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Well that was an interesting night at work...



First we had a Code Red (fire alarm). Had to check all the rooms and close all the doors only to have the code cleared 5 min. later. Which is a good thing because fire in a nursing home....can we say disaster?



After the all clear we get right back to work. Handing out pills like a pro. The only problem, it seemed every single patient I have needed extra time today. I don't mind stopping and chatting with a few of them here and there. I usually chat while I work but, today....wow...they all had some sort of issue. Each issue pushed me further and further behind.



I've got one guy asking for a toothpick because he has something stuck in his teeth. Come to find out he has a full set of dentures and maybe if he took them out and cleaned them it would feel better...



I'm telling you there must be something in the air because all of them, and I mean ALL of them, complained of pain today. I have 2 out of 12 patients I expect to give pain meds to. I think I broke some sort of record tonight.



I had a new admit come in around 4:30 or so. He was here last week but, the hospital, (in their infinite wisdom), sent him over not quite stable. We sent him back 24 hours later. Now, he's back, and stable. I head in and ask the 101 questions for our intake forms, check his skin head to toe and head back out to the desk to file the paperwork. That's when I heard the scream from the middle hall, "CALL A CODE!"



I'm at the desk so it's my job to call the supervisor, grab the chart and head into the room to find out what she needs. One aide has already grabbed the crash cart another is grabbing an oxygen tank and nurses are crawling out of the woodwork. Can we say, controlled chaos?



I run back to the desk to call 911 and get the paperwork rolling. Our FNP happened to be on another unit so she's in the room doing an assessment. Thankfully, we didn't have to perform an actual code because the patient came around and was alert and responsive. It was the fact that he was on his back in the bathroom with a good size gash on the back of his head that we sent him out.



Initially he was unresponsive...he'd basically knocked himself out cold when he hit the floor. How it happened, we don't know. One of the aides heard a thunk from across the hall and found him in the bathroom. It's the way it goes sometimes.



The rest of my actual shift was pretty uneventful. Just ended up running waaay behind. I think I finished my 8o'clock med pass somewhere around 11:15. I'm supposed to be giving report right about then... I finished up my med pass, counted out the narcs with the nurse coming on and gave report. Time to take a break and then get to some charting.



I'm slaving away at paperwork and I hear something about one of the ladies down the other hall taking a turn for the worse. We had just put her on palliative care 4 hours earlier. In other words the family had decided it was time to let her go. No meds, other than for pain, and no rescue efforts. I knew the family wanted to be notified if there was any change in her status so I told the other nurse as she was unaware. We called the family but she slipped away before they arrived. Again, it's how it goes sometimes. Some people wait for everyone to be there and some wait for everyone to go home.



Tonight I learned a little something about myself. I help people get through the good times and the bad. It is my duty to either help them along to health or help them along to death. It is not my place to decide which direction is the right one. It is my place to help them find that direction. It is my place to hold the hands of loved ones and be the support they need when no one else can offer it. It is my place to hold the hands of my patients and help them to stand or to take their final breath. I am a nurse and I have found my place.

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Vampirewitch39
21:09 Nov 02 2009

Wish I could give you a hug right now. :)

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I believe it's not a good sign when I really, really, really don't want to go to work. Just thinking about some stuff for the past couple of days. I love what I do. I like the people I work with. I enjoy the patients I work with.....I hate my job.



No nurse should ever be required to handle 14 patients on their own. It's stressful and it can be potentially dangerous. I don't feel I'm giving these people the level of care they deserve. Granted, they don't have any complaints but, I do.



There's simply not enough time in 8 hours for me to assess 14 patients head to toe, check blood sugars on half of them twice, take secondary blood pressures on 8 of them before I can give them their 8pm meds. I have 2 med passes and a treatment pass. Oh, did I mention the charting that has to be done? That in itself takes 2 hours. So really, I only have 6 hours to get the rest done. And my patients wonder why I don't eat at work...there's no damn time.



I think it might be time to go job hunting again...

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voodoochile
13:10 Oct 18 2009

:(

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Vampirewitch39
15:36 Oct 18 2009

Then you should. You are the type of person who wants a job you can stay at, make a living with, and freaking feel like you are helping people. You can't do that at this one.



Get out now- you been to long to get to where you are at to stop.





Life is good- make the job part of that. If that means looking around and getting something you like and like doing.... pull up the internet, the newspapers ads.



I wish you the best sis. *hugs*

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birra
15:23 Oct 19 2009

It's a common issue with healthcare around here. Look at the local HotJobs - one out of every 10 postings is for healthcare; RN's in particular. Everyone in the field is overworked - they just don't have enough qualified people in this area to fill all the jobs.



I have eggplant parm sammiches for you for lunch... stop by before work. :)

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If left alone in your kitchen I may clean it and cook you dinner.



I kidnapped Birra's kitchen and made Chicken Pot Pie. In the process I cleaned his kitchen...it's a compulsion...I can't help myself.



After dinner Morri and I sat down and peeled apples and she made Apple Crisp. mm mm mmm mm mm. Yummy.



While the crisp was baking Birra popped on "Army of Darkness" because, (horror of horrors), he hadn't seen it yet. Most ridiculous horror movie ever. It's also about the only "horror" movie I'll watch because it's freakin' hilarious.



Another successful, fantastic VR meet-up here in little ol' Buffalonia. ;)

Aka, the "swine flu". Thanks to the media for the widespread panic about all this. Welcome to October folks, flu season has officially begun. Now, thanks to all the panic and hype the New York State Dept. of Health has instituted a new "emergency" policy that says all health care workers must be vaccinated for not just the H1N1 but the regular flu also.



I don't necessarily object to the H1N1 but, I do object to the regular flu vaccine. It' not always effective because they try and predict which flu strains will be prominent in the next year.



I have received the flu shot once. I was traveling coast to coast to visit grandparents with a diabetic on each side. Didn't want to run the risk of bringing the flu virus with me from the plane into their homes. But, now...grrr....I've gotten the flu ONCE. It sucked, I was out of work for a week but guess what. I got over it. My immune system kicked in and I was fine.



I personally and professional do not feel I meet the criteria for needing a flu vaccination. I'm young and healthy which equates to a healthy immune system able to fight off the flu virus, (H1N1 or otherwise). If anything it's not going to be me bringing in the virus, it's gong to be patients exposing us to it. With proper hand washing and aseptic technique, it won't spread. Which we use every single day because of the multitude of other infectious diseases I deal with day in and day out.



I guess what I'm trying to say is, I object to someone telling me how I should manage my health. I'm an intelligent human being. I know the risks. I understand how important it is to wash my hands...hell I do it about 30 times a day. I should be the one who makes the decision as to whether or not I want to inject another foreign substance into my body which is no where near as effective as my own immunity.



Oh, and did I mention it's now a condition of employment? So much for people being able to think for themselves. Lovely choice, don't get the flu shot, don't get a paycheck...it's not a choice.

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ps1v4mpv1
19:09 Oct 01 2009

I totally agree with this and it makes me so... PISSED OFF. the government is trying to force it on us, and a few states are gonna try and mandate everyone be given it.

I fear if it doesn't go through smoothly though, the president will say it is an outbreak blah blah and has the right to obtain people if there is an "epidemic". I fear this is going to happen. You should watch the Obama Deception, an hour and a half film on youtube. The other site makes you pay to download it. .... Anyways... Try to have a nice day. )=

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birra
00:08 Oct 02 2009

That's ridiculous.



No employeer should be able to tell an employee what they must ingest/consume/inject into their body....



...it's bad enough the law gives them the right to tell their employees what they're not allowed to do on their own time...

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Sinora
14:11 Oct 02 2009

Sad, I can't imagine 'them' getting away with that here in the UK.

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