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-
Sunday, December 28, 2014
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-
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