Ixchel needed someone to create this week's "What I Learned" thread, so I'll go ahead and attempt to rise to the occasion. I've learned a few things...
I learned that discipline is fundamental. I am referring to self-discipline. After a decade of shift work, I now work from a home-based office and am finding I lack the discipline to get my day started in a timely manner. When I had to report to an actual workplace and punch a time clock, it was enough of an incentive to arrive on time. However, since I now work under a laissez-faire manager and must determine the course of my own work day, it's been tough.
2. Routine is King:
I learned that some people can go with the flow. I have no problem going with the flow, but my work day needs to be routinized. I need a set wake-up time, a coffee routine, and knowledge of how my work day will turn out. I suppose this is how I remained in LTC nursing for six years...I somewhat knew the residents and routine, which made things easier for me.
3. Networking is King:
I learned that our professional lives are made easier by having a network of colleagues that will have your back, answer your questions, and put in a good word for you whenever you need a reference. I got my current gig by having a friend put in a good word about me to the hiring manager.
4. Reciprocation is King:
I learned that reciprocation is important. If someone does something helpful for you, it will be beneficial for you to reciprocate by doing something helpful in return. Karma will reward you for doing to others as they do to you.
5. People are King:
I learned that relationships with people contribute to the spice of life. For example, I returned from a toddler's birthday party a few hours ago. Both his mother and I are nurses. The toddler's father (my friend's spouse) has a wide social circle of longtime friends. My friend complains about her husband's social circle, but I can tell that these people are enriching his life since he enjoys their presence. Without relationships with various people, our lives and worldviews can be limited.
I've learned again this year that no way in Hades could I be an OR nurse. We have a unit on isolation due to what is essentially a fast spreading cold. We are in flu season so all symptomatic residents have been swabbed and come back positive for RSV-B or Rhinovirus or in some cases both. As a result mask and gown are mandatory on that unit and I just can't tolerate the mask for long. I know in my brain I can breathe through it, but I still feel like I am suffocating with it on. I just can't picture getting through hours of surgery wearing a mask without hyperventilating to the point of passing out.
This is also in no small part why I never refuse the flu vaccine at work. Our policy is if you refuse the vaccine you must wear a mask at all times while at work during flu season. Yeah, I'll take the shot over that any day.
What I've learned requires my logging in on a computer.
I have learned, however, that reading about Huntington's disease does nothing to prepare you for seeing it. And it's especially hard when the patient is less than 10 years older than you.
Huntington's is a horrible disease isn't it? We had two advanced cases in our facility. One is still with us but the condition this person is in is so sad. The other passed away not long ago and was not even 40 years old.
I learned when you are disappointed by an outcome, you can work harder, or smarter. However I decided to attempt both. I also learned not to let personal grudges get in the way of studying, or sleep cycles.
I put in close to 50 hours of studying for my gen chem, micro, and A and P exam. Only to score an 87.5, 91.5, and an 87.5. Dissapointing, but hardly the death knell for a difficult semester.
I felt like I achieved the bare minimum of what I needed to do on my exams, now is the time to re-evaluate where I went wrong. Block out distractions, and recommit myself to what improvement I am capable of making rather than feeling sorry for myself.
I've re-learned that when you give an inch they will take a mile.
I've learned that being a ManBoy knows no age.
I've learned that I'm a horrible patient. I haven't been drinking my fluids. or gargling, or even taking Advil. I'm just sitting and kvetching. This does not improve the green gackiness of my copious throat mucous.
I've learned that there is a lot of literature on mermaids on the net.
I've learned that people fall off pedestals every day, and why do I keep putting people up there? And where's my freaking pedestal? Huh?
I've been listening to twenty one pilots all day and I've learned I love them.
I've learned that no matter how old I am or how awesome an NP I am, I still quiver at the thought of discussing salary at job interviews. Time to remember that they need me more than I need them, and to ask for what I want and deserve.
I've learned that my 23 year old is still very much on the "boy" end of the "man-boy" spectrum. He and his friends don't have to leave beer bottles all over the table and pee out the back door into the snow. We have 2 perfectly good bathrooms.
I've learned that I am poor in the self discipline department. I keep trying to clean my bedroom and keep jumping on the computer. I could have been done over an hour ago. I would not do well working at home.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Well, I've learned that not only is it miserable to be doing heart surgery on a patient with a heparin allergy because we use heparin in huge doses during cardiopulmonary bypass, but that the drug we have to use instead takes forever to find its way out of the system because there is no reversal agent. And we can't come off CPB until coags are semi-normal.
What's even more miserable is said patient also being a Jehovah Witness who declined blood products. Said patient left the OR with a very very pasty skin color. Even with autotransfusion (cell saver) set up, we still lost a fair amount of blood. Not that I'm arguing with the patient's right to decline products; it's just not our norm because these patients are few and far between. I think our last one was nearly 2 years ago.
Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.
1) Night shift is the perfect excuse to dodge social obligations I don't really want to go to.
2) Nothing sends me faster into a rage than crappy nursing care. I got floated to another unit and had to spend a lot of my time cleaning up after day shift- dressing changes not performed, getting constipated patients to poop, unclogging G/J tubes that would not be clogged if they were flushed in a timely manner.
I had to page my provider last night and get aggressive bowel regimen on a patient who hadn't pooped in 7 days and was crampy and in a lot of pain. He didn't have GI surgery, and his electrolytes were normal, so he got coffee, Miralax, warm prune juice and milk of magnesia and pooped his brains out by 0700.
3) Thanks weather! I didn't have to go to a class today.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
cracklingkraken said:
It sucks if you've ever had MRSA. Not sure about other areas, but here, a Hx of MRSA means contact precautions forever in the hospital.
Really? If someone comes to my facility with a history of MRSA, we do swabs of nares, groin, and axilla. If they come back negative, patient can come out of isolation.
Really? If someone comes to my facility with a history of MRSA, we do swabs of nares, groin, and axilla. If they come back negative, patient can come out of isolation.
WellThatsOod
897 Posts
I wish there was more than a "thumbs up."
I certainly don't LIKE that post, Emmy, but it's all I can do *sigh*