And I thought Lonny was a challenge.....

Yesterday at work, W-O-W.

People never fail to be dramatic. I experienced my MOST dramatic patient moments yesterday. But it was a good day.

Our unit is really slow right now, we have like 15 patients, which is nuts. The Alfred side (the smaller side) only has 4 of the 15. I've been on the Alfred side all week. So, it's usually only me and one other nurse. Yesterday the other nurse sat at a desk that's on the other side, not by me, and our secretary was gone for like 1.5 hours, so, for those 1.5 hours, I felt like I was runnin' the place. I answered all the phones and call lights and such. It was fun. Then one of my patients took an emotional turn for the worst. No details here, but let's just say it was a matter of about a half hour before this IRATE patiet would rip out his/her own IV/Nerve catherter/etc. and walk outta the joint AGAINST medical advice. So, being the nurse advocate that I was, I called the 4 different doctors/medical professionals that needed to see this patient before he/she left. I said, if you don't come right now, the patient is outta here, no joke. So, these four wonderful people sprung into action and pretty much ran up to the floor and did what was needed and my patient was out. So, if you want to leave the hospital against medical advice, just act completely unreasonable and out of control, swear a lot, yell a lot, threaten to sue and you'll get a nurse and a bunch of doctors to forget everything else important in their day to come let you out.

I took the brunt of this patient's anger because I'm the go-between. A patient's mad at everything and I have to hear about it and do what I can to make it better. I have to try to make them feel better and stick up for the doctors the patient is mad at, all at the same time. At the end, the patient and the spouse thanked me and appologized like crazy saying how unfair it was that I had to listen to all the yelling when it all had nothing to do with me. But it's ok I said, that's why I'm here. And it is.

So, the angry patient became the apologetic and kind patient, once he/she found out they could go. Sigh..............I didn't even bother asking them if they wanted an escort (that's another 1/2 hour wait) hahaha, so I kinda pushed the patient towards the door and said, get outta here! And we all laughed, awwww, what a sweet ending. It coulda been a soap opera. After all this what did I do? Well I charted it all of course, nursing is 1/2 care and 1/2 documentation.

A bonus to my day was my mom calling me to come down to Alfred 6 and see were she works! I met her fun co-workers and saw where she does her thang. It was cool. Finally, I went home, watched Gilmore Girls and fell asleep. A little while later I found myself on the phone talking to my mom. I did not remember picking up the phone, but I did. She invited me to a movie with her and Papa. So, while I waited for them to pick me up, I watched the beginning of the Sound of Music on TV and I thought of you HEATHER and how you love that movie.

Then we went to The Lookout, it was interesting, sad, but good. Then I hung out at Mom and Dad's and we watched Pay It Forward on tv and Chris came over when he was done with work.

Now it's Saturday and I woke up @ 11 cuz I was tired apparently. When I woke up, I couldn't get out of bed, I was too lethargic, so I yelled out, "HELP, HELP!" and Chris came in and pulled me out, ahahah. We had a delicious lunch of egg rolls, burritos, and rice, which is fine because rice is a both a mexican and chinese food (remember that Amie/Winona friends?)

And now Chris has left for b-ball playin' and I sit here in my jammies, remembering that this time yesterday I in the middle of an anger mangement scenario at work.

Peace dawgs.