7/30 This week, I learned Deanna Troi sucks

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Specializes in critical care.

You guys watch ST:TNG? Man, I loved that show. Jean Luc was gonna save the galaxy. I'd totally vote Picard/Riker every single election. (This might actually happen this year.)

But Deanna.... She was my girl. Strong, sensitive, empathic. I was going to BE her when I grew up. I actively sought to connect with people, to know what their feelings were, what motivated them. To be honest, I already knew how to read people pretty well. My pre-teen self just enjoyed the imaginative fantasy.

As a Nurse, we tend to channel our inner Deanna Troi a little. Well, I do, at least. Especially around discharge, when thinking is adjusted to what's next for this person and their loved ones. What do they want? What are they burdened with?

What a crap week for this way of thinking to come back.

This week, I have learned....

1. Grandma is in LTC now and her Alzheimers has been declining rapidly. We all know how those first nights will be.

2. Grandpa is home alone, albeit busy right now, and he is refusing help.

3. My surgeon has me out until August 22.

4. My short-term disability company is currently refusing to extend my claim beyond Wednesday.

5. My employer has decided to terminate my benefits as of Wednesday.

6. Have you ever heard that rumor that short-term disability company long term disability companies will send out private investigators to monitor and photograph the movements of those people they think abuse claims? They do. This is actually a thing.

7. This ad inspires NO DESIRE WHATSOEVER to be a nurse. The intern/resident is treating someone like crap while the nurse next to him gives the "I want you now" eyes.

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8. After participating in facebook live chats and PMs with Zdogg since his 7 Years release, being berated by my mother in law for admitting patient suffering and tragedy destroys me a little, and THEN turning to a loved hospitalist that I am thankful to have in my life... It's painfully obvious that those of us, ALL of us, on the front lines of healthcare feel our hearts break time and time again, and yet, we can't admit it to our colleague. Our hands are not meant to be held. We go home to the hands and arms that hold us, knowing that some shifts really do isolate us. We are forced to be alone. I watch my colleagues take their SSRIs, benzos, norcos, whatever it takes to bring them back to a shift. No one hides it. And why should they? We all understand WHY. So why don't we talk about it?

9. Today I decided paying a babysitter is cheaper than paying bail. I mean, c'mon parents, AMIRITE?!

10. morte would rather ditch the spacebar than be decisive about a computer.

If anyone is interested in hosting next week, get in touch via PM.

What have you learned this week?

Remember, cheers, jeers and camaraderie are always loved and appreciated in the WILTW threads. Just try hard to stay close or on the nursing path so this thread stays here.

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Specializes in Healthcare risk management and liability.

But Marina Sirtis has a lovable Cockney accent in real life!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

It begins...the masses of sick kids...

Boarding again, as soon as I got here; we have at least two that are boarding and a potential admit.

I found outa few things about ex-coworkers who are great members of the healthcare team that want to return; they have been basically blacklisted; the silver lining is...one was fired when the union was voted in, and they are fighting to get their name cleared-and they want to fight. Let the games begin!!! :yes:

I've gotten a smidgen of hope-a HUGE MAYBE of moonlighting at an AdultED...I'm keeping my hope alive, and trying to figure out how I'm going to work overtime at one job and fit in working at this job...I also need to crack open my Sheehy's book just to be prepared.

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Specializes in Oncology (OCN).

1. My parents are in that hard stage between not really being able to live independently on their own anymore and needing to be in assisted living. They refuse to even discuss it. Me and my sister are at a complete loss as to what to do. Neither of us are close enough (distance wise) to really help out. I'm 6 hours away, she's 7. We've tried hiring help. They refuse. We went down a few months ago and it took us five hours just to do the dishes and clean the kitchen. They are hoarders. Not to the extent of what you see on TV, but it's bad. It makes me so sad.

2. ixchel, I do not envy you dealing with STD, LTD, your employer, etc. I remember going through that and it was a nightmare. If I can give you one piece of advice--be cautious, be very cautious! I went back to work way to soon. Returned 1/2 days 6 weeks after a cervical fusion. I wasn't working the floor at the time, I was doing a desk job developing a new program for cancer patients. But I completely underestimated what my body could handle and ended up having to go back out on disability a second time. I also have a horror story of how my employer screwed me out of my LTD but I won't bore you with that. Just be very careful. Especially if you're in an "at will" state.

3. I saw a commercial the other day for a nursing program at one of those for profit nursing schools. I honestly cannot recall which one now and I was only half way paying attention to the TV. But it was talking about the different roles of the nurse. It mentioned one of them was to be a friend to the patient. I almost yelled out loud at the TV, "No!" I'm sorry but does anyone else find that offensive? Maybe I'm just being too sensitive but it really hit me wrong.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

So I went to the ER last night due to pain in my middle & lower right side of my back. I was in the room alone until another woman was brought in, for having a bug in her ear.

Everything was fine until she started complain about the doctor (who was EXTREMELY nice) & the nursing staff. Now I don't know them personally, but I'm a nurse so I'll put my neck out for you.

So this woman was ******** because they couldn't get the bug out. It's a small, rural ER with none of the equipment they need to extract small objects from ears. One of the gems she said was,"That Doctor should've never had a plan C. It should've been plan A & that's IT!" Listening to her ******** & moaning about how a doctor was trying his damnedest to help her was boiling my blood.

I think the kicker was when the guy that was with her, who has alluded to working in a hospital for 10 years said,"Well I've been a tech for 10 years, but what do I know?!" What do you know?! NOTHING! You have zero medical/nursing training to be telling the nursing staff OR the doctor HOW to do their job!!!!

I wanted to scream at them but I also didn't want to get kicked out because I was in pain. So I gritted my teeth & just laid there.

Oh, I ended up having gallstones. Whoopie!

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
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I love it when I see off the wall things like this! I've seen Facebook posts from toasters, microwaves, spacecraft...

What I learned this week:

Surgeon misbehavior towards staff will be taken seriously at my facility. We currently have two surgeons who will be appearing in front of the highest leadership in a disciplinary hearing over how they behaved towards staff in front of patients this week. Like, this is beyond their immediate chair of surgical specialty and chief of surgery level serious. Nice to know someone has our backs.

That patients who are doing extremely well when they leave the OR will crump and code (unsuccessfully) overnight. The ones who are on rocket fuel with huge outputs in their chest tubes that you are sure won't make it do surprisingly well.

Sent from my boring old laptop in my boring family room where I've got a dog on my lap using my trusty old (but completely working) keyboard.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

OC, I once had a June beetle fly into my ear when I was 12. The ER tried and tried to get the little bugger out, but no luck- it was just too deep. The worst part? It was still alive and buzzing around trying to escape until they filled my ear canal with mineral oil. That was on a Saturday night. On Monday morning, I went to an ambulatory surgery center when they removed it under anesthesia. The only complaint my family had was that somehow I got dropped from the list of patients in the waiting room who still needed to be seen. Other than that, we perfectly understood why they couldn't get it out themselves.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
OC, I once had a June beetle fly into my ear when I was 12. The ER tried and tried to get the little bugger out, but no luck- it was just too deep. The worst part? It was still alive and buzzing around trying to escape until they filled my ear canal with mineral oil. That was on a Saturday night. On Monday morning, I went to an ambulatory surgery center when they removed it under anesthesia. The only complaint my family had was that somehow I got dropped from the list of patients in the waiting room who still needed to be seen. Other than that, we perfectly understood why they couldn't get it out themselves.

I understand it's common & most ERs don't have what is necessary to remove a small object from an ear. But when you're ******** & complaining about people who have tried 5 different ways to removed said object, I can only handle so much. People expect for miracles to happen or just because he's a doctor or nurse he can fix anything. What's worse is that male counterpart who acted like he knew everything when he was a tech.

Don't get me wrong, I respect techs/aides/etc. but when they start acting like nurses or doctors & telling people how to do their job, that's crossing the line. Those people don't go to YOUR work & tell you what you're doing wrong. So why is it ok for people to tell doctors & nurses how to do theirs?

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These ear stories are intriguing! I'm not sure why this is difficult unless the bug has burrowed past your tympanic membrane and is headed to your brain. Down them in mineral oil and do those ear flushes with a special syringe and a kidney-bowl under your ear! (I worked in a medical office and did these all the time).

What did I learn this week?

Nuthin. :dead:

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
These ear stories are intriguing! I'm not sure why this is difficult unless the bug has burrowed past your tympanic membrane and is headed to your brain. Down them in mineral oil and do those ear flushes with a special syringe and a kidney-bowl under your ear! (I worked in a medical office and did these all the time).

What did I learn this week?

Nuthin. :dead:

I wasn't able to look in her ear [emoji12] but from what I heard it was pretty deep in there. They got half the bug, but I believe they were missing the back half. Hahahah. Oh karma.

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Specializes in critical care.

I'm putting my money on a tick being in there. Bug extraction should happen easily with a flush, except an attached tick. Damn, that sucks.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I'm putting my money on a tick being in there. Bug extraction should happen easily with a flush, except an attached tick. Damn, that sucks.

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I heard moth, cockroach & tick. I wanted to see the bug sooo bad!

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