WILTW 7/18: I'm tired :\ (complaint department and other things)

Nurses General Nursing

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Good lord I'm worn out. It's weird because I honest don't do as much as I did while working, but here I am. It's not as much body tired, but brain tired.

Recent weeks have been eventful, though. Appointments, benefits crap, recovery crap, bakers cysts (OMG), and family crap. It's all that and arguing kids. I can't figure out who decided I have to adult, but that person needs a good throat-punch.

So, as a patient, I have learned...

1. Recovery from spinal fusion is excruciatingly slow. Yes, I mean "excruciatingly". I don't know how to do slow.

2. A doctor is as strong as his staff. I am so thankful for a great team.

3. My time off was extended. This is terribly bittersweet. It feels like I failed missing a landmark, but I'm glad it was obvious I needed to.

4. It is possible to develop bilateral baker's cysts. It is possible to have bilateral cyst rupture. It is possible to have synovial fluid in your feet bilaterally. This will hurt. HORRIBLY. For days.

As a nurse, I have learned:

1. People who have inpatient stays with histories of receiving meds late might bring their own. They might also bring meds from home if they decide staff doesn't administer enough. (Disclaimer: yes, I knew this might happen, but I had a person admit and defend it. They said the staff would never know. I asked what she would do when staff brought meds she already has taken. NO RESPONSE.)

2. I'm now terrified of patients being like that person. When an autopsy shows an overdose of med reaction, the family will blame us.

As a human, I have learned:

1. Even if you think you don't care about a person's opinion, she might still see you for all your faults and weaknesses and tear you limb from limb, destroying your heart in her wake.

2. If you leave your dog home for a week with brief visits from a sitter, when you get home, the dog might not let you beyond paws' reach for days. (Meaning, expect an extremely persistent animal laying on you constantly, and smacking you hard with a paw if you decide to do something with your hands other than hug or pet.)

3. This is a delayed thing, but we got a spacecraft into Jupiter's orbit and watching mission control live as it happened was the most awesome thing!

4. YOU GUYS. You need to watch Stranger Things on Netflix.

I am going to keep this short this week. I was thinking about going longer, but honestly, you aren't the complaint department! Onward and upward, my friends... :)

(I have veered a little from the nursing path, so I'm adding this quick reminder that these threads turn blue when they remain too far off the nursing path.)

What have you learned this week?

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I learned that sometimes GoFundMe is necessary. It's the only way I'll be able to pay for my husband's funeral expenses. I never knew arrangements were so costly! We both are on Social Security so no resources to speak of, and of course the funeral home wants all their money upfront. Ouch.

I learned that hospice facilities are a Godsend when a patient's pain is out of control and nothing you give them even touches it. I'm so glad we got him there in time for him to get some pain and agitation relief. His nurse and CNA were top-notch and I'm so grateful that he was able to die peacefully. God bless hospice nurses!

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I learned that sometimes GoFundMe is necessary. It's the only way I'll be able to pay for my husband's funeral expenses. I never knew arrangements were so costly! We both are on Social Security so no resources to speak of, and of course the funeral home wants all their money upfront. Ouch.

I learned that hospice facilities are a Godsend when a patient's pain is out of control and nothing you give them even touches it. I'm so glad we got him there in time for him to get some pain and agitation relief. His nurse and CNA were top-notch and I'm so grateful that he was able to die peacefully. God bless hospice nurses!

I agree with your use of GoFundMe. But someone who is able bodied & mind just wanting money because they don't want to work, is just lazy.

I'm sorry for your loss. But yeah, funerals are ridiculously expensive! Just throw my body in a hole or in the ocean. Lol.

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I learned that sometimes GoFundMe is necessary. It's the only way I'll be able to pay for my husband's funeral expenses. I never knew arrangements were so costly! We both are on Social Security so no resources to speak of, and of course the funeral home wants all their money upfront. Ouch.

I learned that hospice facilities are a Godsend when a patient's pain is out of control and nothing you give them even touches it. I'm so glad we got him there in time for him to get some pain and agitation relief. His nurse and CNA were top-notch and I'm so grateful that he was able to die peacefully. God bless hospice nurses!

I'm sorry for your loss, but glad for his peaceful final time with you.

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Specializes in LTC and Pediatrics.

I have been on vacation and returned on Saturday with our 17 month old grandson, so no nursing insights from me this week. Well, other than my husband scheduled for a hernia repair on Thursday.

Before my vacation, I did learn firsthand what it is like to be very low on potassium is like. Who knew that the involuntary jerks I was getting more of were due to low potassium Well I should have known, but did not relate it to that until I got my lab results back. I have joined those taking potassium now and find I don't get those jerks anymore

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Specializes in LTC and Pediatrics.

I missed this. I am so sorry for your loss. Thankful you were able to get him some relief through hospice before he passed.

I learned that sometimes GoFundMe is necessary. It's the only way I'll be able to pay for my husband's funeral expenses. I never knew arrangements were so costly! We both are on Social Security so no resources to speak of, and of course the funeral home wants all their money upfront. Ouch.

I learned that hospice facilities are a Godsend when a patient's pain is out of control and nothing you give them even touches it. I'm so glad we got him there in time for him to get some pain and agitation relief. His nurse and CNA were top-notch and I'm so grateful that he was able to die peacefully. God bless hospice nurses!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

((((Viva))))

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Specializes in Oncology (OCN).

From ixchel: (I couldn't get the quote feature to work.

1. Recovery from spinal fusion is excruciatingly slow. Yes, I mean "excruciatingly". I don't know how to do slow.

2. A doctor is as strong as his staff. I am so thankful for a great team.

1. I agree. I had a spinal fusion in 2006. Mine was cervical, not lumbar like yours but recovery was painstakingly slow. My recovery was complicated by CRPS which led to me eventually going on disability years later. I've had to learn to do slow but I still don't do it well and often forget Im supposed to be doing slow. I hope your recovery continues to go well.

2. So very true! And the opposite is also true. I currently am struggling with the decision of leaving a very good doctor because of his office staff. Most of the time I can overlook stuff but when it starts having a direct negative affect on my treatments & health and repeated attempts to resolve it have been ignored, it's time to make a change. It's still incredibly hard to actually do.

Congrats Chaos!

Viva, I'm very sorry for your loss!

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I learned how to clean up a patient for the morgue.

I still haven't figured out the obsession with Pokémon Go. However I am waiting to see if the carelessness that seems to be associated with people playing will increase the number of visits our ED gets.

Not really enjoying my current class, but at least there's only a little over a week left.

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

WILTW:

-Heads roll fast when a multi million $ mistake is found in the hospital audit. ("...mutual agreement to end his position here, effective in 2 hrs..." )😮

-Low census has caused one of our floors to be closed for the past month. A similar event about 3 yrs ago is what led to a massive departure of nursing staff when they couldn't rely on a decent paycheck. Curious to see if history will repeat itself.

-Re: pts that take their own meds while hospitalized...I learned about that within 6 months of working in ortho. I'm always leery of the ladies that make it a point to keep their purses within reach or literally keep it in bed with them.

So sorry for your loss Viva! Hugs to you. We also just lost my mother but were able to avoid any large expense because she had donated her body for medical education. We'll eventually receive her ashes (no charge for cremation). I've learned a lot recently about anatomical gifts (& how much our local funeral home director is an ambulance chaser).

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

Ah, forgot about this one:

Apparently PokemonGo players have been seen invading the hospital grounds during night shift & staff is to notify security for any further occurrences. 😂

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Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.

I have learned that while palliative care is an immense privlidge and very rewarding, sometimes it really sucks having to tell a family member that death is imminent when they have been obviously thinking that their loved one would continue on

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Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.

I learned ativan is one hellofa drug and damn I wish that lady yesterday hadn't run out. She drove me crazy. Really irrational anxiety septuagenarian.

"Are you SURE my organs are ok. How do you know I don't have blood sepsis."

After about a dozen (no exaggeration) times of explaining how and why, I was finally able to get her to the lobby to await her ride. I really almost needed an ativan myself.

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