You Got to Know When to Hold 'Em

Don't ya just love them and their antics though Marla? I know I do. Especially the ones in the alzheimers unit. I get such a charge out of them.
One time when I was hospitalized, one came into my room (my roommate was sound asleep) naked as the day he was born. I asked him what he was looking for as he headed toward our bathroom.

Hmmmmm, this is a good room . Good people and down to earth , no pretense. Love it ! thank you sisters! Much love and blessings to you special people !

We have a couple of gents who do that all the time, much to the chagrin of the female residents whose rooms they blunder into! I swear I spend half my shift chasing 'em out of other rooms---we don't have enough of those yellow door guards for every room in the building, and even where we do have them, the aides forget to put them up most of the time.

Yep, I love these old folks.....especially, it seems, the ones who are the hardest to love. E.E.---he of "Ear Wax!" fame---is about as cuddly as a cactus on a normal day, and on a bad day he'll fight you to the death over using the lift or simply giving him some bowel care. But this crusty old soldier, who was in the Battle of the Bulge and got frostbitten feet for his efforts, happens to be one of my favorite residents.....and over the months I've worked with him, he's become almost affectionate with me.

One night, I was checking his blood sugar when he looked up at me and said, "You know, I've been widowed for a long time. I need to find me a woman."

I chuckled and said, "Well, there are a lot of them here, you've pretty much got your pick."

He shook his head, and his eyes began to dance mischievously. "Ah, I think you'd do."

I laughed and said, "Well, thank you, but I think my husband would have a bit of a problem with that. Besides, you don't want an old bag like me---you probably want somebody a little younger."

He grinned: "Honey, I'll take any bag I can get these days!"

Love it!!!!

Maybe just maybe - by setting boundaries and using tough love, administrators may find some new solutions to the problems instead of relying on nurses to be whipping posts. I am beginning to think we are enablers when we repeatedly give in to the pressure of thinking it is our personal responsibility to make sure the hospital is staffed. If we are so exhausted that we make a mistake, what is that gonna cost our patient, our hospital and just as important our faith in our ability to be good nurses. If we are burned out and quit nursing what is that gonna cost our patient,the hospital, and nurses who tried to give their best and came to believe that it did not matter how hard they worked. It is also high time hospitals accept part of the responsibility in caring for their nurses who experience stress and burnout. Help us, instead of making it harder!

---- Viva, you need to get together w/ another nurse that told us that funny story also , about LTC ...you know the one who gave a bath to a resident , but she ended getting soaked and "bathed" as well and her polka dot panty showed right thru the wet white pants and she has to ran fast laughing colleagues to the cabinet for the dry clothes ???? Do a book specifically on LTC as nurses humor. It will be so cool !!!! Your use of words is very descriptive.......one of the good attributes to a good writer !