I'm posting this after a 12 hour shift, so if my grammar or spelling is poor, you'll know why.
I had a crazy night last night. It was really busy right off the bat. I don't think I sat down to take a breath and regroup until 1am. (However, I think I handled a busy night rather well which I'm kind of proud of.) After I had caught up on everything and was able to set my mind straight, I had an encounter that I'd like to share with you.
A while ago, I worked three nights in a row (36+ hours) with the most difficult patient I've ever had. Not only was he very insistent and particular about his care, but he was unkind at times and he was medically very complicated. He was an extremely sick man and we were doing absolutely everything we could for him, but he was really discouraged and frustrated with his progress. Every day when I gave report, I would apologize to the day nurse because I felt like he was such a heavy load. During my time with him, I had the opportunity to pray with him multiple times. The day after my 3rd night, he ended up going to the ICU. Although he was the most difficult patient I've ever had, I cared about this man and wanted to know what his outcome was.
Fast forward to last night. I was sitting at the nursing station and found out that this patient had passed away that evening.
The next minute, one of my patient puts on his call light. I go into the room for some small thing and at 3 in the morning, I end up having a 20 minute conversation with this guy about how he fell in love with his wife the moment he saw her on the dance floor 67 years ago. He told me all about his sons, his business, and some of the most important points of his life. He had been the hospital for over a month and was finally getting ready to go back home, so he was ecstatic. He told me that I was a kind and intelligent nurse and then muttered that I was his favorite.
As I walked out of that room, it hit me just how ridiculously dichotomous my job is. It blew my mind for a minute and then I moved on and finished my shift. Then, on my way home, the song Blessed Be Your Name came on the radio. When it hit the bridge, "You give and take away" I thought of these two moments that came back to back and both touched me in powerful ways. Then I knew I had to blog about it. It's a crazy thing when a nurse can be in tears one moment, walk into a different room, and start laughing right away. I hope this encounter gives you a glimpse of the nursing life.
Love to all,
-C-
BTW, you all are really bad at commenting on my posts.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Intentional
Hello blogging friends! Long time no see. I've never typed that sentence out before, and I have to admit I don't really like it in writing. No see? Huh.
Anyway, life has been full and busy. Christmas is always a busy time, but with a holiday work schedule thrown in there, I have completely lost track of what day it is, when I am supposed to sleep, and when to eat which meal ( I had tilapia and cheerios for 'breakfast' the other day.) BTW, what is the definition of breakfast? When you wake up? The morning meal? When you eat cereal? Does it only consist of the traditional 'breakfast' foods? Deep thoughts here. Make me feel popular and comment on your definition of breakfast below!
Anyway.... Thank you to those who have been praying for my sleeping schedule, it's been much better the last week and a half. A trick for future night shift workers- melatonin works. I only used it a couple of times, but it seemed to get me out of a bad rhythm. It's also possible that taking a pill just tricked me into thinking that I was sleepy.... I guess I'll never know. ;)
Something I've been realizing lately is how important it is to be intentional. I've reached the point at work where I can go into a twelve hour shift and make it through even if I have ridiculously challenging patients, virtually no sleep, or a really bad headache. I can push through and survive. *Insert round of applause because that's a necessary but challenging accomplishment.* The downside to this is that I might be tempted to go into survival mode even when that's not necessary.
I might have mentioned this in a previous post, but I can tell the difference in the way I care for people when I had an intentional devotional time with God before my shift and prayed for Him to help me glorify Him through my actions. Another habit I've tried to start is taking a deep breath before I walk into a patient's room and smiling intentionally. This puts me at ease which leads to better care and makes my patient feel like they are receiving the best care possible. Unfortunately, sometimes I'm so busy, I forget.
In short, what I've learned is that I can coast through a shift and do everything that is required, but everything can be improved by being intentional. Some of you might be thinking, "well duh!" but it takes a lot of effort to be intentional. However, the results are worth it. Now that I've identified this concept, it's helped me make some resolutions as I head into the new year. I want to be intentional at work, but I also want to be intentional in some other areas of my life. Here are a few things that I'm going to work on that all of you can hold me accountable to:
-As someone who is perfectly content to spend her day off running errands by myself, going to restaurants or movie theaters alone, or binge watching Netflix, I'm going to be more intentional about spending time with other living and breathing creatures. People need people.
- I'm going to be more intentional about my time with God. I'm really quite good at routines and reading my Bible consistently. However, am I confining God's opportunity to speak to me during the ten to twenty minutes I set aside each day?
-I am going to be intentional about joining some sort of small group somewhere with someone about something.
- I am going to be intentional about my resources- mainly my time and my money. I have been blessed with so much, and much is expected of me.
I don't want to turn this into a preaching type of blog, but I challenge you in the coming year to be intentional. It's difficult and takes more effort than survival mode, but I think it's worth it. Bring it on 2015!!!
Over and out
-C-
Anyway, life has been full and busy. Christmas is always a busy time, but with a holiday work schedule thrown in there, I have completely lost track of what day it is, when I am supposed to sleep, and when to eat which meal ( I had tilapia and cheerios for 'breakfast' the other day.) BTW, what is the definition of breakfast? When you wake up? The morning meal? When you eat cereal? Does it only consist of the traditional 'breakfast' foods? Deep thoughts here. Make me feel popular and comment on your definition of breakfast below!
Anyway.... Thank you to those who have been praying for my sleeping schedule, it's been much better the last week and a half. A trick for future night shift workers- melatonin works. I only used it a couple of times, but it seemed to get me out of a bad rhythm. It's also possible that taking a pill just tricked me into thinking that I was sleepy.... I guess I'll never know. ;)
Something I've been realizing lately is how important it is to be intentional. I've reached the point at work where I can go into a twelve hour shift and make it through even if I have ridiculously challenging patients, virtually no sleep, or a really bad headache. I can push through and survive. *Insert round of applause because that's a necessary but challenging accomplishment.* The downside to this is that I might be tempted to go into survival mode even when that's not necessary.
I might have mentioned this in a previous post, but I can tell the difference in the way I care for people when I had an intentional devotional time with God before my shift and prayed for Him to help me glorify Him through my actions. Another habit I've tried to start is taking a deep breath before I walk into a patient's room and smiling intentionally. This puts me at ease which leads to better care and makes my patient feel like they are receiving the best care possible. Unfortunately, sometimes I'm so busy, I forget.
In short, what I've learned is that I can coast through a shift and do everything that is required, but everything can be improved by being intentional. Some of you might be thinking, "well duh!" but it takes a lot of effort to be intentional. However, the results are worth it. Now that I've identified this concept, it's helped me make some resolutions as I head into the new year. I want to be intentional at work, but I also want to be intentional in some other areas of my life. Here are a few things that I'm going to work on that all of you can hold me accountable to:
-As someone who is perfectly content to spend her day off running errands by myself, going to restaurants or movie theaters alone, or binge watching Netflix, I'm going to be more intentional about spending time with other living and breathing creatures. People need people.
- I'm going to be more intentional about my time with God. I'm really quite good at routines and reading my Bible consistently. However, am I confining God's opportunity to speak to me during the ten to twenty minutes I set aside each day?
-I am going to be intentional about joining some sort of small group somewhere with someone about something.
- I am going to be intentional about my resources- mainly my time and my money. I have been blessed with so much, and much is expected of me.
I don't want to turn this into a preaching type of blog, but I challenge you in the coming year to be intentional. It's difficult and takes more effort than survival mode, but I think it's worth it. Bring it on 2015!!!
Over and out
-C-
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Kind of Tough
Disclaimer: I love nursing.
Here's the thing- while nursing is probably the most amazing, versatile, expanding, and rewarding jobs in the world, there are still things that are really tough. I expected to run into them every once in a while, but the fact is that nursing is a hard job. I'm learning this and I'm going to share these experiences with you.
The hardest thing I've had to deal with is sleep. I have never had problems sleeping in my life and all of a sudden I find myself an insomniac. Part of this is because of crazy night shift schedules and me working myself up over a lack of sleep, but a big part is the fact that I can't turn my mind off after a shift. I think of my patients, I think of the things I could have done differently, I think of things that I might have missed, I think of the upcoming shift ahead and a thousand other things. I hope that I'll learn to adjust to this eventually and be able to turn my mind off. Time will tell.
While I was in school, I thought I was an expert at separating my nursing life from my personal life. I still think that I'm not bad at this, but there are definitely times when I find myself weighed down by a patient I had that night. I don't leave it all at the workplace like I want to. Sometimes, this can be great. I love seeing progress in patients and watching them get better, but there's definitely a downside when my patients are not expecting to ever get better.
I have one of the best support systems in the world. That's a fact. There are people in my life who listen to my crazy stories, who are available to talk on the phone at weird hours, and who take the time to understand my life. I am so blessed. However, there are times when I am talking to people and I feel like they don't have a clue what going to work is like. It's hard to communicate in casual conversations that crying in the bathroom for a patient who's not going home is a normal occurrence, that it's a struggle to smile going into a scared patient's room even though I was called an obscene name by a confused patient thirty seconds ago. Sometimes it's hard to admit that I have to force myself to care about someone who is difficult to love or that I have to remember to treat all patient's equally and with respect no matter what their cognitive status is.
When people in my life ask me how my job is going, I say, "It's going really well." That's true. I'm learning so much, getting great experience, caring for wonderful people, working alongside talented team members, and fulfilling my calling. But it's also kind of tough.
Here's the thing- while nursing is probably the most amazing, versatile, expanding, and rewarding jobs in the world, there are still things that are really tough. I expected to run into them every once in a while, but the fact is that nursing is a hard job. I'm learning this and I'm going to share these experiences with you.
The hardest thing I've had to deal with is sleep. I have never had problems sleeping in my life and all of a sudden I find myself an insomniac. Part of this is because of crazy night shift schedules and me working myself up over a lack of sleep, but a big part is the fact that I can't turn my mind off after a shift. I think of my patients, I think of the things I could have done differently, I think of things that I might have missed, I think of the upcoming shift ahead and a thousand other things. I hope that I'll learn to adjust to this eventually and be able to turn my mind off. Time will tell.
While I was in school, I thought I was an expert at separating my nursing life from my personal life. I still think that I'm not bad at this, but there are definitely times when I find myself weighed down by a patient I had that night. I don't leave it all at the workplace like I want to. Sometimes, this can be great. I love seeing progress in patients and watching them get better, but there's definitely a downside when my patients are not expecting to ever get better.
I have one of the best support systems in the world. That's a fact. There are people in my life who listen to my crazy stories, who are available to talk on the phone at weird hours, and who take the time to understand my life. I am so blessed. However, there are times when I am talking to people and I feel like they don't have a clue what going to work is like. It's hard to communicate in casual conversations that crying in the bathroom for a patient who's not going home is a normal occurrence, that it's a struggle to smile going into a scared patient's room even though I was called an obscene name by a confused patient thirty seconds ago. Sometimes it's hard to admit that I have to force myself to care about someone who is difficult to love or that I have to remember to treat all patient's equally and with respect no matter what their cognitive status is.
When people in my life ask me how my job is going, I say, "It's going really well." That's true. I'm learning so much, getting great experience, caring for wonderful people, working alongside talented team members, and fulfilling my calling. But it's also kind of tough.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Moments: Episode 2
When thinking of names for my posts, I'm a dunce. When thinking of ways to tell stories without the ability to imitate voices or actions, I'm at a loss. I've already said that so many of the things that happen are just a moment in time. Also, I'm a terrible story teller. I've decided the best way to relate my experiences are by reliving some of my memorable moments. So here's my second edition of moments.
-I had a patient who would ask me for the alcohol wipes I used so she could smell them. She also collected all of the medicine cups we used for her art.
-Confused patient rips off his heart monitor and when I go in to put it back on, he informs me that they are extension cords and need to go back to his office.
-I walk into a young patients room and find her crying. Even though it's during the busiest time of the evening, I had the opportunity to pray with her and take a walk around the unit with her. She remembered my name and mentioned it to my manager the next day.
-Tiny old Polish lady who barely spoke any English grabbed my head in between her hands, dragged it down to the bed, and kissed my forehead. She then proceeded to tell me that I had a blessed mother.
-I do a silent fist pump every time I can sneak into a patient's room at 3am and get their blood pressure without waking them up. Victory!
-A patient (who was not mine) was upset by the construction noise going on around midnight and accused the entire hospital of breaking at least three different laws she could think of- the ones I remember her saying specifically was that we were Disturbing-The-Peace and Causing-Intentional-Emotional-Harm.
-The patient mentioned above along with a few other confused patients have threatened to call the police. Mostly because we tell them that they can't leave the hospital at two in the morning in a gown with an insulin drip, restraints, or 2 IVs and go back to Edinburgh.
-A patient confides in me that the only reason he keeps fighting is because of his son.
-We're moving a patient to a private room at 1:30 in the morning. She has one of those wheelchairs with the controls on the armrest. There's no other way to control it. One of the PCAs is trying to get the wheelchair down the hall, but it's not straight. She presses the button, runs alongside it until she bumps into the wall, turns it, does it again. All the way down the hall.
-Nurses sit at the station when all of us are hitting the 4am wall and start relating stories of the craziest patients.
-I call the doctor late in the night for admission orders and he hangs up on me when I'm only half done. I page him again and have to wait another 45 minutes before he calls back.
-I've started a new game with myself- it's called hide-and-seek-alarm edition. You have to guess which the alarm is coming from before trying to track it down. I'm getting pretty good.
That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure there are some moment's I'm missing, but I'll save those for another time. Have a great day!
-C-
-I had a patient who would ask me for the alcohol wipes I used so she could smell them. She also collected all of the medicine cups we used for her art.
-Confused patient rips off his heart monitor and when I go in to put it back on, he informs me that they are extension cords and need to go back to his office.
-I walk into a young patients room and find her crying. Even though it's during the busiest time of the evening, I had the opportunity to pray with her and take a walk around the unit with her. She remembered my name and mentioned it to my manager the next day.
-Tiny old Polish lady who barely spoke any English grabbed my head in between her hands, dragged it down to the bed, and kissed my forehead. She then proceeded to tell me that I had a blessed mother.
-I do a silent fist pump every time I can sneak into a patient's room at 3am and get their blood pressure without waking them up. Victory!
-A patient (who was not mine) was upset by the construction noise going on around midnight and accused the entire hospital of breaking at least three different laws she could think of- the ones I remember her saying specifically was that we were Disturbing-The-Peace and Causing-Intentional-Emotional-Harm.
-The patient mentioned above along with a few other confused patients have threatened to call the police. Mostly because we tell them that they can't leave the hospital at two in the morning in a gown with an insulin drip, restraints, or 2 IVs and go back to Edinburgh.
-A patient confides in me that the only reason he keeps fighting is because of his son.
-We're moving a patient to a private room at 1:30 in the morning. She has one of those wheelchairs with the controls on the armrest. There's no other way to control it. One of the PCAs is trying to get the wheelchair down the hall, but it's not straight. She presses the button, runs alongside it until she bumps into the wall, turns it, does it again. All the way down the hall.
-Nurses sit at the station when all of us are hitting the 4am wall and start relating stories of the craziest patients.
-I call the doctor late in the night for admission orders and he hangs up on me when I'm only half done. I page him again and have to wait another 45 minutes before he calls back.
-I've started a new game with myself- it's called hide-and-seek-alarm edition. You have to guess which the alarm is coming from before trying to track it down. I'm getting pretty good.
That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure there are some moment's I'm missing, but I'll save those for another time. Have a great day!
-C-
Friday, November 28, 2014
Thankful
First off, sorry for the delay in posts. I know that if I were an avid reader of my blog, I'd be disappointed. My apologies.
Secondly, I'm giving in to peer pressure and pride, so I'm posting on Facebook again. What can I say? I guess I am like every other human and enjoy the attention.
Thirdly, Thanksgiving was yesterday so I'm going to do the traditional "what am I thankful for" post.
I'll try to keep it short enough to be readable.
I'm thankful for:
-My fantastic family that lets me come back whenever I need an extra hug or have a few days off. Even though I'm living on my own, they don't make me feel like I have to stay far away. I'm so grateful for the support, the delicious meals, the laughter, the company, and the love that they show me all the time.
-My job. I spent a lot of time this summer worrying about where I would work, but I ended up getting a great job at a great hospital. I am so thankful and even when things are stressful, I hope I can remember how privileged I am.
- My cozy condo. I am so thankful that I don't have to commute back to Indiana after a 12 hour night shift. It's kind of fun making a place your own, and I don't want to take it for granted that I have a safe, warm place to live.
-My friends who I can talk to at anytime. If we're still friends after years of not living close to each other, I am pretty confident that we'll be friends for life.
- Sleep. Don't take it for granted my friends. Working nights can really throw you off of your schedule, and I have learned to appreciate sleep even more than I did in college- and that's saying something.
-My Impact group. This is the group of sophomore girls that I have had the privilege of working with at my church for the past year and a half. They have taught me a lot and I love them so much.
-My roommate. I took a risk by signing my lease to my condo before I had a roommate. I posted on my college's message board and found a Christian girl who was willing to live with me.
-My patients. Getting to care for people when they are at a vulnerable place in their lives is a beautiful opportunity. Sometimes they drive me a little nuts, but I love these people.
-The wedding I was in last week. My friend from high school got married last Saturday and it was so fun to be a part of her special day.
- My car. The day she dies will be a sad sad day indeed.
-My coworkers. I am officially finished with orientation, so now I'm on my own. I'm so thankful for the people who are willing to answer my questions and help me become more confident. I also just like them. They're fun people who understand the lifestyle I have.
-Aldi's. Gotta love cheap produce!
-My health. I have the ability to run a 10k on Thanksgiving morning without training (even though running on Thanksgiving morning is a terrible idea. Snow and running combined is just horrible). There are patients on my unit who can't even roll over in bed. My heart is in good condition and that's not something everyone has.
-My new smart phone.
-Hot drinks. For the most part I drink coffee before my shift, but I really just like having something warm in my hand as I leave in the cold dark evening.
-Library cards, Netflix, and Spotify
-My amazing God. He has blessed me in a thousand ways. He has been faithful to me and is continually showing me His power and love. If I am looking, I can see him in a thousand little things that happen every day. Working in a hospital also makes that really easy. God is powerful and He is working through me, through my patients, and through the tough circumstances that surround us. I am thankful for everything that He has done for me. Great is His faithfulness.
-C-
-My coworkers. I am officially finished with orientation, so now I'm on my own. I'm so thankful for the people who are willing to answer my questions and help me become more confident. I also just like them. They're fun people who understand the lifestyle I have.
-Aldi's. Gotta love cheap produce!
-My health. I have the ability to run a 10k on Thanksgiving morning without training (even though running on Thanksgiving morning is a terrible idea. Snow and running combined is just horrible). There are patients on my unit who can't even roll over in bed. My heart is in good condition and that's not something everyone has.
-My new smart phone.
-Hot drinks. For the most part I drink coffee before my shift, but I really just like having something warm in my hand as I leave in the cold dark evening.
-Library cards, Netflix, and Spotify
-My amazing God. He has blessed me in a thousand ways. He has been faithful to me and is continually showing me His power and love. If I am looking, I can see him in a thousand little things that happen every day. Working in a hospital also makes that really easy. God is powerful and He is working through me, through my patients, and through the tough circumstances that surround us. I am thankful for everything that He has done for me. Great is His faithfulness.
-C-
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Expectations vs. Reality
Expectation
Patients sleep in the hospital
Reality
No one gets a good night's sleep. Ever.
Expectation
If there's an empty bed at 7pm, it should be occupied by 9.
Reality
The room doesn't get cleaned so there's either a person sitting in the hallway for hours or an admission at 2am that needs admission orders from a doctor who is at home fast asleep.
Expectation
The cute 85 year old woman who is going home in the morning will be your easy patient
Reality
The sun goes down, she gets confused, and you're in her room all night trying to make sure she doesn't try to go back to Beverly Hills in the year 1900.
Expectation
I'll bring healthy food to work and maintain a good diet.
Reality
I get home from work so hungry, tired, and unmotivated that I eat a donut and 3 cookies for dinner/breakfast
Expectation
Sunlight
Reality
I wake up in the dark, I go to work in the dark, I drive home in the sun but promptly shut the blinds so I can sleep.
Expectation
Productivity on my nights off
Reality
Actually, it's half and half. I've been productive on some nights, but there was also a night where I had a Netflix marathon of White Collar.
Expectation
Becoming a zombie on night shift
Reality
Surviving nicely on night shift but having a hard time adjusting back to a day schedule.
Expectation
Living the dream and loving it
Reality
Living the dream and loving it
See ya soon!
Patients sleep in the hospital
Reality
No one gets a good night's sleep. Ever.
Expectation
If there's an empty bed at 7pm, it should be occupied by 9.
Reality
The room doesn't get cleaned so there's either a person sitting in the hallway for hours or an admission at 2am that needs admission orders from a doctor who is at home fast asleep.
Expectation
The cute 85 year old woman who is going home in the morning will be your easy patient
Reality
The sun goes down, she gets confused, and you're in her room all night trying to make sure she doesn't try to go back to Beverly Hills in the year 1900.
Expectation
I'll bring healthy food to work and maintain a good diet.
Reality
I get home from work so hungry, tired, and unmotivated that I eat a donut and 3 cookies for dinner/breakfast
Expectation
Sunlight
Reality
I wake up in the dark, I go to work in the dark, I drive home in the sun but promptly shut the blinds so I can sleep.
Expectation
Productivity on my nights off
Reality
Actually, it's half and half. I've been productive on some nights, but there was also a night where I had a Netflix marathon of White Collar.
Expectation
Becoming a zombie on night shift
Reality
Surviving nicely on night shift but having a hard time adjusting back to a day schedule.
Expectation
Living the dream and loving it
Reality
Living the dream and loving it
See ya soon!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Signs and Symptoms of a Nurse
When in nursing school, one has to make care plans. Each school does them differently, but for the most part, they are the bane of a nursing student's existence. At my school, we would get our patient information the night before we went into the hospital. We would look up the patient's diagnosis, labs, drugs, and anything else we could get our hands on. Then we would rush back to school and start filling out a mound of paperwork. Every drug required an index card with various information. We had to know lab values and what could make them abnormal. We had to look up a textbook definition of the diagnosis and make sure it made sense to us.
Then, after the full clinical day, we would come back and make the actual care plan. We'd put all of the information onto a sheet and color code it. We would include different interventions such as 'insert NG tube for bowel obstruction' and then given the rationale behind it. Then we would draw lines. Oh the lines. If a patient was taking an antihypertensive, we would connect that drug to her history of hypertension. If a patient's kidney's function was low, we would connect that to the labs.
After all of this, we would write a paper describing each of our lines and how everything was connected. In the end, we would have a stack of papers the size of a novel to hand in and be meticulously graded on. They were a nightmare. I do admit however, that the care plans helped me think things through in a way that I didn't before. It did help me make those connections and realize why I was doing certain actions. I admit it was helpful although it probably gave me a stress ulcer at some point.
I didn't mean to make the explanation for care plans that long....The whole point of that rant was to let you know that with each diagnosis, a patient has signs and symptoms that can be recognized. Duh. I meant to set up the rest of my post, but it didn't end up making sense. But now I've typed it, so I'm going to stick with it. Pretend that the rest of this post makes sense and flows cohesively.
There are certain signs and symptoms that can help you identify a nurse (Phew! Finally got to my punchline) Here are a few to help you spot one a mile away:
-A feeling of being uncomfortable in business casual clothing; I mean, they're used to wearing pajamas all day!
-Hearing call lights and heart monitors even when off duty (It's getting bad, people)
-An uncontrollable urge to use every hand sanitizer station they see
-A fast and purposeful walking stride
-A depressed or absent gag reflex- although this symptom is stronger for some nurses than others
-A twisted sense of humor
-Eyeing and commenting on people's veins in public
-A bladder of steel that is prepared to wait for 12+ hours
-An unnatural ability to do things using only one hand
-Memory loss that occurs at the dinner table when they forget that some people don't like discussing the color of vomit, the smell of a wound, or invasive procedures
-Eating food as if they only have a few minutes before it disappears
-Diagnosing people on the street
-Absentmindedly taking their own pulse
-Countless stories; funny, sad, sweet, or absolutely ridiculous.
Hope this helps. If you see someone who has a number of these signs and symptoms, you might want to walk in the other direction. Nurses be crazy :)
-C-
Then, after the full clinical day, we would come back and make the actual care plan. We'd put all of the information onto a sheet and color code it. We would include different interventions such as 'insert NG tube for bowel obstruction' and then given the rationale behind it. Then we would draw lines. Oh the lines. If a patient was taking an antihypertensive, we would connect that drug to her history of hypertension. If a patient's kidney's function was low, we would connect that to the labs.
After all of this, we would write a paper describing each of our lines and how everything was connected. In the end, we would have a stack of papers the size of a novel to hand in and be meticulously graded on. They were a nightmare. I do admit however, that the care plans helped me think things through in a way that I didn't before. It did help me make those connections and realize why I was doing certain actions. I admit it was helpful although it probably gave me a stress ulcer at some point.
I didn't mean to make the explanation for care plans that long....The whole point of that rant was to let you know that with each diagnosis, a patient has signs and symptoms that can be recognized. Duh. I meant to set up the rest of my post, but it didn't end up making sense. But now I've typed it, so I'm going to stick with it. Pretend that the rest of this post makes sense and flows cohesively.
There are certain signs and symptoms that can help you identify a nurse (Phew! Finally got to my punchline) Here are a few to help you spot one a mile away:
-A feeling of being uncomfortable in business casual clothing; I mean, they're used to wearing pajamas all day!
-Hearing call lights and heart monitors even when off duty (It's getting bad, people)
-An uncontrollable urge to use every hand sanitizer station they see
-A fast and purposeful walking stride
-A depressed or absent gag reflex- although this symptom is stronger for some nurses than others
-A twisted sense of humor
-Eyeing and commenting on people's veins in public
-A bladder of steel that is prepared to wait for 12+ hours
-An unnatural ability to do things using only one hand
-Memory loss that occurs at the dinner table when they forget that some people don't like discussing the color of vomit, the smell of a wound, or invasive procedures
-Eating food as if they only have a few minutes before it disappears
-Diagnosing people on the street
-Absentmindedly taking their own pulse
-Countless stories; funny, sad, sweet, or absolutely ridiculous.
Hope this helps. If you see someone who has a number of these signs and symptoms, you might want to walk in the other direction. Nurses be crazy :)
-C-
Saturday, November 8, 2014
A Truth
Here is a statement that should be taken very seriously: No matter your age, nationality, background, gender, culture, or personality, farts will always be funny.
I hate to break it to you. Some of you might think of yourself as being classier than me and are shocked that I would mention this in a public setting. I don't care. If someone audibly breaks wind, I know that you will at least attempt to stifle a giggle. I take pride in the fact that I can admit this. Also, working in a hospital provides ample flatulence stories. This world is sometimes a hard place and sometimes we need to be able to share these stories to lighten the mood and relieve stress.
So.... I was working with a patient in a semi-private room. I was giving him some pain medication when there was a loud noise on the other side of the curtain. The room was dark, it was 3 in the morning, and my patient and I had been speaking in whispers. You can hardly blame me for literally jumping back with a slight surge of adrenaline. It was loud. It was long. It was hilarious. I looked around the curtain and the guy is fast asleep. In my defense, I tried very hard to maintain dignity and composure, but it was a losing battle.
I believe there are at least a few people who read this blog who have had a colonoscopy done. If you are unfamiliar with this procedure, they clean out your intestines, blow them up with air, and take a look around. Afterwards, you pass a lot of gas. You're supposed to. If you don't, something is wrong. I have to admit though, it's still funny. Patients apologize and I assure them that it's normal and expected. Then I leave the room and chuckle. It's shameful, yes, but if I can't laugh when someone cuts the cheese, where will I be?
(Note: I just googled fart synonyms- the English language goes above and beyond the call of duty to make sure there is a word that is suited for your poot)
On another note, I had my first patient try to attack me yesterday. I was admitting her and she was very confused, scared, and in pain. Luckily, she was wasn't very strong, but let me tell you, I got an major adrenaline rush. No harm done whatsoever, but I wonder how frequently this happens. I'm thankful that I'm still with another nurse who can support me and be there when things are tense.
Other than that, first week on night shift went well! Come back soon!
-C-
I hate to break it to you. Some of you might think of yourself as being classier than me and are shocked that I would mention this in a public setting. I don't care. If someone audibly breaks wind, I know that you will at least attempt to stifle a giggle. I take pride in the fact that I can admit this. Also, working in a hospital provides ample flatulence stories. This world is sometimes a hard place and sometimes we need to be able to share these stories to lighten the mood and relieve stress.
So.... I was working with a patient in a semi-private room. I was giving him some pain medication when there was a loud noise on the other side of the curtain. The room was dark, it was 3 in the morning, and my patient and I had been speaking in whispers. You can hardly blame me for literally jumping back with a slight surge of adrenaline. It was loud. It was long. It was hilarious. I looked around the curtain and the guy is fast asleep. In my defense, I tried very hard to maintain dignity and composure, but it was a losing battle.
I believe there are at least a few people who read this blog who have had a colonoscopy done. If you are unfamiliar with this procedure, they clean out your intestines, blow them up with air, and take a look around. Afterwards, you pass a lot of gas. You're supposed to. If you don't, something is wrong. I have to admit though, it's still funny. Patients apologize and I assure them that it's normal and expected. Then I leave the room and chuckle. It's shameful, yes, but if I can't laugh when someone cuts the cheese, where will I be?
(Note: I just googled fart synonyms- the English language goes above and beyond the call of duty to make sure there is a word that is suited for your poot)
On another note, I had my first patient try to attack me yesterday. I was admitting her and she was very confused, scared, and in pain. Luckily, she was wasn't very strong, but let me tell you, I got an major adrenaline rush. No harm done whatsoever, but I wonder how frequently this happens. I'm thankful that I'm still with another nurse who can support me and be there when things are tense.
Other than that, first week on night shift went well! Come back soon!
-C-
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
A Jumble
A. Roasted sweet potatoes with olive oil, a little thyme, and garlic salt is one of the most incredible things I've ever tasted.
B. The hospital is not a five star hotel where you have special guest services. Yes, we want to serve you and care for you, but grumpily asking for a backrub at midnight when I'm finally getting to catch up on my charting is assuming a little much.
C. On the other hand, bringing someone some graham crackers and juice before they ask for it doesn't take that much energy and can build a lot of rapport in a relationship. There's a balance between taking an extra step to make someone happy and becoming their personal slave and getting burned out.
D. Here's a link to a Buzzfeed article that I really liked. (Warning- there's some language)
http://www.buzzfeed.com/carolynkylstra/nurses-are-angels
A lot of these facts are so true I just want to kiss the person who wrote the article. There are others that don't apply to me as much. But I do have a lot of poop stories, there are days when I forget to drink water or go to the bathroom, I have no clue what I'm walking into every time I walk on the unit, and I love what I do.
E. Taylor Swift's new album is awesome.
F. Doctors are humans too. Some of them are fantastic people who tease me and teach me and help me out as much as they can. One doctor knew I was busy and put in all the admission orders himself. Another doctor helped explain a test that I didn't understand. Others can be kind of rude. Or ignorant. Or think that I am only working with their patient and have nothing else to do. Or refuse to answer my phone calls.
G. I have gone to the dark side. I ordered a smart phone today. I'm leaving the Age of the Dinosaur behind.
-C-
B. The hospital is not a five star hotel where you have special guest services. Yes, we want to serve you and care for you, but grumpily asking for a backrub at midnight when I'm finally getting to catch up on my charting is assuming a little much.
C. On the other hand, bringing someone some graham crackers and juice before they ask for it doesn't take that much energy and can build a lot of rapport in a relationship. There's a balance between taking an extra step to make someone happy and becoming their personal slave and getting burned out.
D. Here's a link to a Buzzfeed article that I really liked. (Warning- there's some language)
http://www.buzzfeed.com/carolynkylstra/nurses-are-angels
A lot of these facts are so true I just want to kiss the person who wrote the article. There are others that don't apply to me as much. But I do have a lot of poop stories, there are days when I forget to drink water or go to the bathroom, I have no clue what I'm walking into every time I walk on the unit, and I love what I do.
E. Taylor Swift's new album is awesome.
F. Doctors are humans too. Some of them are fantastic people who tease me and teach me and help me out as much as they can. One doctor knew I was busy and put in all the admission orders himself. Another doctor helped explain a test that I didn't understand. Others can be kind of rude. Or ignorant. Or think that I am only working with their patient and have nothing else to do. Or refuse to answer my phone calls.
G. I have gone to the dark side. I ordered a smart phone today. I'm leaving the Age of the Dinosaur behind.
-C-
Thursday, October 30, 2014
A DAY in the life
Tomorrow is my last day shift. I start my nocturnal habits on Sunday night. Before I leave the light of day, I'm going to tell you how a normal shift (or as close to normal as possible) looks like. I did a post similar to this while I was at Mayo, but I'm going to do it again now. Then, after I get used to night shift, I'll do it again and compare the ways two different shifts work.
5:30am- The despicable alarm tune goes off and Caroline lunges for her phone to stop the noise.
5:45- eat breakfast, read Bible, and make hot drink
6:06-6:08- head out the door
6:29- arrive on unit
6:30- get assignment (usually 4 patients), fill pockets with nursing goodies, look up patient information
7:00- start getting report from night shift nurses, meet patients
7:30-8:15ish- do initial vital signs and assessments
8:15ish-start giving morning medications
9:00ish- if everything is going smoothly, I can start charting
9:30ish- if everything is going smoothly, I can work on patient's plan of care and review notes.
And that's where the 'normal' ends.
At eleven, I do assessments and charting again.
At noon, I try to eat lunch.
At three, I do assessments and charting again.
The things that actually take up my time are so random and scattered. Sometimes I feel like there's no way I can handle everything at once. Other times, I'm sitting at the desk with hardly anything going on.
Here are some of the things that make me so busy.
-Discharging patients, doing their education, printing out information, taking out IVs, charting the discharge, making sure they have their ride, if they're going to a nursing home or rehab then I have to call and give report.
-Admitting patients, doing an initial assessment, asking a million questions, making sure we have the right medication list, calling the doctor for orders and putting them in, charting everything for them. Also, most of the patients are admitted at the most inconvenient times- like during lunch, right before shift change, or right when I have to give every other patient their timed medications.
-Giving medications throughout the day. The other day, I only had to give medications at 9:00am, 2:00pm, and 5:00pm. It was so simple and easy, but that is not normal.
-Answering call lights. This alone could be a full time job.
-Getting people to the bathroom, on the bedpan, or getting them a cup of water.
-Changing dressings for wounds
-Answering phone calls from family members
-Paging doctors with critical results and taking orders
-Getting patients ready to transfer to or from a test
-Talking to patients and their families
-Cutting up food for a patient who has trouble swallowing
-Helping another nurse who is overwhelmed
-Lifting patients up in bed who can't lift themselves
-Untangling the million cords that are attached to patients
-Trying to start an IV or replacing electrodes
-Changing gowns or bedding when it gets soiled
-A hundred other little things that I can't even think of right now. I promise you that I'm earning my keep. I get so busy that I often forget to drink water or go to the bathroom.
I had a patient the other day. She had to go to the bathroom quite frequently to say the least. About every hour, she would put on her call light. I would walk in and she would look at me and say, "Bedpan!" That was it.
The same day, I had a patient who told me that I was an angel (he obviously had dementia or something) and his sister gave me a hug at the end of the day.
I don't why I told those stories cause there wasn't really a point....
On a different note, last night I went to a concert with a friend. We went to the Metro on the north side of Chicago and saw Oh Honey, the Mowgli's, and American Authors. It was fantastic. Oh Honey is pretty much my all time favorite band and we were standing in the third row right in front of the stage. I made eye contact with the lead singer during the concert. Also, before the show, we were walking to get dinner and passed the other singer from Oh Honey. I recognized her, but I got stage fright and didn't even say hi. One of my biggest regrets. :(
Other than that, it was awesome!
5:30am- The despicable alarm tune goes off and Caroline lunges for her phone to stop the noise.
5:45- eat breakfast, read Bible, and make hot drink
6:06-6:08- head out the door
6:29- arrive on unit
6:30- get assignment (usually 4 patients), fill pockets with nursing goodies, look up patient information
7:00- start getting report from night shift nurses, meet patients
7:30-8:15ish- do initial vital signs and assessments
8:15ish-start giving morning medications
9:00ish- if everything is going smoothly, I can start charting
9:30ish- if everything is going smoothly, I can work on patient's plan of care and review notes.
And that's where the 'normal' ends.
At eleven, I do assessments and charting again.
At noon, I try to eat lunch.
At three, I do assessments and charting again.
The things that actually take up my time are so random and scattered. Sometimes I feel like there's no way I can handle everything at once. Other times, I'm sitting at the desk with hardly anything going on.
Here are some of the things that make me so busy.
-Discharging patients, doing their education, printing out information, taking out IVs, charting the discharge, making sure they have their ride, if they're going to a nursing home or rehab then I have to call and give report.
-Admitting patients, doing an initial assessment, asking a million questions, making sure we have the right medication list, calling the doctor for orders and putting them in, charting everything for them. Also, most of the patients are admitted at the most inconvenient times- like during lunch, right before shift change, or right when I have to give every other patient their timed medications.
-Giving medications throughout the day. The other day, I only had to give medications at 9:00am, 2:00pm, and 5:00pm. It was so simple and easy, but that is not normal.
-Answering call lights. This alone could be a full time job.
-Getting people to the bathroom, on the bedpan, or getting them a cup of water.
-Changing dressings for wounds
-Answering phone calls from family members
-Paging doctors with critical results and taking orders
-Getting patients ready to transfer to or from a test
-Talking to patients and their families
-Cutting up food for a patient who has trouble swallowing
-Helping another nurse who is overwhelmed
-Lifting patients up in bed who can't lift themselves
-Untangling the million cords that are attached to patients
-Trying to start an IV or replacing electrodes
-Changing gowns or bedding when it gets soiled
-A hundred other little things that I can't even think of right now. I promise you that I'm earning my keep. I get so busy that I often forget to drink water or go to the bathroom.
I had a patient the other day. She had to go to the bathroom quite frequently to say the least. About every hour, she would put on her call light. I would walk in and she would look at me and say, "Bedpan!" That was it.
The same day, I had a patient who told me that I was an angel (he obviously had dementia or something) and his sister gave me a hug at the end of the day.
I don't why I told those stories cause there wasn't really a point....
On a different note, last night I went to a concert with a friend. We went to the Metro on the north side of Chicago and saw Oh Honey, the Mowgli's, and American Authors. It was fantastic. Oh Honey is pretty much my all time favorite band and we were standing in the third row right in front of the stage. I made eye contact with the lead singer during the concert. Also, before the show, we were walking to get dinner and passed the other singer from Oh Honey. I recognized her, but I got stage fright and didn't even say hi. One of my biggest regrets. :(
Other than that, it was awesome!
Friday, October 24, 2014
Instagram post
Last weekend, my sister helped me set up an instagram account. However, because I still am in the Stone Age and only have a flip phone, my computer won't let me add anything, follow new people, or let anyone follow me.
This doesn't bother me too much because I can still follow Taylor Swift....
Back to the point. If I had a working Instagram, I would put up a post today that might make you all a little jealous- which would obviously be the point. I would be following the perfect example of a twenty-something girl who's trying to figure out life on her own. I ask you now to use your imaginations and picture this:
*A picture of a cute mug filled with coffee with just the right amount of cream, a crockpot filled with deliciousness, my cute boots strategically in the picture, and probably an open Bible.* (I would probably move my crockpot to my cute table just for the aesthetically pleasing effect- even though that doesn't make any sense). Then my caption would be, "Love days like this. #Blessed #Ilovefall #Nofilter"
Truth is, I don't really like fall. Truth is, I only wear my cute boots because they feel like warm hugs on my feet. Truth is, I make coffee everyday and I still can't get the perfect amount of cream. Truth is, I have no idea if the crockpot recipe will be delicious or if it will be a train wreck. Truth is, there's no filter because I don't really know how to use one. Truth is, I am blessed. :)
Nursing story of the week. There was a patient that I admitted to the hospital and stayed there for about ten days. I had her for maybe four shifts. She was a tiny ninety-something woman. I loved her. She was one of those patients who needs that little extra love. I had the same quality of care, but I would sit by her bed and hold her hand for a minute each time I went into the room. I spoke gently to her and listened to her concerns. When she was about to be discharged, I went to say goodbye. She took my hand and told me she loved me. Worth it.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
I don't have a clue..
People are weird.
Exhibit A: Patient comes into hospital complaining of severe chest pain, patient starts showing a deadly arrhythmia on the heart monitor, nurses run around trying to make sure that the patient doesn't drop dead. Patient is so angry that the doctor won't order their pain medication that they leave AMA (against medical advice). Later, nurses find out that patient figured out how to manipulate their pacemaker to simulate the lethal rhythm. (We're on to you buddy)
Exhibit B: Patient with copious amounts of hair on his arms and chest is going home. Nurse goes to take out IV and proceeds to pull on hair (I try my best, but what can you do?). Patient squirms and winces. Nurse tries using alcohol wipes and scissors to minimize the discomfort. Patient takes matters into his own hands and pours his cup of cold coffee onto his arm. ( ?!!??!?)
Exhibit C: Patient is in the hospital with blood pressures above 180 (normal is 110 or 120) and blood sugars of 280s (normal is around 100). Patient refuses medications. When nurses attempt to educate patient about dangers of high blood pressures and sugars, patient gets upset and tells them that nobody understands their body. (I didn't go through four years of tough schooling for nothing!)
I have more to post, but frankly I'm exhausted and want to watch Dancing with the Stars and go to bed before 10:00. I'll post sooner rather than later and make it up to you. Thank you to everyone who encourages me to keep writing.
-C-
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
My soapbox- one of many to come
Warning: This shall not be the most entertaining of posts. You have permission to go back to Facebook if you'd like, and I promise I won't be offended.
I'm stepping onto my soapbox now. These are all just my opinions.
Here it is, if you or a relative are in the hospital, you should have a conversation about advance directives. If you are elderly or have an elderly relative in the hospital, you should have a conversation about what treatment you or they want in a medical emergency. So few people have this conversation at the appropriate time. These kinds of conversations are scary for most people and it never seems like the appropriate time to bring it up.
There are some very old patients on my unit. As you know, age is just a number. There are people who are 94 and act like they're in their 60s. Others are in their 60s and look and act so old. I get this. However, even if your 90 year old mother has been in great health her entire life, you should talk to her about if she wants CPR if her heart were to stop beating or who should make decisions for her if she can't make them on her own. If there aren't orders for this, things can get very complicated. When done correctly, CPR breaks ribs. Depending on a ventilator to keep breathing doesn't make for the highest quality of life. If your 85 year old father wants everything possible done to keep him alive, by all means do it! However, this conversation needs to happen.
There are a few distinct barriers that come between this conversation. Who wants to bring up the question, "what happens when I'm dying?" No one! BUT, if I'm 96 with heart disease and my heart stops beating, I think that I've lived a good life and I'm headed to a better one. Please don't crack my ribs to keep me alive for another month in a lot of pain. Another thing is that families often believe that if they have this conversation, it means they are giving up. They might believe that if they make their parent a DNR, (do not resuscitate) they think that people will stop treating her. This is not true. The healthcare team is not giving up. We're trying to help you live the rest of your life with dignity. Also, doctors have a LOT on their plate and these conversations aren't the first thing they think of when they walk into a patient's room. Most patients and families are under educated about their options. Finally, a lot of us don't want to admit that we're mortal- especially for those who aren't assured of their future with Christ. My argument is that unless Jesus comes soon, we are all going to die and we don't know when that is. Talk about it with your family.
I'm done now. I apologize for the rant. I have a good story coming up soon so stay tuned!
-C-
I'm stepping onto my soapbox now. These are all just my opinions.
Here it is, if you or a relative are in the hospital, you should have a conversation about advance directives. If you are elderly or have an elderly relative in the hospital, you should have a conversation about what treatment you or they want in a medical emergency. So few people have this conversation at the appropriate time. These kinds of conversations are scary for most people and it never seems like the appropriate time to bring it up.
There are some very old patients on my unit. As you know, age is just a number. There are people who are 94 and act like they're in their 60s. Others are in their 60s and look and act so old. I get this. However, even if your 90 year old mother has been in great health her entire life, you should talk to her about if she wants CPR if her heart were to stop beating or who should make decisions for her if she can't make them on her own. If there aren't orders for this, things can get very complicated. When done correctly, CPR breaks ribs. Depending on a ventilator to keep breathing doesn't make for the highest quality of life. If your 85 year old father wants everything possible done to keep him alive, by all means do it! However, this conversation needs to happen.
There are a few distinct barriers that come between this conversation. Who wants to bring up the question, "what happens when I'm dying?" No one! BUT, if I'm 96 with heart disease and my heart stops beating, I think that I've lived a good life and I'm headed to a better one. Please don't crack my ribs to keep me alive for another month in a lot of pain. Another thing is that families often believe that if they have this conversation, it means they are giving up. They might believe that if they make their parent a DNR, (do not resuscitate) they think that people will stop treating her. This is not true. The healthcare team is not giving up. We're trying to help you live the rest of your life with dignity. Also, doctors have a LOT on their plate and these conversations aren't the first thing they think of when they walk into a patient's room. Most patients and families are under educated about their options. Finally, a lot of us don't want to admit that we're mortal- especially for those who aren't assured of their future with Christ. My argument is that unless Jesus comes soon, we are all going to die and we don't know when that is. Talk about it with your family.
I'm done now. I apologize for the rant. I have a good story coming up soon so stay tuned!
-C-
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Makes me giggle
I've had this conversation with a few different people recently and I'm going to try to put it in writing which may be difficult and I might be tempted to switch subjects in the middle of the post but the topic made me laugh in real life so I'm going to try it and I want to see how many of you were going to criticize my run-on sentence before I told you that I was doing it on purpose cause I didn't want to do the work of coming up with new sentences that still sounded interesting. Hehe.
One big part of my job is doing assessments on patients. Obviously. I have my little routine down that I believe is very efficient (cause who would I be if I weren't efficient?) and I've learned a lot. Assessments are very important for establishing baselines and assessing changes. They become second nature. However, for patients who have never been in the hospital before (a number which is drastically decreasing), some of the things I do are unfamiliar. When it's unfamiliar, some patients do things that I find funny. I shouldn't laugh because how are they supposed to know? But I still end up giggling in the hallway as I leave the room.
Here are a few examples:
- I bring out the stethoscope and say, "I'm going to listen to your heart and lungs now." Before I even place the stethoscope, they start taking deep breaths. Most of the time this isn't a problem, but some of them only have the capability to take 3 or 4 before they start feeling dizzy.
- I do neuro checks on patients who have shown signs of a stroke or seizure activity or something else related to the brain. A neuro check has me making sure that the patient can use all of their limbs effectively. I test their strength by having them push and pull their limbs against my hand. (Pull your arms up, push your arms down, etc.) It's a quick and easy way to see if one side is weaker than the other. My favorite is when I have them squeeze my fingers and then they don't let go. I'm pulling my hands away and my patient is desperately trying to prove to me that they're strong and that they can hang on.
- Another neuro check feature is having the patient flex and extend their foot. They're lying in bed and I tell them to push their feet against my hand. Easy enough. Then I tell them to pull their toes towards their nose. For whatever reason, patients do not understand this concept. I remember one patient in particular who couldn't understand what I was asking until I grabbed her foot and imitated the motion so she could do it for herself.
- The elderly of this world are obsessed with bowel movements- the color, the consistency, the frequency... I feel like it might be the most exciting part of their day.
- I giggle a little every time a patient apologizes for the way their feet smell or look. Sometimes they really should be apologizing.....
- I can't tell you how many times I've had a conversation about how warm OR cold my hands are as I'm touching their feet.
- I ask people if they're having any type of pain. Frequently they say no. Then I'll start asking other questions and they tell me about their extremely tender stomach that I can't touch cause it hurts too much..... Umm.... That doesn't count as pain?
- I choose to giggle when a patient and their family member start disagreeing about symptoms and histories and medications. As the nurse, I often feel like I'm stuck in the middle of an argument. I just wanted to know if you had a bowel movement yesterday!
That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure there will be more installments in the future :)
-C-
One big part of my job is doing assessments on patients. Obviously. I have my little routine down that I believe is very efficient (cause who would I be if I weren't efficient?) and I've learned a lot. Assessments are very important for establishing baselines and assessing changes. They become second nature. However, for patients who have never been in the hospital before (a number which is drastically decreasing), some of the things I do are unfamiliar. When it's unfamiliar, some patients do things that I find funny. I shouldn't laugh because how are they supposed to know? But I still end up giggling in the hallway as I leave the room.
Here are a few examples:
- I bring out the stethoscope and say, "I'm going to listen to your heart and lungs now." Before I even place the stethoscope, they start taking deep breaths. Most of the time this isn't a problem, but some of them only have the capability to take 3 or 4 before they start feeling dizzy.
- I do neuro checks on patients who have shown signs of a stroke or seizure activity or something else related to the brain. A neuro check has me making sure that the patient can use all of their limbs effectively. I test their strength by having them push and pull their limbs against my hand. (Pull your arms up, push your arms down, etc.) It's a quick and easy way to see if one side is weaker than the other. My favorite is when I have them squeeze my fingers and then they don't let go. I'm pulling my hands away and my patient is desperately trying to prove to me that they're strong and that they can hang on.
- Another neuro check feature is having the patient flex and extend their foot. They're lying in bed and I tell them to push their feet against my hand. Easy enough. Then I tell them to pull their toes towards their nose. For whatever reason, patients do not understand this concept. I remember one patient in particular who couldn't understand what I was asking until I grabbed her foot and imitated the motion so she could do it for herself.
- The elderly of this world are obsessed with bowel movements- the color, the consistency, the frequency... I feel like it might be the most exciting part of their day.
- I giggle a little every time a patient apologizes for the way their feet smell or look. Sometimes they really should be apologizing.....
- I can't tell you how many times I've had a conversation about how warm OR cold my hands are as I'm touching their feet.
- I ask people if they're having any type of pain. Frequently they say no. Then I'll start asking other questions and they tell me about their extremely tender stomach that I can't touch cause it hurts too much..... Umm.... That doesn't count as pain?
- I choose to giggle when a patient and their family member start disagreeing about symptoms and histories and medications. As the nurse, I often feel like I'm stuck in the middle of an argument. I just wanted to know if you had a bowel movement yesterday!
That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure there will be more installments in the future :)
-C-
Thursday, October 2, 2014
FAQs
When talking to people over the past couple of weeks, I've found myself answering the same questions- which isn't a bad thing by any means, but I think that I could kill many birds with one stone and answers the FAQs.
How's are things going?
This question always makes me laugh a little. It's going really well? Do you want to have a twenty minute conversation about "things" or do you just want to check up on me and make sure I'm not crying myself to sleep every night? I don't mind answering either way, it's just the general vagueness that makes me laugh. Things are going well. Yup.
Do you like your job?
Yes. Very much. I come home from a 12 hour shift exhausted and energized at the same time. It's still hard for me to believe sometimes that I'm actually getting paid for this. It's really hard work and emotionally draining, but so fulfilling.
What's your unit like?
Like I mentioned in a previous post, there are a lot of very sick patients on my floor. I can learn a lot from the different things going on. The nurses on my floor seem very friendly and like I can get along with them very well. A lot of the night nurses are new grads like me which could be really fun. I kind of hope that we'll all stick with it and gain some comradery as we figure out nursing together.
When do you switch to night shift?
I just found out the answer this week. I'll move to night shift the first week of November. It is all within the timeline they gave me, but it sure seems like that isn't very far away. Yikes! Prepare to meet zombie Caroline.
What do nurses actually do?
Ha. This is a terribly difficult question to answer in a satisfactory manner. The literal answer is that I assess patients, give them medications, chart, talk to doctors, and perform some skills. When I say it like that, it sounds so lame. There's so much more that I do that can't be counted or quantified. I promise.
How's your apartment?
It started out cute and is getting cuter! It's not quite as barren. I have internet. Today I hung up some stuff which made a difference. I got a microwave this week, and my roommate has moved in some of her furniture, so it's filling up. No issues so far.
Have you met your roommate? Has she moved in yet?
I have met her! She seems very sweet and I think it will work out quite nicely. She's moving in on Saturday. This has given me a few weeks to kind of settle in and figure things out.
Do you like living on your own?
Loaded question. As most of you know, I'm close to my family and would love to someday form a little family community where all of our backyards meet and I can pet/babysit my sibling's little creatures. In that respect, I miss my family a lot. However, I am thrilled to be working and being productive. It's an exciting new chapter of my life that I am enjoying a lot. There are so many new things to figure out and explore on my own. So in that respect, I'm loving this. I can go to concerts, cook new recipes (and no one will ever know that I messed it up), I can have people over whenever I want (once I get some chairs for my kitchen table), I can be a hermit or social depending on my mood. Yes, I like living on my own.
Do you think you'll stay at your hospital?
*At this point in the conversation I inwardly think, "How in the world am I supposed to know that?" but I still try to be a polite human being.*
Maybe! I think it's a great hospital where I can learn a lot as a nurse and have the opportunity to grow in my career if I want to. I like the location, I like the learning environment, and I like the different ways I could pursue different things when the time comes. However, I have only been there for less than a month. I have no idea what the future holds for me or where it will take me. We'll see.
Hope that clears some things up! See ya soon!
-C-
How's are things going?
This question always makes me laugh a little. It's going really well? Do you want to have a twenty minute conversation about "things" or do you just want to check up on me and make sure I'm not crying myself to sleep every night? I don't mind answering either way, it's just the general vagueness that makes me laugh. Things are going well. Yup.
Do you like your job?
Yes. Very much. I come home from a 12 hour shift exhausted and energized at the same time. It's still hard for me to believe sometimes that I'm actually getting paid for this. It's really hard work and emotionally draining, but so fulfilling.
What's your unit like?
Like I mentioned in a previous post, there are a lot of very sick patients on my floor. I can learn a lot from the different things going on. The nurses on my floor seem very friendly and like I can get along with them very well. A lot of the night nurses are new grads like me which could be really fun. I kind of hope that we'll all stick with it and gain some comradery as we figure out nursing together.
When do you switch to night shift?
I just found out the answer this week. I'll move to night shift the first week of November. It is all within the timeline they gave me, but it sure seems like that isn't very far away. Yikes! Prepare to meet zombie Caroline.
What do nurses actually do?
Ha. This is a terribly difficult question to answer in a satisfactory manner. The literal answer is that I assess patients, give them medications, chart, talk to doctors, and perform some skills. When I say it like that, it sounds so lame. There's so much more that I do that can't be counted or quantified. I promise.
How's your apartment?
It started out cute and is getting cuter! It's not quite as barren. I have internet. Today I hung up some stuff which made a difference. I got a microwave this week, and my roommate has moved in some of her furniture, so it's filling up. No issues so far.
Have you met your roommate? Has she moved in yet?
I have met her! She seems very sweet and I think it will work out quite nicely. She's moving in on Saturday. This has given me a few weeks to kind of settle in and figure things out.
Do you like living on your own?
Loaded question. As most of you know, I'm close to my family and would love to someday form a little family community where all of our backyards meet and I can pet/babysit my sibling's little creatures. In that respect, I miss my family a lot. However, I am thrilled to be working and being productive. It's an exciting new chapter of my life that I am enjoying a lot. There are so many new things to figure out and explore on my own. So in that respect, I'm loving this. I can go to concerts, cook new recipes (and no one will ever know that I messed it up), I can have people over whenever I want (once I get some chairs for my kitchen table), I can be a hermit or social depending on my mood. Yes, I like living on my own.
Do you think you'll stay at your hospital?
*At this point in the conversation I inwardly think, "How in the world am I supposed to know that?" but I still try to be a polite human being.*
Maybe! I think it's a great hospital where I can learn a lot as a nurse and have the opportunity to grow in my career if I want to. I like the location, I like the learning environment, and I like the different ways I could pursue different things when the time comes. However, I have only been there for less than a month. I have no idea what the future holds for me or where it will take me. We'll see.
Hope that clears some things up! See ya soon!
-C-
Friday, September 26, 2014
Hit the ground running
Whelp, I've worked on my floor for 4 days now. Thanks to my experiences at Mayo and Northwestern, I was able to take on a lot in a short amount of time. The last two days I had the full load of patients and did nearly all the work. My preceptor was there to support me, and when there was something new, she would help guide me through it. My preceptor is very knowledgeable and is great at remaining calm in stressful situations. I'm thankful to be with her cause I feel like I can learn a lot, but I can also learn how to do it without stressing out too much. I'll be on orientation for about 10 more weeks. During that time, I'll mostly be getting comfortable with the way things go on the floor and trying to get experience with things I wasn't able to do during nursing school (patients with traches, inserting IVs, different medications, etc.)
My floor is a telemetry (cardiac) floor, but the patients I'm working with are very sick people. Compared to Mayo, it isn't as specialized, so I get a wider variety of patients. I think that this is a great learning environment cause I get to see a lot. However, the patients often have a lot of complications and frequently have a poorer prognosis.
Here's the thing: confidentiality is a huge issue which makes blogging a little difficult. However, I find the biggest problem to be that although I have so many experiences and so many stories, it's hard to share them in a way that is as meaningful in writing as it is in real life. Each day I learn something different and I am changed a little bit. You'd think that I'd have all kinds of stories about funny or difficult patients, but everything that is changing me is in the little moments. I'll try to give some examples
-I explain something to a patient and they say, "Why didn't anyone tell me this before?"
-I read a note in the chart that says my patient's wife died earlier this year. This makes me understand his attitude a little more.
-I hold a patient's hand cause they're nervous while they're getting an IV inserted. I tell them to take deep breaths and try to distract them. When it's all over, they squeeze my hand.
-A family member calls me in tears because they're worried about not being their for their loved one. -A patient down the hall dies and family members are crying in the hallway.
-A patient cries out for help and when I ask her what I can do for her, she asks me just to stay with her.
-I need to take a deep breath and wait a minute before I go into a room so that I can treat a persistent and overbearing family member with cheerfulness and patience.
These are just a few examples. I do have funny stories and sad stories and stories of patients who drive me nuts. But for the most part, it's all in those little moments. I'll try to be a good blogger who doesn't bore you with the same kind of material all the time, but I can't promise anything. :)
My floor is a telemetry (cardiac) floor, but the patients I'm working with are very sick people. Compared to Mayo, it isn't as specialized, so I get a wider variety of patients. I think that this is a great learning environment cause I get to see a lot. However, the patients often have a lot of complications and frequently have a poorer prognosis.
Here's the thing: confidentiality is a huge issue which makes blogging a little difficult. However, I find the biggest problem to be that although I have so many experiences and so many stories, it's hard to share them in a way that is as meaningful in writing as it is in real life. Each day I learn something different and I am changed a little bit. You'd think that I'd have all kinds of stories about funny or difficult patients, but everything that is changing me is in the little moments. I'll try to give some examples
-I explain something to a patient and they say, "Why didn't anyone tell me this before?"
-I read a note in the chart that says my patient's wife died earlier this year. This makes me understand his attitude a little more.
-I hold a patient's hand cause they're nervous while they're getting an IV inserted. I tell them to take deep breaths and try to distract them. When it's all over, they squeeze my hand.
-A family member calls me in tears because they're worried about not being their for their loved one. -A patient down the hall dies and family members are crying in the hallway.
-A patient cries out for help and when I ask her what I can do for her, she asks me just to stay with her.
-I need to take a deep breath and wait a minute before I go into a room so that I can treat a persistent and overbearing family member with cheerfulness and patience.
These are just a few examples. I do have funny stories and sad stories and stories of patients who drive me nuts. But for the most part, it's all in those little moments. I'll try to be a good blogger who doesn't bore you with the same kind of material all the time, but I can't promise anything. :)
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Caroline RN
Yesterday was my first day actually on my floor. MY floor! Overall, it went really well. I pretty much followed a nurse around all day and tried to learn my way around the floor. However, there were a couple of highlights.
1. I got to put in a foley catheter, draw some labs, and change dressings on a stage 4 pressure ulcer. I've been trained in all of these things in nursing school, but I didn't have a lot of chances to try out my skills.
2. I made an observation early in the day during an assessment. I mentioned it to my nurse and made a suggestion. At first, nothing came of it, but later in the day, it turns out that I was right! This might not be a big deal, but it boosted my confidence in my own skills.
3. I officially and professionally signed my name Caroline RN on multiple occasions and it actually counted for something. A nurse would ask for someone to come double check blood orders and instead of sitting there feeling useless, I was able to say, "Oh yeah! I'm a nurse! I can do that!" So that was fun.
4. I have once again entered the world of holding hands, calming patients, calming families, critically thinking through situations, smiling as I enter an isolation room even though I just walked out, rubbing someone's back for two minutes, washing my hands until they are raw, and caring for patients in a holistic way. There is nothing better.
See ya soon!
-C-
1. I got to put in a foley catheter, draw some labs, and change dressings on a stage 4 pressure ulcer. I've been trained in all of these things in nursing school, but I didn't have a lot of chances to try out my skills.
2. I made an observation early in the day during an assessment. I mentioned it to my nurse and made a suggestion. At first, nothing came of it, but later in the day, it turns out that I was right! This might not be a big deal, but it boosted my confidence in my own skills.
3. I officially and professionally signed my name Caroline RN on multiple occasions and it actually counted for something. A nurse would ask for someone to come double check blood orders and instead of sitting there feeling useless, I was able to say, "Oh yeah! I'm a nurse! I can do that!" So that was fun.
4. I have once again entered the world of holding hands, calming patients, calming families, critically thinking through situations, smiling as I enter an isolation room even though I just walked out, rubbing someone's back for two minutes, washing my hands until they are raw, and caring for patients in a holistic way. There is nothing better.
See ya soon!
-C-
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Information Overload
The last few days have been a little hectic. I am almost completely moved into my new apartment. I've met my roommate, and she seems like she'll be great. I'm going to code name her Macaron cause they look delicious. I've continued orientation to a brand new hospital. I've turned on my electricity and purchased internet. I'm living in a new town. I've got all of my scrubs ready for my first day on the floor on Friday. I'm ready to settle in a little bit.
A few stories for you:
There are 11 new nurses going through orientation with me. Orientation starts every two weeks and the nurses spend most of their time together. We've developed some comradery between us since we've spent the last week and a half sitting in the same classroom. It's kind of fun to have people around you who are going through the same things. A few days ago, we were all talking about how we've gone from being unemployed with no income to actually getting paid. One of the girls said, "Guys, we're going to get our paycheck, and it'll have our very first comma!" I didn't realize until then how important commas could be outside the realm of grammar. :) While money isn't everything, it's definitely a perk of being employed.
Secondly. It took me a total of 2.5 hours to single-handedly move everything in completely. My parents came later with my large furniture items, but I realized just how little I have when I looked around at my apartment full of my possessions and couldn't tell anyone was living there. I'd say I'm off to a pretty good start, but there's still a long ways to go.
A few stories for you:
There are 11 new nurses going through orientation with me. Orientation starts every two weeks and the nurses spend most of their time together. We've developed some comradery between us since we've spent the last week and a half sitting in the same classroom. It's kind of fun to have people around you who are going through the same things. A few days ago, we were all talking about how we've gone from being unemployed with no income to actually getting paid. One of the girls said, "Guys, we're going to get our paycheck, and it'll have our very first comma!" I didn't realize until then how important commas could be outside the realm of grammar. :) While money isn't everything, it's definitely a perk of being employed.
Secondly. It took me a total of 2.5 hours to single-handedly move everything in completely. My parents came later with my large furniture items, but I realized just how little I have when I looked around at my apartment full of my possessions and couldn't tell anyone was living there. I'd say I'm off to a pretty good start, but there's still a long ways to go.
Thirdly, I turned 22 last week. I was awakened at midnight on my birthday by my lovely sister blasting Taylor Swift's song 22. One line in the song says, "We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time. It's miserable and magical." I know Miss Swift did not write this song for me, but it is so true. There's so much to figure out and so much potential to mess up. However, there's also so much opportunity to learn and grow. I think I'm ready.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Why I might have picked the wrong profession
Haha! I got you! That's called good writing- picking a title that will make people go, "What? I thought you loved nursing?" Aren't I clever?
Here's the fact: I LOVE nursing! Sitting through orientation is long and somewhat boring, but I also have the opportunity to learn just how cool nursing is! The reason I might have picked the wrong profession is because I would be an AWESOME nurse recruiter. I should get paid big bucks to go talk to high schoolers about choosing the best profession in the world.
Here's why:
1. You get done in four years. No medical school. No required master's program. Four years and you get a real job. If you just want to start real life and get a job, nursing is for you!
2. You can go on in school if you want. There are so many opportunities! You can become a nurse practitioner, certified nurse specialist, educator, nurse administrator, or get your doctorate in nursing. If you're one of those crazy people who likes to punish themselves by always being in school- nursing is for you too!
3. If you're a nurse, you can totally work part time. Or overtime. You can get a job with pretty much any schedule you want. I knew a nurse who worked three weekend night shifts each week and that was it. He got a full work week in and was able to stay at home during the week with his kids. If you want to have normal hours, you can work in a clinic and be at home when your kids come home from school. If you want to be a full time mom and work one day a week, you can do that! No matter what your schedule calls for- nursing is for you!
4. If you can get through nursing school, you can basically go in whatever direction you want after that. You can work with patients every day or you can sit in an office. You can teach! You can travel! If you don't like people, you can be a nurse anesthetist and put people to sleep. If you are really passionate about diabetes (weirdo) you can do that every single day. If you want to handle cool technology, you can do that. If you want to hold babies, you can do that too. No matter what you like or how much you can handle blood- nursing is for you!
5. You get to care for patients. You get to hold someone's hand during a very stressful and scary time. You can teach someone how to manage a complicated disease and see their eyes light up when they finally get it. You get to learn and grow as a person every single day. If you care about people- nursing is for you.
I could go on, but I think that my word count is inversely proportional to how many readers make it through this post, so I'll stop. I made it through my first week of real work! It's been good. :)
I'll be back!
-C-
Here's the fact: I LOVE nursing! Sitting through orientation is long and somewhat boring, but I also have the opportunity to learn just how cool nursing is! The reason I might have picked the wrong profession is because I would be an AWESOME nurse recruiter. I should get paid big bucks to go talk to high schoolers about choosing the best profession in the world.
Here's why:
1. You get done in four years. No medical school. No required master's program. Four years and you get a real job. If you just want to start real life and get a job, nursing is for you!
2. You can go on in school if you want. There are so many opportunities! You can become a nurse practitioner, certified nurse specialist, educator, nurse administrator, or get your doctorate in nursing. If you're one of those crazy people who likes to punish themselves by always being in school- nursing is for you too!
3. If you're a nurse, you can totally work part time. Or overtime. You can get a job with pretty much any schedule you want. I knew a nurse who worked three weekend night shifts each week and that was it. He got a full work week in and was able to stay at home during the week with his kids. If you want to have normal hours, you can work in a clinic and be at home when your kids come home from school. If you want to be a full time mom and work one day a week, you can do that! No matter what your schedule calls for- nursing is for you!
4. If you can get through nursing school, you can basically go in whatever direction you want after that. You can work with patients every day or you can sit in an office. You can teach! You can travel! If you don't like people, you can be a nurse anesthetist and put people to sleep. If you are really passionate about diabetes (weirdo) you can do that every single day. If you want to handle cool technology, you can do that. If you want to hold babies, you can do that too. No matter what you like or how much you can handle blood- nursing is for you!
5. You get to care for patients. You get to hold someone's hand during a very stressful and scary time. You can teach someone how to manage a complicated disease and see their eyes light up when they finally get it. You get to learn and grow as a person every single day. If you care about people- nursing is for you.
I could go on, but I think that my word count is inversely proportional to how many readers make it through this post, so I'll stop. I made it through my first week of real work! It's been good. :)
I'll be back!
-C-
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
I'm employed!
I figure that since I am officially employed, I actually have something to say on this lovely blog. I am not promising consistent posts, but I find writing out stories therapeutic, and I know there are a few people who like to keep tabs on what I'm doing. (Mom and grandma-I love you!)
Before I give an update, I'd like to tell a story:
This summer, I applied to quite a few jobs. As in probably twenty per week. I accidentally memorized every phone number of every employer I've had, my driver's license number, and the address of Mayo clinic. I applied to jobs that I had absolutely no interest in at hospitals where I absolutely no interest in working, and I heard absolutely nothing.
Although for the most part I was trusting that God had a plan for me, there were a few rough days. (At one point, I literally lay on my couch face-down and cried) There was one day in particular where I was feeling particularly discouraged. My mom and sister worked really hard to cheer me up- partially by helping me eat my feelings. That night, God and I had a really long talk. I think the reason I had to wait for so long was so God could teach me humbleness and how to trust in him. Waiting for a job while other nurses were employed was hard for my pride. The next morning, I got a call for an interview.
I want to share that story because I think I learned my lesson. All of my blessings are given to me by God. Even if I was the best nurse in the world, I should only boast in Jesus Christ and not be proud. Part of being not-proud is being willing to tell people humiliating things so...Tada!
Update: I am working at a hospital in Illinois. I am on a telemetry (cardiac/heart) floor. This is the same kind of stuff that I did at Mayo Clinic which is very exciting for me. I will be doing orientation on days, but eventually I'll switch to nights. I started orientation this week. Today I took a five hour assessment of my skills that was a big jolt back into the nursing world. It's all going well, but isn't terribly exciting at this point unless you'd like me to go into detail about falls and restraints and blood glucose monitors.
Also, I am renting a condo less than twenty minutes from the hospital and about an hour from home. I'm moving in on Monday. It's cute and I like it. I have a roommate as well who will probably acquire her own code name at some point. :)
Final point- I am no longer working at Mayo. Therefore, my blog name- Lettuce, Tomato, and Mayo- is no longer applicable. Therefore, I will need a new blog name. Therefore- I am calling on my readers (Hey mom!) to give me suggestions for a new blog name!
Before I give an update, I'd like to tell a story:
This summer, I applied to quite a few jobs. As in probably twenty per week. I accidentally memorized every phone number of every employer I've had, my driver's license number, and the address of Mayo clinic. I applied to jobs that I had absolutely no interest in at hospitals where I absolutely no interest in working, and I heard absolutely nothing.
Although for the most part I was trusting that God had a plan for me, there were a few rough days. (At one point, I literally lay on my couch face-down and cried) There was one day in particular where I was feeling particularly discouraged. My mom and sister worked really hard to cheer me up- partially by helping me eat my feelings. That night, God and I had a really long talk. I think the reason I had to wait for so long was so God could teach me humbleness and how to trust in him. Waiting for a job while other nurses were employed was hard for my pride. The next morning, I got a call for an interview.
I want to share that story because I think I learned my lesson. All of my blessings are given to me by God. Even if I was the best nurse in the world, I should only boast in Jesus Christ and not be proud. Part of being not-proud is being willing to tell people humiliating things so...Tada!
Update: I am working at a hospital in Illinois. I am on a telemetry (cardiac/heart) floor. This is the same kind of stuff that I did at Mayo Clinic which is very exciting for me. I will be doing orientation on days, but eventually I'll switch to nights. I started orientation this week. Today I took a five hour assessment of my skills that was a big jolt back into the nursing world. It's all going well, but isn't terribly exciting at this point unless you'd like me to go into detail about falls and restraints and blood glucose monitors.
Also, I am renting a condo less than twenty minutes from the hospital and about an hour from home. I'm moving in on Monday. It's cute and I like it. I have a roommate as well who will probably acquire her own code name at some point. :)
Final point- I am no longer working at Mayo. Therefore, my blog name- Lettuce, Tomato, and Mayo- is no longer applicable. Therefore, I will need a new blog name. Therefore- I am calling on my readers (Hey mom!) to give me suggestions for a new blog name!
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Untitled
As I'm sitting here, I have battled back and forth on what the mood for this post should be. Should I be funny? Should I be reflective and somber? Should I be factual and boring? I'm struggling with this cause here's the deal. I love what I am doing on my unit, and I personally am doing very well emotionally. However, when I talk to other people, I don't know how to talk about my experiences. On one hand some experiences are so so sad. There are patients who break my heart. On the other hand, I have felt so much joy when working with some patients. I am amazed and humbled by the strength of my patients. On the other hand, a lot of what I do wouldn't make for a very interesting blog. I'm running out of hands, so basically I don't know how to convey what I want to tell you. Basically, be prepared for some emotional whiplash.
Here is a fact: cancer sucks, but God is still good.
Another fact: because God is good, even cancer patients can have hope.
One thought that I've been having this week is that as a nurse, I can get very used to things that are odd to other people. For example, I have to get a rectal (butt) swab from any patient who is admitted to our unit. For me, this isn't a big deal, but for some patients it is very intrusive and awkward. I am not allowed to give chemo, but already I can take it in stride. The patients who are receiving chemo for the first time are terrified. What I need to remember is that they aren't used to this. I can't forget that.
When I get off of my twelve hour shifts and still have an hour and a half commute back to my dorm, I can get a little loopy. I ride with my nursing friend who also has her Capstone at Northwestern. One time on the train, we wrote a song. I had been talking to doctors a lot that day and this is the result.
To the tune of Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
Do you want to give a bolus?
My patient needs some fluids soon
His blood pressure is running low, he doesn't need to go
He's about to swoon!
It used to be an order, but now it's not
I wish you would tell me WHY!?!
Do you want to give a bolus?
We really need a bolus.
Ok bye
Can you order me a norco?
My patient's in a lot of pain!
He's been screaming for two hours now, I don't know how,
I'm going to stay sane!
It gets a little crazy, all these iso rooms
Gowning up every time
Gown, gloves, gown, gloves, gown, gloves, gown, gloves
Doctor,
Please, I know you're still here
Patient's been asking where you've been
I say have patience and he's trying to
He's waiting here for you, so come on in
We only have your number, for emergencies
What are we going to do?
Do you to give me a call back?
......*Click*.........
So..... yeah. We had fun. My patients are fantastic. Most of them are in the hospital for a very long time, so I currently know over half of the floor from taking care of them in the last few weeks. I love that. I love that when they are walking around the unit I can ask them how they're doing and how their treatment is going. I love that when I walk into their room to help another nurse with something, the patient can greet me by name and be excited to see me. I love it.
I'm tired and I'm working tomorrow, so I'm going to go. Talk to me sometime and I'll tell you more.
So much love,
-C-
Here is a fact: cancer sucks, but God is still good.
Another fact: because God is good, even cancer patients can have hope.
One thought that I've been having this week is that as a nurse, I can get very used to things that are odd to other people. For example, I have to get a rectal (butt) swab from any patient who is admitted to our unit. For me, this isn't a big deal, but for some patients it is very intrusive and awkward. I am not allowed to give chemo, but already I can take it in stride. The patients who are receiving chemo for the first time are terrified. What I need to remember is that they aren't used to this. I can't forget that.
When I get off of my twelve hour shifts and still have an hour and a half commute back to my dorm, I can get a little loopy. I ride with my nursing friend who also has her Capstone at Northwestern. One time on the train, we wrote a song. I had been talking to doctors a lot that day and this is the result.
To the tune of Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
Do you want to give a bolus?
My patient needs some fluids soon
His blood pressure is running low, he doesn't need to go
He's about to swoon!
It used to be an order, but now it's not
I wish you would tell me WHY!?!
Do you want to give a bolus?
We really need a bolus.
Ok bye
Can you order me a norco?
My patient's in a lot of pain!
He's been screaming for two hours now, I don't know how,
I'm going to stay sane!
It gets a little crazy, all these iso rooms
Gowning up every time
Gown, gloves, gown, gloves, gown, gloves, gown, gloves
Doctor,
Please, I know you're still here
Patient's been asking where you've been
I say have patience and he's trying to
He's waiting here for you, so come on in
We only have your number, for emergencies
What are we going to do?
Do you to give me a call back?
......*Click*.........
So..... yeah. We had fun. My patients are fantastic. Most of them are in the hospital for a very long time, so I currently know over half of the floor from taking care of them in the last few weeks. I love that. I love that when they are walking around the unit I can ask them how they're doing and how their treatment is going. I love that when I walk into their room to help another nurse with something, the patient can greet me by name and be excited to see me. I love it.
I'm tired and I'm working tomorrow, so I'm going to go. Talk to me sometime and I'll tell you more.
So much love,
-C-
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Back in the game
Within the last week, I have completed 72 hours of working at Northwestern. I worked Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday. This includes an hour and a half commute each way. Let me tell you, it was exhausting. I stayed with my friend in Chicago the first two days, but then I started taking the CTA. This means that I get up at 5:00am and get back around 9:30pm.
I love my unit! My floor mostly works with patients who have leukemias (blood cancers) and who are receiving stem cell transplants. There are two other cancer floors in my building that work with solid tumors and palliative patients. If patients are getting stem cell transplants, they are scheduled to come in and then stay for roughly a month without any complications. This means that the patients are there for a long time. This can be a good and a bad thing. Some other time, I'll go into more detail about the transplant process. It's fascinating. We have 33 beds on our unit, and the nurses are assigned 3-4 patients every day.
I've really enjoyed working with my nurse. For blogging purposes we'll call her Cinnabon ( I wanted to stick with the theme of yummy desserts from the summer but wanted to avoid Dilly bar or Turnover). She allows me to be as independent as possible while still feeling supported. I have been able to work with three patients that are "all my own". Hopefully, this week I'll be able to get a full patient load. Cinnabon is really good at explaining things to me, but also challenging me to figure things out on my own. When we work together, we are extremely efficient and sometimes end up finishing our tasks very early.
The first day I worked, I mostly just observed and learned. The second and third day, I worked alongside my nurse and did most of the work, but with her beside me. The next few days, I started to take my own patients. The tricky part about this is that I'm not allowed to give chemo or distribute blood products, and this is very common on my floor. This means that I still have to rely on Cinnabon for a bunch of things, but she's good about making me feel like I'm still doing something :)
Sometime, I'll tell you more about my patients, about my unit, about the chemo and transplant processes, and other such nonsense, but I'm not in a creative mood and straightforward facts are just boring. It's going well, and I'm enjoying it. This week, I'm working three days. I'll see you on the flip side.
Adios!
-C
I love my unit! My floor mostly works with patients who have leukemias (blood cancers) and who are receiving stem cell transplants. There are two other cancer floors in my building that work with solid tumors and palliative patients. If patients are getting stem cell transplants, they are scheduled to come in and then stay for roughly a month without any complications. This means that the patients are there for a long time. This can be a good and a bad thing. Some other time, I'll go into more detail about the transplant process. It's fascinating. We have 33 beds on our unit, and the nurses are assigned 3-4 patients every day.
I've really enjoyed working with my nurse. For blogging purposes we'll call her Cinnabon ( I wanted to stick with the theme of yummy desserts from the summer but wanted to avoid Dilly bar or Turnover). She allows me to be as independent as possible while still feeling supported. I have been able to work with three patients that are "all my own". Hopefully, this week I'll be able to get a full patient load. Cinnabon is really good at explaining things to me, but also challenging me to figure things out on my own. When we work together, we are extremely efficient and sometimes end up finishing our tasks very early.
The first day I worked, I mostly just observed and learned. The second and third day, I worked alongside my nurse and did most of the work, but with her beside me. The next few days, I started to take my own patients. The tricky part about this is that I'm not allowed to give chemo or distribute blood products, and this is very common on my floor. This means that I still have to rely on Cinnabon for a bunch of things, but she's good about making me feel like I'm still doing something :)
Sometime, I'll tell you more about my patients, about my unit, about the chemo and transplant processes, and other such nonsense, but I'm not in a creative mood and straightforward facts are just boring. It's going well, and I'm enjoying it. This week, I'm working three days. I'll see you on the flip side.
Adios!
-C
Thursday, March 20, 2014
I am my parent's daughter
Over the past year I have found that I find great enjoyment in tasks that a lot of people would find tremendously tedious (say that five times fast). Today, I was reminded of some past experiences that I've had that I'd like to share with you.
*Flashback to last summer*
It was while I was at Mayo Clinic. I was asked in January if I would stand up in a friend's wedding. Now it was mid-June and I was in semi-rural Minnesota, stranded without a car, and desperately wanting to go home. What were my options? 1. Have my parents come get me- not a great option for them. 2. Fly- pretty darn expensive. 3. Borrow a car- not likely since I had only known these people for about 3 weeks.
4. Figure out a better way.
So figure out a better way I did (that is terrible grammar, but adds dramatic effect). I scoured the internet for train routes, bus routes, taxi routes, underground tunnel routes, and personal helicopter routes. I am known for my frugalness, so price was a big factor as well as my time. I ended up finding a bus route that only had one transfer and got me to Chicago in about 8 hours. Sounds simple enough, but it was very difficult and tedious to find the best option. Later in the summer, I also figured out the best way to get to Cedar Rapids for another wedding. That time, the most efficient and cost-effective option was renting a car. It was pretty fun.
*Flash-forward to December 2013*
It was while I was on Christmas break. I was going on a road trip with four of my best friend to Washington D.C. It was basically up to me to plan the entire trip. I had to think about hotels, the car we were to use, the attractions and their prices, meals, maps, and money. I loved it. I had so much fun planning, and although not everything turned out as I had planned, it was a great learning experience.
*Flash-forward again to today*
Today I drove to Northwestern for my orientation. Let's just say that it was a little bit stressful. Could I handle it? Yeah! Could I do it again? Yeah! Could I get used to it? Maybe! However, it wasn't the most fun. So, I began researching. I had done some research before, but I felt like the options weren't that great. However, this time, I was successful! I believe I've found a route that is equally comparable to time I would spend in the car, a little cheaper, and reduces a lot of stress. Yay me!
My point to all this is that I enjoy working out those details. I find joy in finding the best bargain. This is a trait that I have received from my parents. Both of them are wonderful at finding the best deal, the best route, and the best ideas.
That's all. I'm pretty proud of myself. I'll let you know how I'm feeling after my first two back to back shifts next week!
Amor,
Carolina
*Flashback to last summer*
It was while I was at Mayo Clinic. I was asked in January if I would stand up in a friend's wedding. Now it was mid-June and I was in semi-rural Minnesota, stranded without a car, and desperately wanting to go home. What were my options? 1. Have my parents come get me- not a great option for them. 2. Fly- pretty darn expensive. 3. Borrow a car- not likely since I had only known these people for about 3 weeks.
4. Figure out a better way.
So figure out a better way I did (that is terrible grammar, but adds dramatic effect). I scoured the internet for train routes, bus routes, taxi routes, underground tunnel routes, and personal helicopter routes. I am known for my frugalness, so price was a big factor as well as my time. I ended up finding a bus route that only had one transfer and got me to Chicago in about 8 hours. Sounds simple enough, but it was very difficult and tedious to find the best option. Later in the summer, I also figured out the best way to get to Cedar Rapids for another wedding. That time, the most efficient and cost-effective option was renting a car. It was pretty fun.
*Flash-forward to December 2013*
It was while I was on Christmas break. I was going on a road trip with four of my best friend to Washington D.C. It was basically up to me to plan the entire trip. I had to think about hotels, the car we were to use, the attractions and their prices, meals, maps, and money. I loved it. I had so much fun planning, and although not everything turned out as I had planned, it was a great learning experience.
*Flash-forward again to today*
Today I drove to Northwestern for my orientation. Let's just say that it was a little bit stressful. Could I handle it? Yeah! Could I do it again? Yeah! Could I get used to it? Maybe! However, it wasn't the most fun. So, I began researching. I had done some research before, but I felt like the options weren't that great. However, this time, I was successful! I believe I've found a route that is equally comparable to time I would spend in the car, a little cheaper, and reduces a lot of stress. Yay me!
My point to all this is that I enjoy working out those details. I find joy in finding the best bargain. This is a trait that I have received from my parents. Both of them are wonderful at finding the best deal, the best route, and the best ideas.
That's all. I'm pretty proud of myself. I'll let you know how I'm feeling after my first two back to back shifts next week!
Amor,
Carolina
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Start of Something New
Hey y'all!
It's been awhile. Like, a long while. Since I last blogged, I have completed 3/4 of my senior year at Trinity. Overall, it has been a good year. The reason I am writing again is because next week I will start my Capstone experience. The purpose of capstone is to provide a role for nursing students to transition from student to nurse. In all honesty, it's very similar to what I experienced at Mayo, just with more actual responsibility. I have to work 180 hours in the next 7 weeks. I follow a preceptor (similar to my coaches at Mayo) and gradually take on a full patient load. I'll still have supervision, but I will be the nurse.
My capstone placement is at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in downtown Chicago. I had to interview for this position back in December. Funny story: while I was waiting to hear the results of the interview, they told us the wrong date that we would hear. I was home on Christmas break, and I was basically glued to my computer, updating it every five minutes or less, waiting for the email. Unfortunately, it didn't come until a week later :( However, i got the position, and I am very excited! I will be on an oncology/hematology unit. I have expressed interest in oncology before, so I am grateful for the opportunity to try it out before I start applying for jobs. I'm working 12 hour day shifts which was my preferred shift. Unfortunately, that means I'll be driving to downtown Chicago during rush hours. Bleh.
In my dream world, I would have this internship, get offered a job, graduate from college, pass the stinkin NCLEX, get an apartment, and start working all within the next four months. I'll update this lovely blog periodically to let you know if I'm surviving and tell you what I'm learning. We recently had a class about social networking related to nursing. Basically, I can't say anything about anything or I could lose my (nonexistent) license. I have to be so careful. I do believe however, that I can share how I am growing and learning throughout this process without sharing information about patients. So that's what I'm going to do.
Life is good, God is great, and nursing rocks. Wish me luck :)
Love to all,
Caroline
It's been awhile. Like, a long while. Since I last blogged, I have completed 3/4 of my senior year at Trinity. Overall, it has been a good year. The reason I am writing again is because next week I will start my Capstone experience. The purpose of capstone is to provide a role for nursing students to transition from student to nurse. In all honesty, it's very similar to what I experienced at Mayo, just with more actual responsibility. I have to work 180 hours in the next 7 weeks. I follow a preceptor (similar to my coaches at Mayo) and gradually take on a full patient load. I'll still have supervision, but I will be the nurse.
My capstone placement is at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in downtown Chicago. I had to interview for this position back in December. Funny story: while I was waiting to hear the results of the interview, they told us the wrong date that we would hear. I was home on Christmas break, and I was basically glued to my computer, updating it every five minutes or less, waiting for the email. Unfortunately, it didn't come until a week later :( However, i got the position, and I am very excited! I will be on an oncology/hematology unit. I have expressed interest in oncology before, so I am grateful for the opportunity to try it out before I start applying for jobs. I'm working 12 hour day shifts which was my preferred shift. Unfortunately, that means I'll be driving to downtown Chicago during rush hours. Bleh.
In my dream world, I would have this internship, get offered a job, graduate from college, pass the stinkin NCLEX, get an apartment, and start working all within the next four months. I'll update this lovely blog periodically to let you know if I'm surviving and tell you what I'm learning. We recently had a class about social networking related to nursing. Basically, I can't say anything about anything or I could lose my (nonexistent) license. I have to be so careful. I do believe however, that I can share how I am growing and learning throughout this process without sharing information about patients. So that's what I'm going to do.
Life is good, God is great, and nursing rocks. Wish me luck :)
Love to all,
Caroline
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