9/5 What I learned this week.....

[ixchel]

Ahhhhh this week. Kids in school, a nice run of chill nights, and here I am, wiiiiiiide awake knowing my body needs to flip back to awake in the day (for only two flippin' days) this weekend until I have two more nights this coming week. *sigh* I need more summer. Fall means back to mom taxi and learning 3rd grade math. Ugh! No thank you!

Alas, this week I have learned.....

There is a man with a 19 inch member. The head of it is 10 inches in diameter.

Xarelto is a hell of a drug.

Being an assertive person by nature, and after receiving guidance through nursing school and as I've been a nurse on concise and direct communication (how to deliver and receive it), I was reminded this week that not everyone effectively communicates, and it can be upsetting to them to be asked to.

In addition, the very nature of nursing education through school and orientation teaches us how to be able to initially be subordinate, in a way, to those who mentor us, but seamlessly transition to being peers after. This feels like an endemic part of nursing because we all do it, and a good preceptor takes his/her role seriously to ensure safety and adequate care is delivered. That ease of transition doesn't apparently exist in all levels of patient care, though. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me, but it was placed directly in my face when I was informed that a preceptor tech should not be responsible for correction of an orienting tech, because the orienting tech is a peer to the preceptor. (Huge needs for education, there - I am not the (disciplinary) supervisor of the aids, even as the nurse, and a preceptor is responsible for the learning process of the one orienting - they need to learn how to communicate errors in practice without worrying about the consequence to the peer relationship later.)

I've decided my melanin is useless.

On a related note, I would rather go without a shower than shower with sunburn.

#JunkOff is trending right now. And in the name of science, there is this - The Icelandic Phallological Museum

I want a high and mighty horse to ride in on.

And speaking of horses, never look a gift horse in the mouth. If the whole floor has wild and crashing patient assignments, check in and offer help often, but keep it to yourself that your group was/is easy.

When you read a patient's chart notes and see they couldn't be stopped from punching and spitting on staff with 25 mg haldol and 10 mg Ativan, you might actually think to yourself, "thank god he's only felt me up this shift".

I've decided I'm going to write a book called "You Can't Make This **** Up".

Agony, sweet, sweet little old man reaffirmed for me that we have a desperate need in this country for social services. A person shouldn't decide to attempt suicide because lack of access to adequate care has ultimately (decades later) led to homelessness.

I very much love and miss NOC. It felt so good to do a week of nights!

I've learned how very close to death a person can get during ETOH detox. It doesn't help that the person is 4 months older than my mom, who is 15 years sober right now. Counter transference is a hell of a drug.

Lots of psychosocial stuff this week. Very heartbreaking.

I've learned that simply being in a sinus arrest rhythm while already having a HR in the 30s is not a qualifyer for a pacemaker. (Apparently?)

I've learned that the cutoff for a pause to ring asystole on our tele monitors is somewhere between 4.8 and 5.6 seconds.

I've learned our hospitalists have this magical locked room filled with iced cream. And if you're really nice (and they're tired-giddy at the end of their 7-day NOC stretch), they'll tube some up to you.

Adding with compatible numbers makes no freaking sense to me whatsoever. I am a math smart person with a rather high IQ (logic and I are BFFs) and yet, compatible numbers? Seriously, why?! I should be able to tutor my 8-year old in math without having to learn what it is first, right???

Have you learned anything worth sharing this week?

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

I just realized my I have learned has blended into the last one...I have been working a marathon of 6 days-last Saturday to this Thursday-so I decided to repost with an few additions:

I have learned:

Full moons and even saying "chill-day"-not the "Q" word, just the spirit of it-can turn an 180.

That I still have my psych therapeutic technique powers-had to use it on an 11 year old who was diagnosed with auditory hallucinations and developed visual hallucinations who was in crisis with her mother day her side determined to get her the help she needed.

I'm aggressive towards a psych fellow who was rude to me in the past (he basically stole my seat and looked at me up and down-petty, I know)and gleefully so.

My eight years of Spanish is still in my brain...I thought I lost it-being immersed in a high Latino population is helping...soon on to Mandarin; hopefully Arabic in the near future-Duolingo is my friend!

I am starting to handle stress and very challenging situations well in the ED and have tons of support, however, I realize I stress eat (pass the buttery, greasy food) as a way to control my stress-three days of Wendy's son of a baconnator at midnight was VERY satisfying, but not helping my cause to be more fitter for my vacation...

I also learned this week that I scheduled myself 8 days in a row by accident due to my travel plans to Europe at the end of this month; my co-worker joked that he was going to bring his menorah in and light a candle each night I'm there.

I also learned that my PTSD is unofficially "in remission" and may be off my atypical antipsychotic soon; which may be also the cause of my stress eating; I'm bittersweet about the experience because I had resolved myself to being the old lady that needed her one pill-it's been almost a year since I've had a crisis and two years of medication therapy.

To add:

Learning about a new place to get Latino food at a gourmet food truck near work in a highly populated Latino neighborhood is a treasure-especially since I am a food truck conissour;

Going to the zoo can make an instant connection to my inner child.

And saying bittersweet has suddenly made me want chocolate.

[enuf_already]

I've learned that ixchel knows way too much about a certain member.

I would like to write a chapter in ixchel's book. Having been in nursing going on 35 years, each day still brings me new surprises that leave me shaking my head. My chapter will be "You Want Me To Do What?"

Sometimes it is important to stand up for what's right, even when you are the underdog.

Honesty, integrity, and character are something I will not compromise.

I've learned that school forms will be the death of me.

Sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug.

I also cannot sleep in spite of having an exhausting week.

[Dogen]

This week I learned if you tell the people who run the convenience store on the corner that your fridge died and your new fridge won't be delivered until tomorrow they'll give you free ice. Nice people!

Fridges these days are ridiculous. There's one with a Sodastream built into it. Another has a door inside a door, so you can grab things off the door shelf without opening the whole fridge. Multiple climate zones. Triple air filtration. Filtered water. They have more amenities than many apartments I've lived in.

Labor day weekend is a great time to buy a fridge. You know, if there's ever a great time to buy a fridge.

I was playing with my brother's kid, pretending to not recognize her, and she said I should know it was her because she had "a big circle head and circle eyes." I don't know what that means exactly (at least compared to everyone else, who mostly have circle heads), but it was pretty funny.

I'm becoming one of those people who tell stories about their kid to people who don't care because I think this kid is so cute and so funny. And it's not even my kid.

[rowrowyourboat]

I've learned:

1. Having surgery is no joke and that I still need to work on my patience. I was so sure I was doing good;)

2. Even though I have a great GP, it's time to end our relationship. She called to 'lecture' me because she had heard from her receptionist that I was rude to them. Sigh! This hurt me so much because I was not rude at all and she did not want to hear my side of the story. I have been so respectful to everyone because my Dr has gone above and beyond for me. Oh well, we live and learn.

3. My dad's death is really affecting me more than I would want to admit. I miss him so so much.

4. My husband is not supportive of my going back to school and possibly being away from the family.

5. I think at times being a little selfish and doing what you think is good for the family even when your spouse doesn't think so is ok. Or not?

6. Having a Hgb in the 6.7 range is something to worry about.

7. Am now worried about my colonoscopy appt. what if something is really wrong?

8. My fear of not messing up when it comes to parenting keeps me on my toes.

9. I love my family deeply and the thought of anything happening to either of them after losing my dad would be too much for me to handle.

10. I am beside myself about being a first time auntie next month. I can't wait!

11. Having money or a great career is not everything and doesn't equate to happiness.

12. I wish JulesA was my real life mentor, there's a few more people on this site who I think are quite amazing. They have the Oprah effect on me.

[NanaPoo]

I learned that school age boys dream up the craziest ideas & then carry them through.

I learned that snapping your fingers while they're inside your mouth can knock a large molar loose and cause blood to gush everywhere..in the school lunchroom.

And I learned once again that I'm really happy to have a smart daughter.

[CVICU-Nurse1.5]

I've learned...

1. My back is my best friend in this job and I must never compromise it.

2. My patients really enjoy the care I provide for them.

3. You can get a cup of water in a drive thru line with nothing else and it is completely alright.

4. Charting early makes the rest of the shift smooth.

5. Working in a hospital provides the best immune system ever.

6. I will never get used to the smell of poop.

7. On top of #6, I laugh when picking up my dogs poop, saying, "that's nothing!"

8. Psych patients really do see stuff that isn't there. Or is it?

9. Nursing school has so much info, the more I do now, the smoother it will be later.

10. Your eye twitches when a coworker says it's awfully quiet because they just cursed your shift.

11. Fire alarms, call bells, iv machine beeps haunt my sleep.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I learned (twice this week- no kidding) that there are thousands of dollars sitting in pension funds from long ago employers you never knew about and people TRACK YOU DOWN to given them to you!

...that I am thankful to practice a nursing specialty that has an actual 'slow season' (which is right now!)

...that your 86 year old dad can hear 'pleural effusion' and understand it to mean cancer/ the end of the world - and that your finely honed medical jargon translation skills can cement your place as the favorite daughter.

...that a chance to enjoy a late summer minor league baseball game with your son is among the sweetest of the summer fruits.

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

I feel like this week has beeb pretty uneventful.

But I have learned..

1. If you see a raccoon in the MIDDLE OF THE DAY in your neighborhood, don't stop to take pictures. It is probably rabid (no, it's wasn't me).

2. Grey's Anatomy progressively gets worse each season.

3. When you decide to proactively complete your assignments for OB/Peds in advance, that leaves you with little motivation to do anything else for a while.

4. They need to come up with less painful ways to wax body hair. It's torture.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

Hugs to ixchel!

I learned (again) that vacation, even if it's just a staycation, is good for the soul. But I really don't want to go back to work on Sunday!

I learned that I was lucky enough that the only Sunday I scheduled myself for this six weeks is the Sunday that Fear the Walking Dead isn't on - couldn't have planned that better if I tried.

I learned that it really is possible to watch two 24 episode TV seasons in 3 days if you are motivated enough.

I learned that I really don't do anything at all ever. I keep saying I'm going to do things when I have days off - but I just had a stretch of nine days, and absolutely nothing got done. I am just a lazy human being and I'm okay with that.

[SnowShoeRN]

This week I have learned:

My body isn't cut out for nights anymore.

As delicious as key lime pie is, eating it at 4am is not a good idea.

I have the best partner in the entire world.

Fresh eucalyptus, in large quantities, makes my eyes burn just a little.

I really need to get my butt to Al-Anon meetings more often.

Setting limits with strangers is so much easier than setting limits with my family.

I am much smarter than I always give myself credit for.

The lengthy journey required to begin practice as a FNP/APRN is a little bit ridiculous and a lotta bit expensive.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

I have learned ...

1) I hate the company my husband works for.

2) I'm nervous to get back to nursing after being a SAHM for over a year.

3) I can't wait to start working again.

4) I really hope & pray I get the job I have an interview for this upcoming week even though I have no acute care experience. It would be a blessing for me & my family.

5) There is a big change in who I was as a person & a nurse, I love it.