Where Have All the Sick Vascular Patients Gone???

I am done with my weekend at work, finally!

Our unit had 3 patients left, at least they did yesterday.

SO.....I floated, the entire weekend. Floating means you get to work, go see what your assignment is and find that you have to go work on another unit in the hospital because your own unit doesn't need you, but someone else does.

Floating adds a bit of challenge because usually you're not familiar with the unit, where things are, the little different things they do, how to find what you need. Everything just takes longer to accomplish. But often times, your assignment is the easiest, because you're the float nurse, so usually you end up bored, but not always.

On Saturday I floating to the MICU (medical intensive care unit). I had never been there, but the set up is similar to many other floors in the Mary Brigh building so I felt like I knew where things were. I had a 2 patient assigment, both were pretty easy and my job would be transferring them to the "floor" since they were doing well. Transferring is not just pushing them down in a wheelchair. It's a multiple step process and all parts must be in place, it can take all day to come together or it can be done in an hour, just depends. One guy I got out right away and the other had to wait for a bed until after lunch. Meanwhile, I got an admission. A man from the floor who was doing poorly and had to come to the ICU. I was thinking, ok, it's fine, usually they try not to give admissions to float nurses, but I don't think they had much of a choice. Obviously I cannot talk about my patients. But I can say that this became the most difficult shift of my LIFE. The man just basically went downhill. I worked non-stop for about 6 hours in his room. I did many new things I'd never done before and I feel like a much more experienced ICU nurse now. Nothin' like dealing with life threatening things while you're floating, fun. The other nurses were helpful though, they had to be. So yeh, I barely got outta there by 8pm (supposed to leave at 7) and I was on my last brain cell. Oofdah.

So, I come into work on Sunday and oh, shock, I'm floating again. I went to the cardiac surgical icu, where my mom actually started as a nurse. I had one nice patient that I transferred out in a few hours. So, at 11a, I floated to another unit, the cardiac medical ICU. I had the easiest patient on earth and I thought it would be a loooooooong day. But no, I got an admission! Yikes, I thought, here we go again. However, this admission was pleasant and not stressful, in fact I actually learned a ton from the nurses there and kinda had fun (as far as work goes).

So yeh, 2 very different days. It makes all the difference when you feel "taken care of" as a float nurse vs ignored and made to deal with bad situations practially alone. Of course I have to do my job either way, but it's nice when you're not "dumped on" and if you are it's nice when you get a ton of help. Anyhoo, that was my floating weekend. I've been to every ICU now except for neuro, so I feel more comfortable floatin' around.

And that is that. Off I go to look for new clothes for Chris' new job! Bye!