1/9: What I learned this week - Worst. Vagina. EVER.

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I still can't believe it's January! Where did 2015 go?!

If your unit is like mine at all, brace yourselves.... Respiratory failure is coming. Out of 10 different patients since 1/1, I've had only one non-respiratory failure patient. Only two of those had sputum cultures with the same type of bug. That bug was a rare one for adults, too, so it's been fun, to say the least. All's fun and games until you get a patient who has no concept of covering a cough.

Regardless, Ixchel Medical Center and Chez Ixchel have both been full of lessons. Hard to narrow this week's list, but for the sake of people actually reaching the bottom of it, I did. [emoji5]️

This week, I have learned.....

1. I am fully convinced I have smelled the worst possible smelling lady parts.

2. Apparently I am a great big baby about getting invasive procedures done on me.

3. Receiving unsettling news about your health is much less unsettling when the doctor is hot.

4. Also, receiving unsettling news about your health gets easier to process emotionally with each new diagnosis.

5. It seriously sucks to clock out from caring for a whole unit of respiratory failure (half dead) patients only to come home to your smoker spouse.

6. The first couple of times you get asked, "Am I going to die?", it's a little creepy, until you have enough experience in nursing to be able to answer, "not on my watch!" with a reassuring smile, followed with, "you will be okay." But then, when someone actually does die on that admission, after asking repeatedly, it goes back to being creepy again.

7. My unit tends to be a bit wild, so staff turnover ends up being high. This changes the "personality" of night shift a lot, since the new to nursing newbies like night shift. I like the night shift personality right now and hope the newbies stay.

8. It still feels weird to be the most experienced nurse on a shift besides charge.

9. I might lose my shizz if we don't get psych on consult. As much as our hospitalists feel adequate to handle psych, they simply aren't.

10. You should have 1-2 people on your "speed dial" (hahaha!!! You guys remember speed dial?!) as your medical procedure go to people for those times you can't do medical procedures on yourself. (i.e. Stitches removal in hard to reach places.) (Thank you for that idea, Dogen!)

11. My primary care doesn't feel qualified to remove a mole from my shoulder because it's too big and looks like someone more specialized should do it. (This is the 5th item in this week's list related to this topic. I may need some tranquilizers, to stop thinking about this.)

12. I met my favorite patient ever. EVER. I want to take him home and name him Grandpa.

13. It's hard enough to stop being lazy after night shifts when I get an ideal schedule. When my schedule sucks, it's impossible. Seriously, ugh.

14. BEST THING EVER! (That may be an exaggeration.) Medscape sent out an article saying contact precautions for MRSA and VRE are no more effective at preventing transmission than standard/universal.

15. Our legal system may be corrupt, or be inefficient, but that doesn't mean a suspect is innocent.

Phish, anybody? (Don't worry, Farawyn, no one dies in this one.)

So, my loves, what have YOU learned this week?

Specializes in critical care.
What I learned:

1. Working in corrections is where I am suppose to be.

2. Just when you least expect it, or you need it most, someone reminds you why you chose to be a nurse in the first place.

3. I found this blog!

Thank YOU!

WELCOME, NEWBIE!

This place is fantastic! Kick off your shoes and stay awhile [emoji173]️

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I learned that an adult tonsilectomy is really rough. Like hydrocodone still doesn't take the pain away. And that losing 10 pounds in a week is possible if you only eat jello. BAH. Thank goodness tomorrow is a new week right?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, NICU.

1) That drinking tons of water and being careful in general will still not prevent me from getting a raging UTI. :( I didn't even put produce up my lady parts and it happened! :cautious:

2) That I still love complex pathophysiology! It exercises my brain and I like it!

3) That nothing makes me more annoyed than having a horrible terrible ridiculously busy shift and then having someone be nasty to me, especially when they are just coming on. Stop whining about your assignment. I just suffered that assignment for twelve hours and did tons of extra work to try to make your shift better. So shut up and take report! :sour:

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Specializes in LTC.

I learned that one of my favorite co- workers is resigning to deal with a very serious medical diagnosis. I will miss her dearly.

Happy 2nd year as a nurse to me. Except I am not exactly happy with said job at the moment. This week I have had too many problem families, complicated situations, and difficult MDs to deal with.

I cannot see myself living anywhere but in the great state of IL but I HATE the cold. Single digit temps make me want to cry.

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Specializes in CVICU CCRN.
1) That drinking tons of water and being careful in general will still not prevent me from getting a raging UTI. :( I didn't even put produce up my lady parts and it happened! :cautious:

2) That I still love complex pathophysiology! It exercises my brain and I like it!

3) That nothing makes me more annoyed than having a horrible terrible ridiculously busy shift and then having someone be nasty to me, especially when they are just coming on. Stop whining about your assignment. I just suffered that assignment for twelve hours and did tons of extra work to try to make your shift better. So shut up and take report! :sour:

Ditto to #2. Love it.

#3: That report stuff, tho. I swear sometimes that is the worst part of my job. And I really, really try to set people up for a good shift. But damn, some people would complain if you hung 'em with a new rope. The complaining about assignments and everything else gets super old.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I cannot see myself living anywhere but in the great state of IL but I HATE the cold. Single digit temps make me want to cry.

Yeah, I'm in IL too, I feel your pain...

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This week I learned how to do an EKG. I also learned that I can stick someone and not cringe. Oh and hitting a vein is harder than it looks! I also love working with RNs who don't think they're above cleaning poop!:up:

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Yeah, I'm in IL too, I feel your pain...

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I'm part of the IL club too. Lovely weather we're having this week?

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Specializes in Management.
Glad I work from home.. no lady parts to smell but my own.

Could get a little dicey. Sometimes , I don't shower for 3 days.

too funny!

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Specializes in Management.

I learned being a supervisor is harder than I thought it would be.

I learned trying to explain why typing 20 wpm will not work when all the work we do is typing.

I learned I do not miss working holidays or weekends.

I learned trying to convince my husband that moving is a good idea, will be an uphill challenge.

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Specializes in critical care.

I've just learned David Bowie passed away, just days after his 69th birthday, after a 1.5 year battle with cancer. Sad loss. He was in his home, so one can hope he was surrounded by loved ones and comfortable.

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Ziggy played guitaaarrrr... :(

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