It was fun, but too short. Yes, vacation is nearly over. It was fun though, spending time with Bubba and Dahey and some of the other assorted relatives who were roaming around Rehab Land.
I saw some movies. Between Redbox, our local library, the movie theatre and cable TV, I saw lots of stuff: things I haven't seen in years (Elf, Scrooged), things I see every year (It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story) and movies I wanted to see this summer (Trainwreck, Inside Out).
My trip to the movie theatre was not for Star Wars (I was busy being an elf while that was going on) but with Bubba to see Daddy's Home. While it's not for everyone, it is a good one for kids, and per usual Will Ferrell movies, there is a big dance scene.
I wanted to see more holiday lights, but the weather of late has not cooperated. Tornado watches and rain ruined any chances of that.
Being away, however, when you are with people you want to be with, is priceless. While it was a lot of work, it was worth it.
I hope you enjoy your holiday season and the new year to come.
Stay tuned.
Showing posts with label lights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lights. Show all posts
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Only in my dreams
Only in my dreams could we get a Hotel Rehab as "smart" and "accessible" as this new one going up in Nebraska.
I'm kind of worried about those gestures turning on and off appliances, lights, etc.
What do I do with the guy who has spasms whenever we turn him (or whenever he tilts just right in his wheelchair)?
It could get REALLY interesting.
Just sayin'...stay tuned. (I'd love to be there when it opens!)
I'm kind of worried about those gestures turning on and off appliances, lights, etc.
What do I do with the guy who has spasms whenever we turn him (or whenever he tilts just right in his wheelchair)?
It could get REALLY interesting.
Just sayin'...stay tuned. (I'd love to be there when it opens!)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Charge of the Light Brigade
I got a lot of requests when I was on rounds as the charge nurse recently. Lots of emergency calls on the call light: "Could someone come over here and turn off these lights?" Yes, even the charge nurse runs around turning off lights when all the fun stuff comes on TV. It's only an emergency if it puts a glare on your TV.
The charge nurse brigade just got some new tasks since the boss is away training. The evening charges get to make the assignment, because the daytime charges (doing boss's job while he/she is away) refuse to do it. "I don't want people mad at me!" said Daytime Charge Nurses. I'm having flashbacks to Saintarama. Fortunately, I didn't have anyone changing it when I wasn't looking, as happened there.
I did have one very passive-aggressive 12 hour person, who I'll call D (for Diva) who wasn't too excited with her assignment. I gave D, a nurse assistant, the same assignment as the night before (plus one person) and she stood around for the first hour of the shift in our patient lounge, far in the back, kvetching away with one of the nurses. Perhaps she was perturbed that she didn't get a light assignment, since she thought she deserved one. The other nurse she talked to had a lighter assignment than D because she can pass meds, which D cannot. Everyone else had 3-4 people (one of my better nurses had 5 until a 12 hour person came in to pick up part of the assignment) and so did D. Somehow, I don't see how that's so tragic. No one else complained.
To top it all, one of her patients, Mr. X., who was pretty much self-care, said she only came in the room once during the four hours she was supposed to be taking care of him. Thankfully, one of my other nurse assistants (who had a patient in the same room) saved the day by helping Mr. X out. Since Mr. X. was a new admit, his new nurse (D's replacement) and I straightened the rest of his paperwork out by the end of the shift.
Despite everything, we did have a good shift. K. the charge on the night shift came in early and ran a very special errand. She got goodies so the night shift could celebrate with Mr. A. on the morning of his birthday. Mr. A. has been on our unit for nearly a year. The night crew all went to his room and sang Happy Birthday when the breakfast trays showed up. His nurse on evenings bought him a present he'll really enjoy: Milky Way minis.
All in all, between drama and sugar in all forms, it wasn't a bad night.Stay tuned. More to come...
The charge nurse brigade just got some new tasks since the boss is away training. The evening charges get to make the assignment, because the daytime charges (doing boss's job while he/she is away) refuse to do it. "I don't want people mad at me!" said Daytime Charge Nurses. I'm having flashbacks to Saintarama. Fortunately, I didn't have anyone changing it when I wasn't looking, as happened there.
I did have one very passive-aggressive 12 hour person, who I'll call D (for Diva) who wasn't too excited with her assignment. I gave D, a nurse assistant, the same assignment as the night before (plus one person) and she stood around for the first hour of the shift in our patient lounge, far in the back, kvetching away with one of the nurses. Perhaps she was perturbed that she didn't get a light assignment, since she thought she deserved one. The other nurse she talked to had a lighter assignment than D because she can pass meds, which D cannot. Everyone else had 3-4 people (one of my better nurses had 5 until a 12 hour person came in to pick up part of the assignment) and so did D. Somehow, I don't see how that's so tragic. No one else complained.
To top it all, one of her patients, Mr. X., who was pretty much self-care, said she only came in the room once during the four hours she was supposed to be taking care of him. Thankfully, one of my other nurse assistants (who had a patient in the same room) saved the day by helping Mr. X out. Since Mr. X. was a new admit, his new nurse (D's replacement) and I straightened the rest of his paperwork out by the end of the shift.
Despite everything, we did have a good shift. K. the charge on the night shift came in early and ran a very special errand. She got goodies so the night shift could celebrate with Mr. A. on the morning of his birthday. Mr. A. has been on our unit for nearly a year. The night crew all went to his room and sang Happy Birthday when the breakfast trays showed up. His nurse on evenings bought him a present he'll really enjoy: Milky Way minis.
All in all, between drama and sugar in all forms, it wasn't a bad night.Stay tuned. More to come...
Monday, November 29, 2010
RIP Leslie Nielsen
Lt. Frank Drebin (from the Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear)
Go ahead, threaten me like you have the American people for so long! You're part of a dying breed, Hapsburg, like people who can name all fifty states! The truth hurts, doesn't it, Hapsburg? Oh sure, maybe not as much as landing on a bicycle with the seat missing, but it hurts!
Oh, it was a crazy sort of day today. Frank Drebin, we could have used your logic to figure out why our unit had no electric all day when our neighboring unit across the way had lights for all those meetings I could see from the window.
And finally...
Lt. Frank Drebin: Looks like the cows have come home to roost.
More to come...stay tuned.
Go ahead, threaten me like you have the American people for so long! You're part of a dying breed, Hapsburg, like people who can name all fifty states! The truth hurts, doesn't it, Hapsburg? Oh sure, maybe not as much as landing on a bicycle with the seat missing, but it hurts!
Oh, it was a crazy sort of day today. Frank Drebin, we could have used your logic to figure out why our unit had no electric all day when our neighboring unit across the way had lights for all those meetings I could see from the window.
And finally...
Lt. Frank Drebin: Looks like the cows have come home to roost.
More to come...stay tuned.
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...
Sunday, May 10, 2009
There is a light...
At the end of every tunnel, if you really look hard. Sometimes, you have to dig through a lot of dirt and excrement to get to it, but you get there.
I had a really crazy last few days. I realize that some of the people I work with really don't work as a team if certain people aren't there to influence them to do so. It really pisses me off, but I can't do anything about it.
So what do you do? You find the people who'll work with you, and you work with them. You help them and they help you. And if you need the other ones, you have to put on the RN hat and delegate. I don't like pushing people, but I'm getting sick of this crap. If they only knew that I don't ask them for help because I get really perturbed about their followup comments, "Oh, she's not very efficient," "Oh, she does it different than I do, " or my favorite, "Why does she talk to the patient before we turn them?"
One of my patients, who is a lot sharper than he looks told me last night, "I noticed a lot of people make you do stuff on their schedule, and if you don't they get mad." Surprise, surprise. I have found that if I give people options and tell them I have to do other things, too, 95% of them will make a choice when given two options. That other 5% is another story, but even they can often be convinced to cooperate.
A lot of people think therapeutic communication is hooey, but I look at it more as negotiation. Some people we work with need control, because so much of their lives are out of control. This establishes some for them, and saves me some time in the process. It may not be old school "my way or the highway", but they can't say I didn't give them a chance.
My day, although I missed a little sleep, has been delightful. Dahey and Bubba took me to brunch and gave me lovely little presents...just what I wanted! We went out to eat and let someone else cook and do dishes. I came home, did a little shopping and now I'm getting ready for day 4 of 5. I'll deal with it as I go.
My light is the fact that after this week, I won't be at work much for the rest of the month, due to vacation days and conferences. When I looked at the new schedule with this on it, my heart leapt for joy.
Plenty of days to recharge ahead...and lots of light at the end of the tunnel.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there, wherever you are, wherever your momma is, here or gone. Mom's responsible for this missive today! :-)
I had a really crazy last few days. I realize that some of the people I work with really don't work as a team if certain people aren't there to influence them to do so. It really pisses me off, but I can't do anything about it.
So what do you do? You find the people who'll work with you, and you work with them. You help them and they help you. And if you need the other ones, you have to put on the RN hat and delegate. I don't like pushing people, but I'm getting sick of this crap. If they only knew that I don't ask them for help because I get really perturbed about their followup comments, "Oh, she's not very efficient," "Oh, she does it different than I do, " or my favorite, "Why does she talk to the patient before we turn them?"
One of my patients, who is a lot sharper than he looks told me last night, "I noticed a lot of people make you do stuff on their schedule, and if you don't they get mad." Surprise, surprise. I have found that if I give people options and tell them I have to do other things, too, 95% of them will make a choice when given two options. That other 5% is another story, but even they can often be convinced to cooperate.
A lot of people think therapeutic communication is hooey, but I look at it more as negotiation. Some people we work with need control, because so much of their lives are out of control. This establishes some for them, and saves me some time in the process. It may not be old school "my way or the highway", but they can't say I didn't give them a chance.
My day, although I missed a little sleep, has been delightful. Dahey and Bubba took me to brunch and gave me lovely little presents...just what I wanted! We went out to eat and let someone else cook and do dishes. I came home, did a little shopping and now I'm getting ready for day 4 of 5. I'll deal with it as I go.
My light is the fact that after this week, I won't be at work much for the rest of the month, due to vacation days and conferences. When I looked at the new schedule with this on it, my heart leapt for joy.
Plenty of days to recharge ahead...and lots of light at the end of the tunnel.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there, wherever you are, wherever your momma is, here or gone. Mom's responsible for this missive today! :-)
Monday, March 2, 2009
Am I seeing a pattern?
Last year, one day after the traditional end of February, I was on my old unit at Saintarama getting some paperwork done. While I was there, a patient coded.
Yesterday, I'm walking in the door and notice one of the people I usually see was not there. I asked what was going on. The answer: he coded in the early AM on the night shift.
The day shift was busy, too. I ended up with one less patient on my assignment. This one didn't code, but he won a lights and sirens trip to the nearest hospital for a dose of tPA.
Just makes you wonder...
Yesterday, I'm walking in the door and notice one of the people I usually see was not there. I asked what was going on. The answer: he coded in the early AM on the night shift.
The day shift was busy, too. I ended up with one less patient on my assignment. This one didn't code, but he won a lights and sirens trip to the nearest hospital for a dose of tPA.
Just makes you wonder...
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