From loony tunes, to total inadequacies, this week was ... unusual. Certainly plenty to learn. I actually had a much bigger list and realized I was a bit *too* specific with some details. Don't want to anger the HIPAA gods!
That aside, I got my fair share of unstable people and psych consult-worthy (and maybe law enforcement worthy) people. Good times....
Flipping back to days this coming week, and only this week. I hate days. Expect Grumpy ixchel for the next several days. You've been warned! [emoji5]ï¸
This past week, I have learned:
Biopsy was negative! And I'm surprised, because two different providers told me to expect something abnormal. Trust me - it's a happy surprise!
Esme is back!
Being on dayshift this week makes me want to cry. Also, there is no night shift jetlag/hangover when you stay up all night every night. Apparently I do better without all the sunshine.
Using a little creativity to bring a patient a small bit of joy after a week in the hospital from sepsis can really fill the heart. All it took was brewing some fresh iced tea.
"Roadkill", in rural poor slang, means cigarettes in public ashtrays that have enough left you can pull them out and finish smoking the rest.
I have met the creepiest man on the planet. I swear to God he killed his mom the night before he was admitted, and I'm pretty sure every single morning he dosed himself with different meds to have different legit symptoms to keep him in the hospital. By the way, being hospitalized is probably a great alibi.
There is a certain look that a terminally ill total dependent care patient gets on their face when you can tell they're only full code because their family insists. I wish I never noticed that exists. When you get them care that clearly makes them uncomfortable they get that look and all I want to do is apologize and promise I'll never cause them pain or discomfort again.
Expecting short term rehab because your driveway is snowed in is totes legit, yo.
If you are wondering why a medication that you get has increased in price, perhaps it's because their promotional brochure has started to include videos that can be played in English and in Spanish and is in full-color stuck in the middle of an actual pamphlet. God bless the pharmaceutical industry. (As much as I hate to link Vanity Fair, some of this is alarming. Deadly Medicine | Vanity Fair)
Lantus still smells as bad as it did the last time I broke a bottle of it.
If you feel your heart heavy after a shift because a patient situation was handled so horribly wrong, your hospital's patient advocate will enjoy hearing from you. You will also be able to go home and sleep knowing its in the hands of the person who is paid to solely make things better for the patient. If, as an RN, I opt for a 9-5, that's a job I could absolutely love.
I have once again witnessed how hard a body will fight to live. I'm sad for the circumstances with everything that went wrong, but honestly remain enamored by how impressive bodies really are. Newbies, remember this - the body wants to live. Let that truth steady your hand.
I actually found myself incredibly angry at EMTALA. It had good intentions, but now it can justify the non-emergent people pulling vitally needed staff away from the critically ill, leading to malpractice and negligence from severe lack of resources to handle the sudden influx of overflow.
I learned that I STILL prefer doing my own admissions, because the people we actually have hired to do them will go to great lengths to avoid them. And when they actually do one, will do such a piss-poor job of it that I spend the next day finishing up what they neglected to do. Or, I have to do the entire admission myself, on top of a full schedule. Seriously, you have ONE JOB people!!
That getting one of those "This is the IRS and we're going to file a lawsuit against you" scam calls actually made me laugh. A lot.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Congrats, Chaos!
Thank you! My insurance will be paid 100% & 50% for my husband. I've never had that & it's United Healthcare. Not to mention the documentation will be on a computer as well. I'm so excited, I want to start working NOW!
Oh my god!!!! How does your employer not recognize the absolutely devastating consequences to this action?! GET OUT! NOW!
My thoughts EXACTLY! They don't realize that by punishing those who do what's right only makes us more fearful to report. I was allowed to come back to work after a LONG educational session with risk management and our unit director on how I should've handled the situation. But I'm still extremely annoyed
I think I am learning rationales. Those darn RNs on my unit are always happy to explain the what and the why when anyone asks a question. Gotta love 'em!
Thanks far I did the math I could graduate with as an Asociate studies science with as high as a 3.45 this spring. So it's something to shoot for. At the very least it should get me into a decent university to finish a useful 4 year degree.
Depending on what I take I could also finish with as high as a 3.75 in transfer credits for some BSN programs.
Now it's all about putting on the finishing touches. I had feared my academic situation was unrecoverable, but that does not appear to be the case.
On that note it's off to bed, and this week I learned when in doubt do the math to assuage your fears.
1.) My daughter is a sucker for Star Wars, cried like a baby watching episode 3 and episode 6. My son is obsessed with Star Wars and constantly quotes Han Solo.
2.) Pink eye in an elementary school will spread, and spread, and spread, and when you think it's gone, it'll spread some more.
3.) Parents and teachers think that the world ends with head lice.
I'm learning how to read more cardiac strips, and I'm actually understanding the rationales (for the most part).
After actually researching more into residency programs (which I was supposed to do over winter break), the idea of working as a scrub or circulating nurse is appealing to me.
I really hate APA-style papers. Why did they bother using MLA in college?
Cardiac catheterization comes with all sorts of complications. It's like the amniocentesis of cardio.
Jensmom7, BSN, RN
1,907 Posts
I learned that I STILL prefer doing my own admissions, because the people we actually have hired to do them will go to great lengths to avoid them. And when they actually do one, will do such a piss-poor job of it that I spend the next day finishing up what they neglected to do. Or, I have to do the entire admission myself, on top of a full schedule. Seriously, you have ONE JOB people!!
That getting one of those "This is the IRS and we're going to file a lawsuit against you" scam calls actually made me laugh. A lot.