ixchel is working like the Rockstar that she is, and asked me to fill in for her. I know, I know, it's already well into the new week, so this will be short and sweet. Or will it?
A couple of nights have passed since I've talked to ixchel. We usually go 24/7. Before I realized she was working like she was, I couldn't get in touch with her. I was actually worried. Like, more than a little.
I've learned that my online friends are most definitely my real friends. Lines are blurred. I text my RL friends and I talk to my Online friends. (I actually knew this- but this week's worry popped it up for me.)
I've learned I need my AN School Nurse Co-Workers, but that my RL Co-Worker, in the form of the Social Worker that shares my office, is gold. Like Ponyboy Level Gold.
I've learned that my friends know I worry, and humor me thusly, by checking in with me PRN.
Except ixchel. For days on end...
When ixchel needed help this week, of course I obliged. The problem is, I really haven't learned much. I called on some of my friends to help me out:
From Dogen: "Ummm... I learned that people with schizophrenia were targeted by the tobacco industry, and that they funded research saying the people with psychosis were somehow resistant to cancer and also that it was critical to their recovery to let them smoke. Both of these lack evidence, but are still widely held beliefs, such that psychiatric hospitals were exempted from a federal ban on smoking in hospitals.
But really, people with schizophrenia are 4.5 times more likely to get lung cancer, and have 30% higher mortality rates than smokers without a mental illness."
Hmmm...
From WellThatsOod: "I just learned that vomited strawberries looks like jam!"
From OldDude: "I've learned my fellow nurses don't mind stepping in to defend the perpetuation of reason and support of their peers from those whose statements are unreasonable and inciteful."
(We gotchu.)
Thank you guys for helping out. Love ya.
Sports start this week in my HS. So many kids, coming down in pairs and groups, making sure their friends are appropriately cleared. I've learned that these kids know what teamwork means without setting foot on the field.
Some of our posters have been through a lot lately. DLHWB with her patient that killed himself. Poopycat with her new grandbaby (grandkitten?) Students starting school. Illness. Deaths. Weddings.
We have been helping each other here. We get flack for the snark, but I'm feeling the love.
(Just call me Farawimp.)
The theme is friendship, mental illness and the lack of good treatment those patients receive, vomit and strawberry jam, and sticking up for one another...or anything else you have learned.
I totally agree with you. It's funny you say that because I love my older male patients too. I will take a group of crusty, gruff post open heart guys over the LoLs who need pacers or a heart cath any day.
And I also think you're right about the heart. Its mechanisms are mostly something tangible that we can understand. Conductivity is a little more mysterious when you really get in to it, but that's why we have pacemakers in all their glorious variety. I also enjoy the patient education that goes with cardiac nursing.
I wish I liked neuro nursing...but I just don't, outside of the occasional neuro trauma. I like neuro research. I love the thrill of the hunt and the complexity the brain provides. But from a nursing standpoint, I'll stick with hearts for now :).
I'm with you and Far on this! I loved, loved, loved my male cardio patients, the crustier, the better! There really is a certain "type" of heart patient. Now I miss cardio... At the school, hearth month is my favorite and everyone can tell. I currently have a bulletin board with a huge constriction paper heart complete with valves and arrows to show blood flow. I love the questions that the little ones ask about it and I love that they are so curious about how everything works.
What I learned this week: My kindergartener has been leaving notes in the school bathroom. The teacher said they say things like: "Please wipe up your own pee drops. It's gross. Thank you." and "Wipe the seat before you pee. Someone keeps dripping on the seat. Please and thank you." Apparently there is a problem in the kinder bathroom.
My son is obsessed with the Avengers! Hell hath no fury like a 4y/o when you say "Thor's hammer" instead of using it's name. "It has a name, you know!!!" Geesh kid!
There are some seriously awesome kids at this school. One 4th grade girl shoots still-frame animation at home! One kid is a walking super-hero encyclopedia, another knows everything there is to know about military aircraft.
Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.
1) You end up being the primary source of comfort to a formerly totally healthy patient when they find out they have cancer, and it makes the rest of your night .
2) Day shift needs to stop throwing shade over non-critical 0600 once daily meds being re-scheduled to 0900. I had to call respiratory and the team to get breathing treatments and meds for a wheezy, uncomfortable patient with OSA, and find a CPAP (I guess no one realized he might need one?). We finally got the patient comfortable and asleep with a nice sat on CPAP by 0400, and I wasn't about to go messing with that.
3) Trying to get report on 5 patients, 4 coming from students, is a total trainwreck.
4) Stoic patients can be great in some respects, but not when they refuse to use their PCAs and we get to play 'pain control catchup' the rest of the night. You just had your chest viciously cracked open, you're allowed to give yourself some relief so you can sleep. Some education and discussing a continuous hourly basal dose with the team were in order.
Either my time management on the floor is lacking or I'm just having crappy shifts. Probably a bit of both. Plus I feel almost guilty leaving when no one there when I clock out has more than 6 months experience.
New nurses will be concerned when an elderly pt hocks up a ginormous blood tinged loogie & call me into the room to see it. "Better out than in" 😄
Reminded that hextend can be contraindicated for those with cardiac/renal issues. However, I was pretty comfortable with it in my PACU pt with a 1200 ebl & no significant hx.
I got to give my token "It's in your best interests to stay in the hospital to continue your plan of care, yada, yada", while rifling thru forms for AMA papers.
We've had a surplus of scrotal & perianal abscesses; the last one apparently developed "overnight" & had most of the OR gagging from its gangrenous smell.
Some pts will actually "fake" that they can't wake up after surgery. Tried to take a look at her pupils & she would literally scrunch her eyes shut so you couldn't. It was a short OP procedure & she didn't even get much narcotics (especially when comparing to the amt of psych meds she takes at home). 😬
I learned that my teenaged 1:1 non-verbal client will smile and laugh at me after blasting herself, the changing table, the wall, the carpet, and my shoes with explosive liquid stool. Thanks for the superlax before school, Mom. I also learned that said Mom had a fit when I was unable to attend a meeting literally minutes after cleaning up this disaster. It was Friday afternoon. My RN was there for the meeting. Nursing was represented. On Monday I explained to Mom that I wasn't there because I had a "hygiene problem" after cleaning up her kid. Nope, still bent out of shape. She accused me of bailing to "go have a fun weekend." Best thing? I still love my job. Why? My supervising RN is the absolute BEST.
I am currently applying to other jobs due to my schedule changing for school. I'm terrified of leaving the comfort of my current job as I am the sole financial provider (hubby is a SAHD).
The job market seems like it's improving here so I have hope.
That AHA no longer issues BLS cards. Instead you get a link to your proof online. They also made very tiny changes to BLS this month.
I am currently applying to other jobs due to my schedule changing for school. I'm terrified of leaving the comfort of my current job as I am the sole financial provider (hubby is a SAHD).
The job market seems like it's improving here so I have hope.
That AHA no longer issues BLS cards. Instead you get a link to your proof online. They also made very tiny changes to BLS this month.
I like the cards. My employer for HH did not think it was legit when I renewed this summer because there was no card.
This week I have learned patience. Showed up in my new scrubs, with my brand new RN badge, and my brand new license excited to start my career Monday morning only to be sent away after finding out my background check was still pending. Time to wait two weeks for the next orientation.
Now I'm essentially unemployed for two weeks and going crazy with all of this free time. Helloooo spring cleaning. [emoji12]
I learned that taking 5 tests in 3 days can be as physically taxing as 4 shifts in a row. However, I'm now done with nursing school and getting over my cold! One test left that I get to study for for the next 6 weeks.
I also learned that my future nurse manager is very accommodating and doesn't seem to mind me starting 2 weeks later than we initially talked about. I'm still concerned that it'll come back to me at some point, but I'm trying not to look a gift horse in a mouth.
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BeckyESRN
1,263 Posts
I'm with you and Far on this! I loved, loved, loved my male cardio patients, the crustier, the better! There really is a certain "type" of heart patient. Now I miss cardio... At the school, hearth month is my favorite and everyone can tell. I currently have a bulletin board with a huge constriction paper heart complete with valves and arrows to show blood flow. I love the questions that the little ones ask about it and I love that they are so curious about how everything works.
What I learned this week: My kindergartener has been leaving notes in the school bathroom. The teacher said they say things like: "Please wipe up your own pee drops. It's gross. Thank you." and "Wipe the seat before you pee. Someone keeps dripping on the seat. Please and thank you." Apparently there is a problem in the kinder bathroom.
My son is obsessed with the Avengers! Hell hath no fury like a 4y/o when you say "Thor's hammer" instead of using it's name. "It has a name, you know!!!" Geesh kid!
There are some seriously awesome kids at this school. One 4th grade girl shoots still-frame animation at home! One kid is a walking super-hero encyclopedia, another knows everything there is to know about military aircraft.