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've learned that in a crisis people come to me, as if I know what I'm doing, and I don't.
Then they ask me for advice, and don't listen to it, anyway.
I've learned that The Holocaust Museum in DC is a must see. It's humbling and horrifying and graphic, and the architecture is beautiful. I've learned that the kids from other countries in my school (like El Salvador and Honduras) are not taught about The Holocaust, and they were so distraught they couldn't even speak and just kept crying. I've learned the teachers I work with are compassionate and comforting to their students.
On the flip side, I've learned the same Masters educated teachers will argue to the death with me about the power of essential oils. I miss nurses.
I've learned that kind of cutting someone I have been friends with for 10 years out of my life was not as hard as I though, and I don't really miss her.
I've learned that not every school nurse looks in ears and throats. I love doing that.
I've learned that when you mention becoming an EMT to a paramedic at a party after a couple of glasses of wine she WILL keep hounding you about it. I think I may have to do this.
I've learned I still have ninja moves when a girl throws up in her cupped hands that are thisclose to my new scrubs.
I've learned that The Holocaust Museum in DC is a must see. It's humbling and horrifying and graphic, and the architecture is beautiful. I've learned that the kids from other countries in my school (like El Salvador and Honduras) are not taught about The Holocaust, and they were so distraught they couldn't even speak and just kept crying. I've learned the teachers I work with are compassionate and comforting to their students.
I've been there too Far. As you said, good way to explain it, it is both humbling and horrifying. The architecture as you mentioned makes you feel a touch of the hell it was. Made me count my blessings again.
4) I started watching American Horror Story this week and I learned that I will never walk into a basement again. Nothing good happens there!
I love that show so much it's ridiculous. The most recent season (Hotel) is my favorite. It was the only one to even come close to the first season in awesomeness, IMO.
2) I want to quit my part time retail job sooooo bad. It is getting to be too much with school and clinical and work that I feel like I have no time for ME. Too bad I don't think I'll be able to afford to quit yet.
*hugs* I'm totally feeling you there. Really feeling you. Can't even tell you how much I'm feeling you right now. I'm so, so tired of not having any time for myself, or for seeing my SO, and I feel like my poor cat is just going to expire of loneliness one of these days...
5. I've learned that few people reach self-actualization.
That makes me a little sad.
3. There is a role playing game called Habitica that helps you set goals and earn coins to buy armor and go on quests. It has changed my life! My house is spotless and I have flossed more in the past week than I have in a year.
4. If I want to end a conversation I bring up Habitica. Nobody cares.
I care! That sounds awesome. I am signing up for it now, because I haven't done anything at all since I started working full time, working PRN, and going to school full time. I'm not even sure how many times I've worn these pants since the last time I washed them. I have become the queen of throwing things back in the dryer with a smelly-good dryer sheet, lint rolling them off, and saying they're good to go.
I don't know how I'm going to fit it in, but I am going to talk to a guy at the Red Cross today about what kind of volunteer opportunities they have that I could possibly fit into my life. There's got to be something I can do that won't eat too much of my time, but that could help someone.
I confess I'm really excited about the thought of touching people and making their lives better. I feel like everyone I see at work is worse off for having needed to be my patient. People will come from home, and before you know it, they're trached and dialysis dependent and have to live in a facility for the rest of their lives and never get to go home again, or they just die. I want people to have a BETTER quality of life because they see me just once or twice. It would make me feel better about everybody else.
I've learned that not every school nurse looks in ears and throats. I love doing that.
Not school nurse related, but when I worked ER there was this one nurse who insisted on examining all her coworkers' ears during whatever downtime we had and cleaning them thoroughly. She also loved popping pimples, extracting fluid/gunk from abscesses, and watching cyst removals. I found it a little disturbing ...
Farawyn
12,646 Posts
I've learned that in a crisis people come to me, as if I know what I'm doing, and I don't.
Then they ask me for advice, and don't listen to it, anyway.
I've learned that The Holocaust Museum in DC is a must see. It's humbling and horrifying and graphic, and the architecture is beautiful. I've learned that the kids from other countries in my school (like El Salvador and Honduras) are not taught about The Holocaust, and they were so distraught they couldn't even speak and just kept crying. I've learned the teachers I work with are compassionate and comforting to their students.
On the flip side, I've learned the same Masters educated teachers will argue to the death with me about the power of essential oils. I miss nurses.
I've learned that kind of cutting someone I have been friends with for 10 years out of my life was not as hard as I though, and I don't really miss her.
I've learned that not every school nurse looks in ears and throats. I love doing that.
I've learned that when you mention becoming an EMT to a paramedic at a party after a couple of glasses of wine she WILL keep hounding you about it. I think I may have to do this.
I've learned I still have ninja moves when a girl throws up in her cupped hands that are thisclose to my new scrubs.
I've learned THE FLU is coming...