*Took 15 minutes to comb a giant knot out of a lady's hair. When her doctor came around she told him how it was the best thing ever that I combed out her hair. He mustered a half-hearted fake smile and left. Then we joked about how he just "didn't get it".
*Got yelled at several times by a patient's son. I kinda had fun seeing how kindly I could respond to his degrading comments. Sometimes I'm an actor at work. Probably the rudest human I've even encountered.
*Spoke to my patient in a microphone all day due to his extreme hearing loss. To top it off, he was also confused, although pleasantly.
*Gave a billion medications by mouth, by IV, by nasogastric tube, by other such tubes, and by an orifice that shall not be named (coughcoughbuttcoughcough)
*Ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, finally caught up, and then got shipped off to another unit to meet 3 new patients, then proceeded to do the chicken with no head thing for the rest of my shift.
*Floated to Methodist's ICU, the trauma ICU, and the general medical floor. That's a lot of floating.
*Quickly got the right people in the room before so-n-so hit 'dial' on his phone to call our CEO and demand better care. *Rolls eyes, but tries to put self in their shoes*
*Only had to give one bed-bath, score.
*Ate a chocolate covered Peep and stole 2 packs of saltines and a diet Sierra Mist from the 'patient's only' food stash on 5Dom. However, this was necessary, as I was physically shaking from low blood sugar.
*Charted for 45 minutes of my 60 minute break
*Spent a good 10 minutes explaining to my patient that I am indeed trustworthy, despite his suspicions otherwise, and that I would not abandon him. Then spent another good 10 minutes listening to all the other staff members who are NOT trustworthy. *Rolls eyes for real*
*Assessed several wounds, ick!
*Listened to 7 set of lungs ranging from crackly to clear.
*Only took care of one actual ICU patient. But enjoyed my 3 floor patients.
*Was told to be left alone more times than I can count. But was also told that I was appreciated.
* Was a care taker, med giver, advocate, reassurer, care planner, dressing changer, house keeper, therapist, active listener, family members psych issues taker-carer of, doctor conflict resolutioner, phone caller, back rubber, hair comber, IV puller-outter, colostomy emptying maniac, and much more :) teehee.
And.....I still have 12 more hours to go tomorrow! I better go to bed.....nah, not yet.
5 comments:
Oh Brianna what a good nurse you are. You were very busy but no time to get bored. Isn't it great how you can do all that stuff and survive. Glad you got home safe. Happy Easter to a very good nurse and granddaughter. Thanks for taking care of all them peeps.
Oh My! I hope your day goes better today! I'm sorry you have to work so hard and especially on Easter but if you just think of it as the cross you bear to serve and love others it might help a bit. Love you and Happy Easter!
Glad to hear the humor in ALL of it. You are a great nurse who is honest with all the things we encounter in a given shift, and a sweet compassionate caretaker that does your best to nurture all of your patient even when they don't always appreciate it. If only the world really knew what we do as nurses.... but that's why we do it right. When it's all said and done you are a special nurse and God has given you a special calling which isnt always very fun, but it's rewarding and we know we are making someones day better even if they don't think so. Example, Grandpa pretty much thought every one was trying to "kill him", all the while they were saving him...wierd isnt it. One more day you'l be back home to your sweet family. Have a good one, I know you will.
Wow, busy woman. glad you made it through. xoxox
Hello Brianna,
My husband has been working for a nursing home that takes patients that others won't - there's a lot of them dealing with dementia and some who've become violent to family members. The things he shares when he comes home astound me. He is the financial controller, but in an area where the majority of the employees are women, he's called to assist in a number of situations - you could have been calling out the list of things he's helped or observed - God Bless you for what you do - I told him it couldn't/shouldn't take anyone to do that type of job. He's also a Pastor, he's been their shoulder and their ear too.
I know God can carry us through things in our lives and give us special gifts to meet the needs of other people!
God Bless,
Kathy
Post a Comment