In A Pear Tree

Here's to working Christmas night!

Highlights this year:

• 12 alcoholics
• 11 pain med seekers
• 10 c-diff cleanups
• 9 stool samples
• 8 hours charting (each night...)
• 7 GI bleeds
• 6 patients filled with cancer
• 5 comfort care patients
• 4 dirty jokes from patients
• 3 doctor's yelling
• 2 times I cried
• And a lady AIDS patient
• And a code stroke
• And a trip to the morge
• And a "oh the lady in 18 is dead"
• And a "we were gonna send him to psych but..."
• And a Spanish only speaking patient
• And a remember to CYA
• And a whole box full of stress and zits!

"Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.  And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." Luke 9"1-2

Can I Have Your Scissors?

Patient, "Can I have your scissors to cut my nails?"

Me, "No, sorry."

Patient, "I just want to cut my nails not kill myself!"

Me, "If you cut your finger off you are going to sue me.  And you have c-diff, so you can't touch anything of mine.  Is there anything else I can get for you?  Are you in pain right now?  No?  I'll be back to check on you soon."

"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh." Proverb 1:24-26

Girls Are Crazy

This girl was looking at herself intensely in the mirror and her friend asked her what she was looking at.

She said, "I'm feeling really self conscious about my hair."

"Why? Your hair looks perfect."

"Yeah, like I'm going to a piano recital."

"Don't they want perfect hair at piano recitals?"

"Yeah...."

"Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment." John 12:3

Sick

I've been laying in bed for almost 48 hours straight.

Sick.

Too sick to even watch Dr. Quinn. And if you know me, that is really sick.  All I did was lay in bed quietly with the light off and try and sleep.

And no, I'm not going to see the doctor for one episode of emesis and one soft stool (YKYANW #2).

I've been staying hydrated with a gallon of water next to my bed that I got for the hurricane that didn't come here last month.  So emergency preparedness isn't just for doomsday preppers.  And juice my roomie got for me.

I think I'm going to start moving around soon.  Maybe.

I work 3 nights in a row starting Saturday night.  I'll be all better by then, by the grace of God.

"Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise." Jeremiah 17:14

Lessons Learned #2

Lesson 2: Answer your phone when it rings.

Source: Didn't answer the phone, twice.  Blood sugar 26.

"Pleasant words are as honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." Proverbs 16:24

Sleep

I really don't like my current sleeping habits.

Love the night shift.

Hate the sleeping patterns on my days off.

If I work three days in a row, I sleep fine.  I sleep good actually.  But after the three days in a row, and I have two days off work, I sleep during weird times, and I don't like it.

Mantra: I get paid more to work nights.  I get paid more to work nights.  I get paid more to work nights.

"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

Seven Patients

I worked this past weekend three days in a row.  Here are some highlights:

• Dying patient who's wife isn't ready to left go,
• Blood sugar of 26,
• PEG tube pulled out,
• Patient fell,
• "Come look at my poop, please,"
• Demented patient hit me, twice,
• Zone page to the floor, Asystole, but it was a false alarm,
• Scheduled computer downtime,
• Cutest little old man who got ignored because it was crazy.

So yeah, it was my first time with 7, that's right 7, patients.  Something not atypical for my floor.  40 beds. 6 nurses + a charge nurse.

I've been a nurse about four and a half months now, and it's been a wild ride already.

"Through God we shall do valiantly." Psalm 60:12a

This Is Hard

Nursing is a thousand times hard than I expected it to be.

"Ah Lord God! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:" Jeremiah 32:17

Lessons Learned #1

I'm going to start a new series called "Lessons Learned".

Basically it's lesson in a nutshell.

Lesson 1: Think for yourself; don't listen to what the previous nurse tells you if it doesn't make sense.

Source: Reverse isolation.  Just do it.

"Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." Philippians 4:9

Chirop

I had to go to the chiropractor today because one of my patients this week was crazy.

That's all I'm saying.

"Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed." Psalm 6:2

Number 1

You know you're a nurse when...

You take your shoes off before going into the house.  Take your pants off before they drag on the carpet.  You run and get the Lysol disinfectant spray.  You go outside pant-less to disinfect your car hoping no one will see you.  You don't care when you get caught...

Isolation rooms gross me out.  God help me.

"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I might win Christ." Philippians 3:8

Two Days Left

So orientation at work ends this week.

I'll be without my personal question answer-er, aka my preceptor.

Kind of nervous, kind of excited.

I think I'm ready.  Next week I work a day shift, then a night shift, then a day shift...

I cannot believe how much I've learned in the last 7 weeks.  It's crazy.

I'm having fun so far, but I'm pretty sure I'm going back to get my master's next fall.

"The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, execpt God be with him." John 3:2

Hierarchy Of Needs

So after my first three day weekend night shift, I've learned a couple of things.

1. I like night shift.
2. I surprisingly sleep pretty good during the day.
3. The further breakdown of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

To expand on #3, this morning after work I took a shower, ate a piece of toast, and went to bed.  About 1pm, I woke up. I had to pee sooooo bad.  And then I had to get something to eat because I felt terrible.  So this is how I would further rank the physiological needs of me.

Interesting...

Then I slept until 6pm when someone called me.  And now I'm blogging at 2:30 in the morning.  I have to work tomorrow night... And Friday night.

The lesson I learned: eat after work, then sleep.

"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

My First Night Shift

I did my first night shift yesterday.  It was busy!  My preceptor said it was a typical bad night...

Two people vomited.

I hate vomit.

I have two more night shifts in a row.

And I slept pretty good today, so happy!

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he mediate day and night." Psalm 1:2

Blood

You know what's amazing to me.  The human body.  Specifically the blood.

Isn't it amazing!?

It's so cool that one second you can stick an IV catheter in someone's hand and infuse fluids into them, and the next second you can pull it out and hold pressure for a minute and the hole clots off and doesn't bleed.  It's cool that you can poke a hole in someone's body and then a minute later the hole is closed.  Clotting factors are amazing.

Jesus said, "Whose eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:54.

The Weekend

First weekend working down.

Saturday and Sunday are different than other days of the week.  Mostly because now I don't know what today is.  I had to keep asking if today was Monday because it didn't feel like a Monday.

IV class/practice thingee tomorrow.  So that should be fun.

Lots to think about lately.

I'm really starting to plan and pray.  I really want my master's degree.

"Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth." Colossians 3:2

Money

I got my first paycheck!

"... Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." Matthew 22:21

Homework!?

Two days of classes for this week down.  Two more to go.

I'm glad for the classes, because Lord knows I don't know that much about telemetry strips.

So the hospital gave us a 2 day telemetry class, yesterday and tomorrow.  There was homework.  Homework.  Yes, who knew that the hospital was going to give me homework.  I thought I was out of school.  No, biggie though.


And I took a how-to-talk-to-patients class today.  It ended up being really fun/funny.


"Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah." Psalm 4:4

First Week Of Following A Nurse

This first week of work was good.

I really enjoyed my newly found freedom of being an RN.  Even though I am following a nurse around and they are watching me all (well almost all) the time.

I did an I/O cath on an old lady, and hit it the first time.  I pulled out a PICC line.  I started 3 IV's, all in the same day.  I did discharge teaching with 2 patients.  I co-signed insulin.  I got stuff out of the Pyxis machine.  I did head to toe assessments.  Lots of cool stuff.

It was a good week.  Classes this coming week.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:29

Creme Brulee

First day on the floor tomorrow.  I'm going to be following someone around.

I'm pretty excited!

And a three day weekend after only working one week was really nice too.

I made chili and creme brulee tonight.  It was soooo good!

"Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, and had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.  Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full." Psalm 78:23-25

One Week Down

Today was the last day of general nursing orientation.  It was a long week.  It was the first week of working and getting paid in my career.  We had a lot of lectures to listen to and a lot of videos to watch.  A lot of computer classes and some hands-on education.  And a multiple choice math quiz (yeah, multiple choice, go figure).

It was good, but I'm glad it's over.  I'm ready to get on the floor and get my gloves dirty.

Three day weekend!

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 14:12

Happy BDay Mom!

Four days into my new career and I already forgot my mother's birthday...  Am I already that enmeshed in my work that I forget the important things?

Sorry Mom!  Happy bday to the best mom ever!

Today was pretty good.  We did a lot of hands on learning today.  Well some of it was learning, like PCA pumps and the computer charting system.  And some stuff was review that they wanted to make sure we knew what we were doing, like Foley catheters, IV pumps, and SCDs.

My first name was spelled wrong on the computer charting system, but they got it fixed right away!  I was happy when they changed it because I like my name.

I'm not sure all of what we are doing tomorrow, but I know it involves a math test.

"O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:9

Three Days In

Day three of orientation was today.

We talked about a lot of different things.  So many so that I don't remember what we talked about.

Oh, one thing I learned is that there is no overhead paging system.  Everyone gets a pager.

I brought my sweater because it was cold in the room.

After work I went for a walk around the neighborhood.  It was really nice!  Finally not too hot to go outside.

Then me and my roomie went to Chipotle!!  So good.

I'm tired already.  I've been sitting in bed since 8:30pm.

"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Revelations 3:15-16

Day 2 Of Orientation

The second day of orientation is over.  It's been a lot of listening to people talk.

In the last two days we learned about sexual harassment, drug administration, benefits, back injury, and how to operate the hospital beds, etc.

It's been stimulating...

Four of my friends from school are in orientation with me, so that is really nice!

The first day of orientation the guy told us we were hired out of 5,000 applications. 5,000.  God is good!

There are about 35-ish RNs, LPNs, and CNAs in orientation; it's a pretty big class.

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that reveiveth it." Revelation 2:17

Work Tomorrow

Tomorrow is my first day of work.  Well, it's orientation, but still.

I went to the scrubs store a week ago, and apparently I'm "petite."  You want to know how many pairs of petite pants they had in my size at the scrubs store?  One.  So apparently everyone else in this town is petite too.

Mother told me I could buy four pairs of scrubs with her credit card, so I ordered 3 more pairs of pants from the store.  And they aren't here yet, I called yesterday and the store said that they might be in tomorrow.  But I work tomorrow, I think I'll be off work in time to pick them up though, or I'll be forced to re-wear my one pair of pants all week.

I'm so excited to wear my scrubs.  The hospital I work at has a uniform, so I'll be in navy blue and white.

So excited to start working as an RN.

And, yeah, it went fast.

"Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy." Psalm 132:9

First!

So almost two weeks ago I became an RN!  After years of hard work, here I am.

This is the start of something new, as opposed to the end of school.

I have a job, and I start this coming Monday.  Like a real job.  So excited!

Right after I interviewed for my job, I went to a urine drug screening.  I was sitting in the waiting room, waiting.  There was another lady there waiting.  She looked like she was probably 40-ish.  We talked for a second.

40-Year-Old-Lady: I like your dress.
Me: Thanks!
40-Year-Old-Lady: Did you have an interview today?
Me: Yes. Did you?
40-Year-Old-Lady. Yep.  What kind of job did you apply for?
Me: An RN position. You?
40-Year-Old-Lady: A CNA position...

Awkward...

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1