1. I have never in my adult life slept through an alarm clock. I only learned (realized?) that because last night was the first time ever that I DID sleep through and alarm clock.
2. I have learned the one thing that as a nurse, I hate to do most: convince patients with dementia to take their medications.
3. A bad day at work feels even worse when it's your first day back after vacation.
4. It still upsets me a bit deeply when Alzheimer's patients get shipped to us from a nursing home and they are absolutely terrified of us doing pretty much anything, regardless of how gentle we are. I know that a lot of dementia is irrational, but what if some kind of abuse really is happening regularly? It's sad.
5. My kid stole my telemetry/dysrhythmias book and notebook. He's been reading it at bedtime.
7. The coworker I dislike the most professionally (lazy, rude), turns out to be an amazing charge nurse. Pleasantly surprised!
8. I genuinely want to find a way to practice IV skills. I'm just so tired of being bad at them.
-I learned what a Clagett window is. I never knew someone could walk around with a ginormous hole covered with a simple dressing and not have further wickedness happen
-People are level-crazy enablers
-My husband makes a terrible patient
-I worry way too much about ridiculous things. Example, I couldn't sleep one night this week because we had storms, and our daughter was spending the night at grandma and grandpa's...sleeping in the upstairs bedroom...and I worried that a tornado would take out their upstairs while she was sleeping (I know it's ridiculous, it's the OCD in me.)
-I walk at least 5 miles every day during my 12 hour shifts
There are those of use who try very, very hard to NOT send out our Dementia patients; because of everything you mentioned. It is heartbreaking to be suspected of abuse because your Dementia patient who fell and has a knot on their forehead is scared and frightened and away from the ones that they recognize and is really combative. It is also heartbreaking when you get the same patient back who, you now have to detox off all the ativan and haldol and seroquel and zyprexa that was used to control said combative behaviors; medications that they were never on in the first place.
What I have learned this week? It's hard when your nursing style is so different than my counterpart. It is difficult/embarrassing to hear "thank you, because "The Other Nurse" never does this".
I have also learned, that while difficult on the budget, going part-time in prep to finish pre-reqs for my bridge program was the best decision I have made.
1.That I love sitting with a patient, holding their hand as I explain pre-op prep, what will happen day of the surgery and then what happens afterward, answering questions they have regarding the procedure (those within my scope), and seeing apprehension fade a bit
2.That I am completely thrilled about transitioning to the OR
3.That I still get a little happier than I probably should when people appear shocked that I am 10-15 years older than they thought. Vanity? Psshht.
Being an HIV patient as a middle-aged black man married to a white man in a traditionally conservative Christian area is pretty terrible. This guy has a steady reputation of being mean to staff to the point that multiple have left his room in tears. I had him for the first time ever my last shift, and he was as sweet as sweet can be. All I did was listen and be nice to him. I left him alone when he wanted to be left alone. I treated him with respect and dignity. I couldn't imagine walking a mile in his shoes.
That's been my experience, too. They are usually the coolest people. I had this one middle-aged HIV+ guy who just broke my heart a couple of months ago. He had the absolute best stories. Hitchhiking to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, hitchhiking to all these different festivals/conventions, climbing out of a crazy truck driver's window to escape, stuff like that. A level of freedom that would absolutely make me lose my mind because I am a control freak and can't just go with the flow like that. He really had the time of his life and I can only hope I'll have half the fun he had.
Of course, his lifestyle did get him his disease, so there's something to be said for not using IV drugs, but it still sounded like he just had the best life. The saddest part was he cleaned up after learning about his HIV status - but his friends didn't. He doesn't have any left now, because they've all ODed/died of liver failure/drowned while intoxicated, etc. He'd finish telling me this great story with a smile on his face about one of his friends, turn thoughtful, and end it with something like, "But he ODed before I had a chance to see him again," or "She drowned in a boating accident the next year because she was drunk and fell out of the boat. I pulled her out of the water but it was too late." UGH.
I've learned/realized that I prefer and feel like I'm a better nurse when I'm caring for patients I don't know.
If I'm assigned a friend's friend or a family member of a staff member or something like that...I struggle. I prefer not knowing who you are or what you do until I walk into your room and meet you for the first time.
smf0903
845 Posts
You've got that right!!