-long way over NC way at Weird Nursing Tales?
You absolutely must check out his latest one, Mr. Drug Seeker (to Simon and Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson).
Tex, welcome back buddy! Hope you enjoyed the vacation from Blogger land. We missed you!
You absolutely must check out his latest one, Mr. Drug Seeker (to Simon and Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson).
Tex, welcome back buddy! Hope you enjoyed the vacation from Blogger land. We missed you!
Thank you ANA
Today's SmartBrief with this quote has successfully planted this song in my head.
"When the feeling's gone and you can't go on, it's a tragedy."
--The Bee Gees, pop music group
"When the feeling's gone and you can't go on, it's a tragedy."
--The Bee Gees, pop music group
Another?
Somedays I wonder if I'll ever have enough time to get going. I feel as if I'm moving in slow motion today.
More to come...stay tuned.
More to come...stay tuned.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Back in the saddle again...
So glad my favorite charge nurse is coming back. I had more than my share of excitement recently after I ran off the plane to get to work.
First, I had to deal with the family from Hell. Entitlement Trio (ET for short...which is quite a generous moniker) played the ugly American tourists at home. After standing around at the airport awaiting the shuttle to my car, I secretly wished these people would have been kidnapped by narcoterrorists. It's couldn't have happened to nicer people. These people even lived near the Hotel where I work, which also irritated me, as most of my neighbors have been socialized to be more polite.
The ET bumped into people with their enormous amount of luggage, and they proceeded to bitch at every single shuttle driver who came by because they wanted their shuttle right now. One shuttle driver actually called the office to get not one but two shuttles to come to pick up the mass of humanity now at our terminal door waiting.
Of course, after their whining display, ET boarded the shuttle first and ET daughter proceeded to check her e-mail. Mother and daughter b*&tched the entire way to the next terminal, where the driver had to stop to see if he had any other pickups. Father was absolutely silent. Daughter was loud and obnoxious in her comments when he did stop which irritated me even more. The man was just doing his job.
Once we arrived at the parking lot, ET wanted to be dropped off first and as luck would have it, they were in the closest row. Driver pulled right up to their car and they jumped off without even a thank you or even a tip for helping them get their bags off the van.
Finally, the driver got the rest of us off the van (we were all parked within two rows of each other). I was the last one off. I thanked the driver, an elderly gentleman, for being so nice to everyone, especially the ET group. I also gave him a good tip, since no one else bothered. I love leaving, but wish that some people would be grateful to come back once in a while.
After flying down the highway, and avoiding the usual speed traps, I was early and I went home and kissed Dahey and Bubba and scratched WildDog behind the ears. I gave Bubba his souvenirs, which he paraded around the house (a t-shirt, a hat and a special commemorative medallion). I got dressed, made coffee and headed to work.
Stay tuned!
First, I had to deal with the family from Hell. Entitlement Trio (ET for short...which is quite a generous moniker) played the ugly American tourists at home. After standing around at the airport awaiting the shuttle to my car, I secretly wished these people would have been kidnapped by narcoterrorists. It's couldn't have happened to nicer people. These people even lived near the Hotel where I work, which also irritated me, as most of my neighbors have been socialized to be more polite.
The ET bumped into people with their enormous amount of luggage, and they proceeded to bitch at every single shuttle driver who came by because they wanted their shuttle right now. One shuttle driver actually called the office to get not one but two shuttles to come to pick up the mass of humanity now at our terminal door waiting.
Of course, after their whining display, ET boarded the shuttle first and ET daughter proceeded to check her e-mail. Mother and daughter b*&tched the entire way to the next terminal, where the driver had to stop to see if he had any other pickups. Father was absolutely silent. Daughter was loud and obnoxious in her comments when he did stop which irritated me even more. The man was just doing his job.
Once we arrived at the parking lot, ET wanted to be dropped off first and as luck would have it, they were in the closest row. Driver pulled right up to their car and they jumped off without even a thank you or even a tip for helping them get their bags off the van.
Finally, the driver got the rest of us off the van (we were all parked within two rows of each other). I was the last one off. I thanked the driver, an elderly gentleman, for being so nice to everyone, especially the ET group. I also gave him a good tip, since no one else bothered. I love leaving, but wish that some people would be grateful to come back once in a while.
After flying down the highway, and avoiding the usual speed traps, I was early and I went home and kissed Dahey and Bubba and scratched WildDog behind the ears. I gave Bubba his souvenirs, which he paraded around the house (a t-shirt, a hat and a special commemorative medallion). I got dressed, made coffee and headed to work.
Stay tuned!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A little flippant
That's the word of the day today and kind of my philosophy of the moment. The conference is over. I achieved my goal of presenting. I proved a few things to the folks I work with.
And now, I hit the road. Traveling partner and I had a good time, despite the fact, that in many ways we are polar opposites. In many other ways, however, we are alike. We are adventurous and we enjoy meeting people and seeing the world.
Now it's off to home, then work, then decompression....stay tuned.
And now, I hit the road. Traveling partner and I had a good time, despite the fact, that in many ways we are polar opposites. In many other ways, however, we are alike. We are adventurous and we enjoy meeting people and seeing the world.
Now it's off to home, then work, then decompression....stay tuned.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Things you learn at a conference
1. There are long lines for any good free stuff.
2. Occasionally someone you know will win a raffle.
3. Some conferences feed you exceptionally well (meals and snacks), and others, not so much.
4. Your boss,will get up and dance,if some nurses from another hospital pick him up under the arms and drag him.
5. One of your coworkers will document #4 for posterity.
6. You will volunteer someone else to babysit the boss and entertain him/her, so you can escape.
7. Some people can speak before hundreds of people, and others, not so much.
8. You find that lots of people have problems similar to those on your unit.
9. When you work for a large healthcare system, everyone knows everyone in one way or another. Six degrees of separation? Nope. It's more like two.
10. Finally, enjoy your old and new friends whenever you get the chance. You never know when it will be the last time you see them.
2. Occasionally someone you know will win a raffle.
3. Some conferences feed you exceptionally well (meals and snacks), and others, not so much.
4. Your boss,will get up and dance,if some nurses from another hospital pick him up under the arms and drag him.
5. One of your coworkers will document #4 for posterity.
6. You will volunteer someone else to babysit the boss and entertain him/her, so you can escape.
7. Some people can speak before hundreds of people, and others, not so much.
8. You find that lots of people have problems similar to those on your unit.
9. When you work for a large healthcare system, everyone knows everyone in one way or another. Six degrees of separation? Nope. It's more like two.
10. Finally, enjoy your old and new friends whenever you get the chance. You never know when it will be the last time you see them.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Too many cool things...
I love it when you find interesting things at a conference.
While I felt brain-dead after the 0700 meeting today, I absolutely loved the fact that the presenter interspersed cartoons by this guy into a subject, that to many, is horribly depressing.
It's not depressing to me...it's dealing with a segment of my people at the Hotel, and they had a couple of things I know my folks would just love. Now if some more of our medical staff were present, things could be different.
Stay tuned! Some things just shouldn't stay here in Vegas...they need to go back to the Hotel!
While I felt brain-dead after the 0700 meeting today, I absolutely loved the fact that the presenter interspersed cartoons by this guy into a subject, that to many, is horribly depressing.
It's not depressing to me...it's dealing with a segment of my people at the Hotel, and they had a couple of things I know my folks would just love. Now if some more of our medical staff were present, things could be different.
Stay tuned! Some things just shouldn't stay here in Vegas...they need to go back to the Hotel!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
D-Day...
Or Jour J as they'd call it in Paris.
Today is my conference presentation. Lots to tell once it's done...stay tuned!
Today is my conference presentation. Lots to tell once it's done...stay tuned!
Monday, September 20, 2010
The countdown
How many things can I cram into a day before the infamous conference trip with the boss? Plenty...stay tuned!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Blame it on the rain...
Already used Rainy days and Mondays, and it's not Monday...yet...just couldn't resist this saccharine 80s rain song! Enjoy!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Drugs, bugs and shop talk
Things I heard at dinner recently with a few nursing friends and a pharmacist.
"I love JCAHO visits!" (from the quality nurse who has withstood many in her day). She's hoping to take the experience further in a new venture.
"Nursing is a lot about poop." One nurse who's a nursing instructor. "Some people don't last long if they can't handle poop."
"Needless to say, I'm learning a lot about illicit drug use." Another nurse who deals with an interesting group of folks.
"Get me outta here. I'm not picking up any more germs!" Quote from the pharmacist who was hospitalized recently following an out-of-control staph infection. Said Rx got the doc to get the wish granted. Thankfully, a family member was an MD and made it so.
Thankfully, no people were near us!
"I love JCAHO visits!" (from the quality nurse who has withstood many in her day). She's hoping to take the experience further in a new venture.
"Nursing is a lot about poop." One nurse who's a nursing instructor. "Some people don't last long if they can't handle poop."
"Needless to say, I'm learning a lot about illicit drug use." Another nurse who deals with an interesting group of folks.
"Get me outta here. I'm not picking up any more germs!" Quote from the pharmacist who was hospitalized recently following an out-of-control staph infection. Said Rx got the doc to get the wish granted. Thankfully, a family member was an MD and made it so.
Thankfully, no people were near us!
Thoughts on escape
The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~St. Augustine
Despite my best intentions, I may have to go back to the Hotel Rehab to get some stuff before I leave for the conference with my travelling partner. Yes, I plan on being in the parking lot early AM for us to carpool, but I really didn't want to touch a computer or go inside. Nevertheless....I'll do what needs to be done. Manager asked if I could lose the Boss. Trust me...I'll try...when we're done! He/she will drive me nuts if I'm stuck with him/her for the whole thing!
This week has not been too bad. The mix of things in a day keeps me occupied. As one of my coworkers mentioned, I had an easy assignment. We also had the luxury of being fully staffed. Sometimes I think the boss does this so I can float around and help others. Many of my coworkers, when given a similar assignment, will not. They go hide in the break room or wherever they can to dodge work. In fact, I was chastised by the Slug when I dodged cleaning out the unit refrigerator when the maintenance crew came through to take care of our current one. He/she likes to comment that "I missed the real work."
Hmm...makes me wonder about his/her prioritization skills. In the same amount of time that the Slug sat glued to the table in the break room with not one, but two other nurses, I got my orientee access to the computer and we went to do a complex dressing change at the request of our charge nurse. I blew off the Slug's comment, because, yes, he/she can do some manual labor once in a while that is not nursing, even if dodging work is his/her game. I'd rather be too busy to notice.
And off I go...more updates to come. Feel free to cross your fingers, toes, light candles or invoke your religious figure of choice. Karma, good thoughts, prayers, etc., are all welcome. Gotta go ask Sr. Mary Martha if there's a patron saint for conference presenters (love the tagline of that blog, "Life is tough. But nuns are tougher."). I have never been so nervous in my life...presenting at a national conference IS a really big deal.
Stay tuned, all you readers...updates will be here first! Have a great weekend!
Despite my best intentions, I may have to go back to the Hotel Rehab to get some stuff before I leave for the conference with my travelling partner. Yes, I plan on being in the parking lot early AM for us to carpool, but I really didn't want to touch a computer or go inside. Nevertheless....I'll do what needs to be done. Manager asked if I could lose the Boss. Trust me...I'll try...when we're done! He/she will drive me nuts if I'm stuck with him/her for the whole thing!
This week has not been too bad. The mix of things in a day keeps me occupied. As one of my coworkers mentioned, I had an easy assignment. We also had the luxury of being fully staffed. Sometimes I think the boss does this so I can float around and help others. Many of my coworkers, when given a similar assignment, will not. They go hide in the break room or wherever they can to dodge work. In fact, I was chastised by the Slug when I dodged cleaning out the unit refrigerator when the maintenance crew came through to take care of our current one. He/she likes to comment that "I missed the real work."
Hmm...makes me wonder about his/her prioritization skills. In the same amount of time that the Slug sat glued to the table in the break room with not one, but two other nurses, I got my orientee access to the computer and we went to do a complex dressing change at the request of our charge nurse. I blew off the Slug's comment, because, yes, he/she can do some manual labor once in a while that is not nursing, even if dodging work is his/her game. I'd rather be too busy to notice.
And off I go...more updates to come. Feel free to cross your fingers, toes, light candles or invoke your religious figure of choice. Karma, good thoughts, prayers, etc., are all welcome. Gotta go ask Sr. Mary Martha if there's a patron saint for conference presenters (love the tagline of that blog, "Life is tough. But nuns are tougher."). I have never been so nervous in my life...presenting at a national conference IS a really big deal.
Stay tuned, all you readers...updates will be here first! Have a great weekend!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Is it Friday yet?
You know it's not close enough to Friday when...
One of your coworkers who's just quit smoking is b%4hing at every turn.
You have to attend the boss's party with the toadies. I loved how the toadies violated the "no alcohol on the premises" policy. (That was the boss's gift...can't we tell who drinks heavily?)
You just want to run down the halls and scream, "Take me away, now!"
That time off will not be here soon enough!
Stay tuned...
One of your coworkers who's just quit smoking is b%4hing at every turn.
You have to attend the boss's party with the toadies. I loved how the toadies violated the "no alcohol on the premises" policy. (That was the boss's gift...can't we tell who drinks heavily?)
You just want to run down the halls and scream, "Take me away, now!"
That time off will not be here soon enough!
Stay tuned...
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The fugitive
I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages. ~William H. Mauldin
That's the story of my life lately. Everything that can go wrong will, or at least it seemed that way on a recent shift.
I have the misfortune of having oddball things happen when I am the charge nurse. I've been in charge for a while (but too frequently) and things have been getting progressively weirder. Last time, some of the staff drove me so crazy I don't even want to talk to them anymore, because to ask them to do something is a burden. Eye rolls, heavy sighs, and flat out "no" on occasion gets my blood boiling. To top it all, these same people want to talk about teamwork....hello? I'm the captain of the team and I'd like you to, at the very least do your own work!
And if that's not enough, invite people in from outside and have them critique your work. I was this close (imagine index finger and thumb close together) to calling the ambulance supervisor for the crew who took one of our patients out. DweedleDee and DweedleDum complained about the patient, complained about the necessary items he/she had to take along, then complained "Why didn't the doc send this patient out sooner?"
I just asked them to get him/her out of the Hotel, but in the back of my mind, I really just wanted to blow it all and ask them when they got their MDs. Funny, I only saw EMT on their shirts. I'm no MD, nor would I presume to know everything about this guy. This was the second pain in the arse crew on our unit and if it were up to me, I would lodge a formal complaint. Your job is to get Patient X from us to point B that's it. Medical treatment philosophy is not my business.
Thankfully, both these people were out quickly. Acute situations are inappropriate for rehab for obvious safety reasons. Sure, I love giving blood out as much as the next guy, but if you're gonna need unit after unit, and potential surgical intervention, you need to go somewhere else.
Enough venting for me...off to vegetate until it's time to be Homework Taskmaster with Bubba before all the sports....stay tuned.
That's the story of my life lately. Everything that can go wrong will, or at least it seemed that way on a recent shift.
I have the misfortune of having oddball things happen when I am the charge nurse. I've been in charge for a while (but too frequently) and things have been getting progressively weirder. Last time, some of the staff drove me so crazy I don't even want to talk to them anymore, because to ask them to do something is a burden. Eye rolls, heavy sighs, and flat out "no" on occasion gets my blood boiling. To top it all, these same people want to talk about teamwork....hello? I'm the captain of the team and I'd like you to, at the very least do your own work!
And if that's not enough, invite people in from outside and have them critique your work. I was this close (imagine index finger and thumb close together) to calling the ambulance supervisor for the crew who took one of our patients out. DweedleDee and DweedleDum complained about the patient, complained about the necessary items he/she had to take along, then complained "Why didn't the doc send this patient out sooner?"
I just asked them to get him/her out of the Hotel, but in the back of my mind, I really just wanted to blow it all and ask them when they got their MDs. Funny, I only saw EMT on their shirts. I'm no MD, nor would I presume to know everything about this guy. This was the second pain in the arse crew on our unit and if it were up to me, I would lodge a formal complaint. Your job is to get Patient X from us to point B that's it. Medical treatment philosophy is not my business.
Thankfully, both these people were out quickly. Acute situations are inappropriate for rehab for obvious safety reasons. Sure, I love giving blood out as much as the next guy, but if you're gonna need unit after unit, and potential surgical intervention, you need to go somewhere else.
Enough venting for me...off to vegetate until it's time to be Homework Taskmaster with Bubba before all the sports....stay tuned.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Can you tell it's Monday?
One wrong push of the button and that comment you meant to approve goes up in smoke....ugh!
Hope the rest of my day is not like this!
Stay tuned...
Hope the rest of my day is not like this!
Stay tuned...
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Heard on the unit
Otherwise known as the evening shift edition
"Don't touch me!" Mr. U.
Mr. U. (short for Unhappy) is not liking the fact that his bowels are not moving. The dreaded combo of pain pills, cardiac (and other major organ problem) history, and new injury aren't helping either. I tried a suppository after he agreed, but I could not get the stool removed prior to insertion, like I usually do, so the suppository works.
Well, something worked, because about an hour later, Mr. U. passed not one, but two small baseballs of stool. That had to hurt more than the suppository! I made sure to alert the doc that Mr. U. definitely wants the stool softener.
Why he wasn't already getting it is a mystery to me.
"When you gotta go, you gotta go." Mr. C.
Mr. C., an old injury patient talked to Mr. U., his neighbor, about using suppositories, but Mr. U. didn't want to hear it. Mr. C. just shook his head. One of these days, he'll come around, Mr. C. said. His neighbor, thankfully, was asleep.
"Whooooaah! Whoooah!" Mr. S.
Mr. S. likes to moan in his sleep. I woke him up to take his pills and he was startled. "Why did you wake me up? I was watching SportsCenter," he says. "I woke you up because I thought you were practicing for a Halloween party or working at a haunted house." I replied. I heard this while I was down the hall, minding my own business charting on one of our workstations on wheels.
Another one of our patients was talking about ghosts and what he'd read about them at our place. We suspect there are plenty, and many patients have stories of shadowy figures in their rooms, mostly on night shift.
Stay tuned for more interesting comments from the Hotel.
"Don't touch me!" Mr. U.
Mr. U. (short for Unhappy) is not liking the fact that his bowels are not moving. The dreaded combo of pain pills, cardiac (and other major organ problem) history, and new injury aren't helping either. I tried a suppository after he agreed, but I could not get the stool removed prior to insertion, like I usually do, so the suppository works.
Well, something worked, because about an hour later, Mr. U. passed not one, but two small baseballs of stool. That had to hurt more than the suppository! I made sure to alert the doc that Mr. U. definitely wants the stool softener.
Why he wasn't already getting it is a mystery to me.
"When you gotta go, you gotta go." Mr. C.
Mr. C., an old injury patient talked to Mr. U., his neighbor, about using suppositories, but Mr. U. didn't want to hear it. Mr. C. just shook his head. One of these days, he'll come around, Mr. C. said. His neighbor, thankfully, was asleep.
"Whooooaah! Whoooah!" Mr. S.
Mr. S. likes to moan in his sleep. I woke him up to take his pills and he was startled. "Why did you wake me up? I was watching SportsCenter," he says. "I woke you up because I thought you were practicing for a Halloween party or working at a haunted house." I replied. I heard this while I was down the hall, minding my own business charting on one of our workstations on wheels.
Another one of our patients was talking about ghosts and what he'd read about them at our place. We suspect there are plenty, and many patients have stories of shadowy figures in their rooms, mostly on night shift.
Stay tuned for more interesting comments from the Hotel.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Rare and obscure
Sometimes we really get some obscure stuff to look up on our patients. One of our nurses found a few good articles to add to the learning folder for the staff.
I recently took care of some interesting characters.
Off I go...so much to do today. Stay tuned.
I recently took care of some interesting characters.
- One patient has had issues with a new ostomy. This article describes issues when surgical revision doesn't help.
- Another patient came in with a really odd tumor. He's been undergoing radiation and has been really down in the dumps.
- Finally, I'm adding to my list of oddball tumors that can show up on your spinal cord.
Off I go...so much to do today. Stay tuned.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
It's raining here, too
It's a story that's sappy but worthwhile nevertheless. I just think the parting line is priceless, and you don't even need to appreciate basketball to enjoy it.
Dwight Howard makes a lady's day...(from Yahoo!Sports Ball Don't Lie blog)
Dwight Howard makes a lady's day...(from Yahoo!Sports Ball Don't Lie blog)
You know it's going to be an interesting day...
When there are so many people going to Starbucks via drive-thru, that the line is backing out into the street....at a major intersection.
I'm just waiting to see a) when I can escape and b) when a traffic cop is coming to stop this mayhem, since there are plenty of places to park.
So glad I'm going to work...
I'm just waiting to see a) when I can escape and b) when a traffic cop is coming to stop this mayhem, since there are plenty of places to park.
So glad I'm going to work...
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The good news and the bad news
The good stuff first (aka Why wait until dessert?)
Big boss was thrilled once he saw my article that was published. Immediately sent it to one of the bigwigs.
WildDog survived his yearly trip to the groomer recently, even if he is becoming eccentric in his old age. He tried to swim in a shallow bathtub, the groomer told me. What he most likely did: tried to escape. He hates water with a passion.
I got my toes painted Tutti Frutti Tonga. I skipped the French manicure, though.
The bad news
Brother was readmitted to the hospital...yet again.
In my haste leaving the meeting with travelling partner and the boss, I ran into a concrete pilon at work. I called security on-site to report it, and they did not want to write a report.
Everyone needs a little paint and new plastic once in a while. More to come...
Big boss was thrilled once he saw my article that was published. Immediately sent it to one of the bigwigs.
WildDog survived his yearly trip to the groomer recently, even if he is becoming eccentric in his old age. He tried to swim in a shallow bathtub, the groomer told me. What he most likely did: tried to escape. He hates water with a passion.
I got my toes painted Tutti Frutti Tonga. I skipped the French manicure, though.
The bad news
Brother was readmitted to the hospital...yet again.
In my haste leaving the meeting with travelling partner and the boss, I ran into a concrete pilon at work. I called security on-site to report it, and they did not want to write a report.
Everyone needs a little paint and new plastic once in a while. More to come...
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Foul, smelly and otherwise crazy: update
I'm still finding words for what I saw and smelled recently.
We have a patient who's had an abdominal surgical procedure not once, not twice, but three times at the Hotel with us. He went to Washington, and I think every resident on that service must have worked on him/her. You'd think they'd get it right. Normally, this procedure is a slam dunk. It hasn't been lately for this patient.
Today, being a day after a holiday, is always a little weird. Things are done out of order since we have people still on vacation, meetings and bigwigs coming to visit. The unit goes from quiet one minute to absolute pandemonium all at once when you have 1) lunch trays showing up, 2) people moving around everywhere and 3) every motorized floor cleaner in our building rolling down the halls of the Hotel. It was not a pretty sight. I am so thankful I escaped with my feet unscathed.
The abdominal patient, seeing it was busy, and he/she didn't feel like moseying around early, decided to clean up after lunch. When I came back to pick up his/her stuff and dump a pan of water, I noticed the dressing and the towel he/she used was covered with tan drainage that seemed to ooze more fervently each time he/she pushed on the abdomen near the incision. By the time I ran to call the docs, he/she had an ABD pad soaking and a towel that was covered with lots of tan spots. MD and the trusty wound nurse were happy I called, because the stapled area of the incision did not seem to leak while they were in the room earlier.
For that dramatic, oozing display, said patient was whisked away to an emergency consult, where he/she was evaluated and then the specialists said, "Keep up the dressing changes. Bring him/her back next week and we'll re-evaluate it then."
The smelly: one of my patients with a newer colostomy can beat the nearest herd of cattle for methane production. If we could harness that gas, we could probably power the electric used in his/her TV everyday.
Finally, we just need a little crazy welcome back from a long holiday weekend...my brother's meds still aren't right. He's not happy, so he wins a trip to the unit where his psych actually is working now that he/she is not on vacation. I'm crossing my fingers that his regular doc can settle the issues once and for all.
And if that wasn't crazy enough, traveling partner and I are still dealing with the boss on various travel issues. Next time, I'll volunteer someone else to go to a conference with him instead.
More to come...stay tuned.
We have a patient who's had an abdominal surgical procedure not once, not twice, but three times at the Hotel with us. He went to Washington, and I think every resident on that service must have worked on him/her. You'd think they'd get it right. Normally, this procedure is a slam dunk. It hasn't been lately for this patient.
Today, being a day after a holiday, is always a little weird. Things are done out of order since we have people still on vacation, meetings and bigwigs coming to visit. The unit goes from quiet one minute to absolute pandemonium all at once when you have 1) lunch trays showing up, 2) people moving around everywhere and 3) every motorized floor cleaner in our building rolling down the halls of the Hotel. It was not a pretty sight. I am so thankful I escaped with my feet unscathed.
The abdominal patient, seeing it was busy, and he/she didn't feel like moseying around early, decided to clean up after lunch. When I came back to pick up his/her stuff and dump a pan of water, I noticed the dressing and the towel he/she used was covered with tan drainage that seemed to ooze more fervently each time he/she pushed on the abdomen near the incision. By the time I ran to call the docs, he/she had an ABD pad soaking and a towel that was covered with lots of tan spots. MD and the trusty wound nurse were happy I called, because the stapled area of the incision did not seem to leak while they were in the room earlier.
For that dramatic, oozing display, said patient was whisked away to an emergency consult, where he/she was evaluated and then the specialists said, "Keep up the dressing changes. Bring him/her back next week and we'll re-evaluate it then."
The smelly: one of my patients with a newer colostomy can beat the nearest herd of cattle for methane production. If we could harness that gas, we could probably power the electric used in his/her TV everyday.
Finally, we just need a little crazy welcome back from a long holiday weekend...my brother's meds still aren't right. He's not happy, so he wins a trip to the unit where his psych actually is working now that he/she is not on vacation. I'm crossing my fingers that his regular doc can settle the issues once and for all.
And if that wasn't crazy enough, traveling partner and I are still dealing with the boss on various travel issues. Next time, I'll volunteer someone else to go to a conference with him instead.
More to come...stay tuned.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Happy Labor Day
"The man who doesn't relax and hoot a few hoots voluntarily, now and then, is in great danger of hooting hoots and standing on his head for the edification of the pathologist and trained nurse, a little later on." ~Elbert Hubbard
Hope you're not having too much hooting and hollering today...unless of course you want it!
Hope you're not having too much hooting and hollering today...unless of course you want it!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
In case you have an interview soon...
One of our regular readers has an interview with a SNF coming up, so I thought I'd put on the career hat and start a list of interviewing tips. Feel free to jump on in the comments section and add your $0.02.
Interviewing for a nursing job is not unlike interviewing for any other job, so keep the following in mind.
RehabRN's 10 interviewing commandments
1. Show up on time. Be nice to the receptionist/secretary/clerk. Some of them do make hiring decisions in one way or another.
2. Do not bring your cell phone. If you have to, turn it off. Do not make or take phone calls in your interview. It is considered rude.
3. Dress appropriately. Business attire is not bad, nor is leaning on the conservative side. You can save the bright pink shoes for when you have the job.
4. Practice your speech in your head before you go in. You'll have to introduce yourself, so make sure you can do that with a firm handshake. You may interview with one or multiple people, so make appropriate eye contact with each person.
5. Bring a portfolio with notebook and take notes. You'll need these notes to ask questions at the end. Be sure to note the name of the interviewer and any other people you may talk to during your interview.
6. Have an additional copy of your resume and any important documents (i.e. license, BLS info, etc.) with you.
7. Pay attention. If you don't understand something, ask the person to repeat it. Maintain appropriate eye contact and actively listen.
8. Sit up straight and do not slouch. Posture is important in communicating that you're paying attention, just like your second grade teacher said.
9. Answer the questions posed by the interviewer after you count to 5 or 10, even if you already know what you're going to say. This helps you to keep calm and appear poised and thoughtful. If you don't understand something, tell the interviewer.
10. Finally, once all the questions are done, thank the interviewer and any other staff who may have participated in your interview.
Be certain to follow up with a personalized thank you note (to one or all of the people who interviewed you), using those notes you took during the interview and make sure to ask for the job. You can send them via regular mail or e-mail.
DO NOT blow off a thank you note...it may be the difference between hiring you and someone else.
An example:
Dear Nurse Manager:
Thanks so much for meeting with me today. I'm really impressed by ABC SNF and I'd really appreciate an opportunity to use my RN/LPN/CNA skills to work with your residents.
Please contact me at xxx-xxxx (NOTE: you can use e-mail also if you'd like here) if you have any other questions.
Sincerely,
Random Nurse
Also, check out the following nursing related interview pages below. Prepare, be courteous, and be confident.
Interview Tips and Tricks.com has a few questions to consider for nursing interviews.
Nurse Careers also has more questions and tips.
Nursing Link has some of the worst answers to nursing interview questions, so make sure you don't answer like one of these examples!
Last but not least, check out Jennifer LeClaire's questions on www.monster.com and related articles, such as How nurses can detect an unhealthy work environment and information on the behavioral health interview.
Happy interviewing! And as a veteran of more interviews than I care to count, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Interviewing for a nursing job is not unlike interviewing for any other job, so keep the following in mind.
RehabRN's 10 interviewing commandments
1. Show up on time. Be nice to the receptionist/secretary/clerk. Some of them do make hiring decisions in one way or another.
2. Do not bring your cell phone. If you have to, turn it off. Do not make or take phone calls in your interview. It is considered rude.
3. Dress appropriately. Business attire is not bad, nor is leaning on the conservative side. You can save the bright pink shoes for when you have the job.
4. Practice your speech in your head before you go in. You'll have to introduce yourself, so make sure you can do that with a firm handshake. You may interview with one or multiple people, so make appropriate eye contact with each person.
5. Bring a portfolio with notebook and take notes. You'll need these notes to ask questions at the end. Be sure to note the name of the interviewer and any other people you may talk to during your interview.
6. Have an additional copy of your resume and any important documents (i.e. license, BLS info, etc.) with you.
7. Pay attention. If you don't understand something, ask the person to repeat it. Maintain appropriate eye contact and actively listen.
8. Sit up straight and do not slouch. Posture is important in communicating that you're paying attention, just like your second grade teacher said.
9. Answer the questions posed by the interviewer after you count to 5 or 10, even if you already know what you're going to say. This helps you to keep calm and appear poised and thoughtful. If you don't understand something, tell the interviewer.
10. Finally, once all the questions are done, thank the interviewer and any other staff who may have participated in your interview.
Be certain to follow up with a personalized thank you note (to one or all of the people who interviewed you), using those notes you took during the interview and make sure to ask for the job. You can send them via regular mail or e-mail.
DO NOT blow off a thank you note...it may be the difference between hiring you and someone else.
An example:
Dear Nurse Manager:
Thanks so much for meeting with me today. I'm really impressed by ABC SNF and I'd really appreciate an opportunity to use my RN/LPN/CNA skills to work with your residents.
Please contact me at xxx-xxxx (NOTE: you can use e-mail also if you'd like here) if you have any other questions.
Sincerely,
Random Nurse
Also, check out the following nursing related interview pages below. Prepare, be courteous, and be confident.
Interview Tips and Tricks.com has a few questions to consider for nursing interviews.
Nurse Careers also has more questions and tips.
Nursing Link has some of the worst answers to nursing interview questions, so make sure you don't answer like one of these examples!
Last but not least, check out Jennifer LeClaire's questions on www.monster.com and related articles, such as How nurses can detect an unhealthy work environment and information on the behavioral health interview.
Happy interviewing! And as a veteran of more interviews than I care to count, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
If you want driving tips...
And search Google for them, most of them will be from lawyers like this one.
My shopping list was ready, and as I'm getting ready to head on out the door to our country lane, I hear a loud pop.
Turns out someone took a left into someone else at the intersection. Nice.
More excitement to come...
My shopping list was ready, and as I'm getting ready to head on out the door to our country lane, I hear a loud pop.
Turns out someone took a left into someone else at the intersection. Nice.
More excitement to come...
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Oh! My! Saturday!
It's run, run, run as fast as you can here at the RehabRN household...for me anyway. Getting ready for a couple of gatherings that should be fun.
And speaking of fun, I have to hand it to ER Doc at Serenity Now Hospital...you made my day. I loved the Good Ole Mom post item #3.
But frankly, I was hoping for an oddball Milk of Magnesia story...off I go.
More to come...stay tuned.
And speaking of fun, I have to hand it to ER Doc at Serenity Now Hospital...you made my day. I loved the Good Ole Mom post item #3.
But frankly, I was hoping for an oddball Milk of Magnesia story...off I go.
More to come...stay tuned.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Ah, weekend!
Without labor nothing prospers. ~Sophocles
Just a thought for this weekend...will be prospering at a few gatherings. Hope you labor at something fun for a bit, too.
Just a thought for this weekend...will be prospering at a few gatherings. Hope you labor at something fun for a bit, too.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Change of Shift
Check out emergiblog for Volume 5, Number 5 of the perennial favorite, Change of Shift.
Thanks for putting me on the list, Kim!
Thanks for putting me on the list, Kim!
Dear Dr. Idiot
(aka an open letter to the boss)
Dear Dr. Idiot:
Thanks for all throwing my mailbox over the limit because I dared to ask the graphics department for graphics. Thanks also for acting like a complete ass and berating me via e-mail. It's so passive-aggressive...have you been hanging around with some of our nurses lately? It shows.
BTW if you actually read your e-mails, you'd have noticed that I informed you I would contact the graphics department and awaited your response before our meeting.
Maybe if your head was somewhere outside of your anus you might have noticed, but then again, you don't get paid to do the work, just think about it and write orders.
Sincerely not,
RehabRN
Dear Dr. Idiot:
Thanks for all throwing my mailbox over the limit because I dared to ask the graphics department for graphics. Thanks also for acting like a complete ass and berating me via e-mail. It's so passive-aggressive...have you been hanging around with some of our nurses lately? It shows.
BTW if you actually read your e-mails, you'd have noticed that I informed you I would contact the graphics department and awaited your response before our meeting.
Maybe if your head was somewhere outside of your anus you might have noticed, but then again, you don't get paid to do the work, just think about it and write orders.
Sincerely not,
RehabRN
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
A few of my favorite things
1. Fresh garlic sauteeing in butter.
2. Nice long soak in tub with a good book and a good drink.
3. Escaping work (finally) and passing on the rest of my admission duties to the next shift. Patient didn't show up until the very last minute.
More to come...stay tuned.
2. Nice long soak in tub with a good book and a good drink.
3. Escaping work (finally) and passing on the rest of my admission duties to the next shift. Patient didn't show up until the very last minute.
More to come...stay tuned.
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