Happy Nurses' Week!

In case you missed it, the yearly celebration of nurses has begun. We got the whole week covered at the Hotel with "fun" stuff in between work.

Since the theme for this year's celebration is "healthy nurse, healthy nation", maybe it is time for some nurse-centric play-by-play from yours truly.

Yes, the Hotel has some great facilities, so we are fortunate that a lot of the celebrations occur right by our unit, but the problem: many people don't attend. Why? Because they don't have time.

So consequently, if we could get ANYTHING we asked for this Nurses' Week, here's what would be on the list.

1. Unlicensed staff that actually listen, work, and communicate with the RNs. Too many of them on our unit have a bad habit of dissing the RNs. It needs to stop. Period.

We work together as a team. If you diss the RN you're assigned to on your shift, it's a rubber-glue scenario. You make yourself look bad, too.

2. How about the Captain Obvious question: if you want everyone to document everywhere, why not make it easier at the bedside?

Just saying! If you think logging in after walking 300 feet to the nurses' station, then opening the software, then logging in again, finding the patient, then starting your note is good, you haven't taken care of a bedside patient lately.

No, rehab supposedly has stable patients, but you really need things, like computers that accept the data from the beds, the scales, etc. without double charting.

3. Since I went big on #2, why not on this one. How about a fully stocked cabinet outside each room with the basics, a la TCAB projects of the not so distant past? It would have helped if they had planned this on the last remodel, but here's some food for thought.

Having supply staff actually supply it, would also be nice. If you can't do it outside every room, how about on every wing. Steps do make a difference in a workday (you could be charting, checking labs, etc.)

Finally, no matter where you practice, I wish you a very Happy Nurses' Week. Your work matters and you make a difference.

More to come...

Everything AND...

I almost sound like one of those bad infomercials. They seem to promise the world, but when you get down to it, it's really plastic.

Such has been my week. I thought the cold I got would go away if I took my cold medicine diligently. It didn't. I went to a big (over 1,000 folks) conference in sunny Florida and I suffered as a result.

I feel for all the consultants, etc. who have to fly regularly with a cold. I felt like I brought (and swallowed) a small medicine cabinet before I even got on the plane. I also bought some Earplanes ear plugs, since I knew my sinuses were stuffed. Even with all the drugs, etc., my ears still hurt (although I'd suspect less than if I didn't have the ear plugs).

Florida in winter is lovely. You actually don't feel so horrible when it's 80 degrees every day. Wearing sandals was also therapeutic. While I didn't go to the beach, my feet felt like it in those walking sandals. I sat outside and enjoyed lunch one day (since it was warm and sunny). There were threats of rain, but they never materialized. I even got in 10,000 steps almost every day. It helped that the hotel was a short walk from the conference location AND that the conference was in a convention center that was pretty big.

Coming home was another adventure. Thankfully, the plane was not full. I got to enjoy an aisle seat and no one next to me, which is rare these days. I made it two whole days before I caved and decided to seek medical attention for the infection I got.

Now I'm playing the doxycycline shuffle. It's really not fun rearranging meals and vitamins for the antibiotic, but since I'm feeling a little better, why not?

Hope you enjoy your day wherever you are. I'll be soldiering on...stay tuned!

Sin City indulgences

Yes, it was beautiful weather in Las Vegas when I was there recently. But, as usual, in conference season, it's also crazy. A couple getting married was on our flight. We all signed napkins with marital advice and they got a bottle of the sparkly stuff for their trip.

I got to stay at one of the most beautiful places around in the Mandalay Bay complex. Pools, palms, casinos, shows, nightly turn down service, you have it all.

What I would have preferred though? A lighter duvet. You would have sworn it got to 30 below zero outside even though the thermostat in the room never went below 65 (I tried to no avail). This lead to much discomfort at night. I figured out (on the last night) that I actually slept better in the bathrobe with just the sheet covering me.

We had lovely meals (hence the indulgences that made my scale go up) and I ate EVERY dessert (although most were tiny). Tiny pain au chocolat at breakfast, tiny chocolate mousse and other sundry mousse-like items, and tiramisu (also tiny). They were all good.

To make up for it, I tried to march around the mall every chance I got, because it beat walking around in the casinos which could get smoky. I also ran up stairs wherever possible.

And yes, I gave some money to the house at Mandalay Bay and Luxor. After I ran through $80 of my $100 budget, I gave up and went to the airport. On my last $20 I put in the slots near my gate, I made $50. I cashed out and vegged while awaiting my plane in the crowded terminal.

The flight back was nice. I sat next to a pilot who was returning to start his work week. Got a lot of insider information and it was fun.

Now, it's back to work. Let the week begin. Hope you enjoy yours wherever you are!

In the middle of the pouring rain

This describes my life in so many ways lately.

New moon craziness

Well, according to the calendar, it's not a full moon. I would have thought otherwise recently, though.

People (patients and staff) acting funny at the Hotel made me go and check the calendar.

A few oddities here and there to keep up busy. Among them...

1. A death (not unexpected) in the acute wing. 

2. A seminar (also at the acute wing). Just another occasion to hang out and sell the program (mixed results on that ). The major plus: walking to the parking garage (it was a glorious day and no, I did not rush one bit!).

3. Balky people everywhere. I love reactionaries! Sometimes, we just don't plan in advance, so we're standing there waiting when we could be doing work that will be of benefit later.

The rest of the week awaits...so off I go!

So glad I wasn't drinking

When I read this article and this quote:“I think parents need to teach their children safe texting,”

So glad, because I probably would have choked, laughed, and coughed whatever I was drinking all over the computer.

Kids, here's RehabRN's advice: PAY ATTENTION.

It just may save your life, and not only when you're walking and texting ('cause I know you're going to do it). I have to make sure Bubba doesn't play a game on the iPhone and walk, because I already know he can't do it.

That is all.  Enjoy your weekend, all, wherever you may walk, text or roam.

After a rough day...

Sometimes you need a break, after walking all of your 10000 daily steps going up and down hills to meetings.

So glad the weather is finally nice in RehabLand!

More to come...with a nice German Kolsch. Tasty relief!

Always a sobering thought...

You go out for a walk and your kid gets away from you...lost.

Got stopped by the local PD today. A little boy in RehabLand is out there alone with his dog. The cop thought Bubba (running ahead of course, since WildDog is so geriatric...) might be him.

It's frightening to even think about it.

More later.

No, it's not normal

My life is not THAT exciting, thank you so much!I thought walking miles at MegaConference and staying in a place without flushing toilets was exciting.

No. I was topped again. I talked to my pharmacist friend who told me about her week. Besides the usual crazy cast of characters in the large metro neighborhood, one of them decided to steal a police automatic rifle, out of a police car, one block from her store.

Said thief must have been what she lovingly calls an "unlicensed pharmacy professional" who obtained said firearm for protection of his "inventory." Thief then sells his wares to local yokel and shows him the rifle.

Local yokel takes random drug of the moment (she had no idea what) and has a bad experience. Could he get physically sick? Oh, no! He does get psychotic thought and starts trashing aisles of BigPharmacy, where she works. Store management calls police and 911.

Once local yokel sees they are on to his bad trip, he runs to the pharmacy and proceeds to jump over the counter, screaming, "The machine gun man is coming to get us."

My friend, freaked out and having no idea, that Local has been reported, calls 911. They put her on hold. She wanted to run out of the store (via a back door) but her tech froze, so no dice.

After  all the hubbub, Local is taking to station, and stuff  written up. Local only got a night in jail.

So what's the first thing you do after you crazily climb into the pharmacy and tell everyone a murderer with a machine gun is coming?

You call your pharmacist (at the same store) and ask for a refill, because you forgot it.

Madame Pharmacist was not amused...

Weekend follies - travel wrap-up

Yes, if you travel, you get to do lots of things.

Here's a few of the things I did:

1. Walk. I went over 10,000 steps on my pedometer every single day walking back and forth to various sessions. That's not including the to and from to the conference.

2. Eat. Lots and lots of restaurants (and some nice receptions) with loads of food. I tried to stay away from too many bagels (aka meeting room food).

3. Drink. Lots and lots of coffee--every kind you can imagine. Also had some of the local beverages which were quite tasty.

4. Chat with presidents. And vice presidents and marketing directors, as well as our sales reps. I was enlisted to do a demo with one of the products I use regularly for one vendor. She didn't know how to use it.

5. Collect swag. I got a gallon Ziploc full of pens for the nursing staff: light up pens and even the  new pens with stylus ends for your tablet. I also got a purple dragon and mints, among other things. Wish I could have gotten a fedora (yes, one vendor gave those out) for S.

6. Meet. Met lots of fellow nurses from around the country. Had lots of fun discussing everything we do in the SU. Was almost tempted to show up in scrubs when the dress code said "business dress".

Yes, even in the SU, scrubs are business attire. However, I caved and wore my "I could be a banker" suit.

And now, I get to do one more thing: prepare an expense report. It's all worth it. I learned a lot, walked a lot and had a lot of fun.

Stay tuned...

I didn't run away...

Oh.My.Heavens. MegaConference was just that--MEGA. And I had to walk miles every day just to get to the different sessions. I met lots of folks and enjoyed myself immensely.

Fun, fun, fun. Stay tuned!

Mixin' it up...

Sometimes I am nice. I return calls, I do favors for my friends on the floor. I walk back to the unit from the SU with patients who are going that way, and their transporter's not there.

In fact, I'm getting used to the temporary office, and the fact, that I'm allowed to wander around to do my job. Yes, with stuff here, there and everywhere, I am getting my exercise walking. I need to walk anyway, since I sit for longer periods than I ever did while I was caring for people on the floor.

But if you try to tell me you're going to make me take less time doing my job to make you happy, Big Boss, I'm going to tell you the truth. You, nor your providers will get reimbursed for me or that SU work you're volunteering me for 'cause it ain't codeable. (Thank you coders and Ms. SU Guru for teaching me all the magic words to say about provider workload.)

I am here for the SU patients, you know, the rehabbers you wanted me especially for in the first place.

And if you think you're gonna mess with my people (even indirectly), you're gonna have to deal with me: She who will not be cowed.'Cause all these other coders and assorted folks who get you money are banking on me.

Any questions? I didn't think so...

A week to remember

It's been a different sort of life working in the SU and in a way, I'm grateful. For the most part, it's quiet and reasonably paced. This past week, however, has been crazy.

The ineptitude of our unit secretary is coming out in the form of the MD's schedule. I've found errors and have been working to correct them, but not much has been done, since the replacement isn't much better. They just do not comprehend how to take care of patients and keep a day moving. It is a whole lot of non-nursing work, done by nursing staff. So when I complain to my boss, the answer is to talk to the administrative head, who manages the  secretaries assigned to each unit.  Fun.

Finally, to top it all off, the nurse manager told us she's leaving next month for another unit in the complex. She's been in our area for her entire career. It will certainly be a change. The troops at the Hotel were stunned today. "Who will lead us?" they cried. Not a single volunteer from the old timers, either. It will be an interesting time. Thank goodness no one's asking me. I would need to have that last MegaMillions salary to take a nurse management job at the Hotel with our motley crew!

May have to get my walking boots on once this assignment in the SU is complete. I see bedlam coming...more so than usual.

Stay tuned...exciting times are coming up around the bend.

Ironies, part two

First, you second-guess if you did the right thing for the patient that died. Did I miss some signs they had or were there so many problems which could mask another, that I couldn't keep them straight? You find out that you weren't the only nurse to wonder...and maybe the MDs are pissed because they couldn't see any signs, either.

Next, your boss calls you up to ask what the acronym SCD stands for. Lucky me, I got to answer the phone. And no, I didn't even look it up first.

After trivia, you get the assignment to take your patient to an appointment and are looked at as a rare oddity--an RN as escort. Your boss could have told you this yesterday when you asked who was going for one of the other staff, but no, the boss wanted to save that for you. What's more fun than rushing around gathering things for your trip at the very last minute?

Of course, accompanying this patient was a little like going as a star's attendant. Everyone there (I'm not kidding) knew his name. You'd swear I was with Norm from Cheers.

Finally, the weather was beautiful and I was trapped inside for a while, so I took the earliest opportunity to walk two blocks just to enjoy it....and all the ironies of the day.

Walking...in the ICU?

I can only imagine how many nurses and support staff it will take to get some of these folks out of bed.

We deal with lots of tubes and wires in a rehab setting, but I can only imagine that number squared in an ICU.