1. shave female patient's head.
2. read cosmo magazine with colleagues.
3. talk on the phone with friend about boys (she's an RN at work too).
4. stare out window and watch the snowflakes.
5. search for an acupuncturist online.
6. steal diet 7-up from our nutrition room.
7. catch up on emails to long-lost friends.
8. read the most bizarre newspaper articles in the seattle times.
9. scour over pictures from past vacations, trips, and adventures.
10. call mom to check in and see how dad is doing.
11. write on blog.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
back in the cath lab
well, here i am again - the cardiac cath lab waiting room. today i am family once again, not a nurse. my dad is getting a new and improved defibrillator/pacemaker combo placed in hopes of improving his cardiac output and congestive heart failure symptoms. i just love spending my days off from nursing hanging out in the same hospital i work at! i can't get enough of this place!
would it be weird to admit that i might actually enjoy spending time here? if my father has to be a patient, i feel privileged to be a part of his care. i feel important having the role of family nurse and patient advocate. and although i would much rather my father be healthy, i enjoy spending the time with him in the hospital during vulnerable moments. my mom, sister, and i spend some of our most quality time together in waiting rooms.
hanging out at the hospital can sometimes actually be comical. my dad is a bit of a celebrity here, i think. he knows people all over the hospital. the phlebotomy techs know him from his frequent visits for blood draw. the entire cardiac clinic knows him from his years and most recently, his weekly, visits to his cardiologist. the nurses in the procedure suite know my dad from his numerous catheterization procedures. even the EKG tech came to wish my dad good luck this morning (and there was no EKG ordered).
my dad, with his infamous swiss accent and occasional ridiculous english and/or grammatical errors, is almost a comedian. to entertain himself and his audience, he tells off-color jokes; he laughs hysterically at himself while the rest of us are uncomfortable. and to our embarrassment, he even dances around in his hospital gown, showing off his chicken legs and tighty whities. thankfully, he makes these anxiety-provoking situations kind of entertaining. he walks in and out of the offices here as if he owns the place; he must feel that his years of care here give him special privileges. and they do! he gets royal treatment and exceptional care.
would it be weird to admit that i might actually enjoy spending time here? if my father has to be a patient, i feel privileged to be a part of his care. i feel important having the role of family nurse and patient advocate. and although i would much rather my father be healthy, i enjoy spending the time with him in the hospital during vulnerable moments. my mom, sister, and i spend some of our most quality time together in waiting rooms.
hanging out at the hospital can sometimes actually be comical. my dad is a bit of a celebrity here, i think. he knows people all over the hospital. the phlebotomy techs know him from his frequent visits for blood draw. the entire cardiac clinic knows him from his years and most recently, his weekly, visits to his cardiologist. the nurses in the procedure suite know my dad from his numerous catheterization procedures. even the EKG tech came to wish my dad good luck this morning (and there was no EKG ordered).
my dad, with his infamous swiss accent and occasional ridiculous english and/or grammatical errors, is almost a comedian. to entertain himself and his audience, he tells off-color jokes; he laughs hysterically at himself while the rest of us are uncomfortable. and to our embarrassment, he even dances around in his hospital gown, showing off his chicken legs and tighty whities. thankfully, he makes these anxiety-provoking situations kind of entertaining. he walks in and out of the offices here as if he owns the place; he must feel that his years of care here give him special privileges. and they do! he gets royal treatment and exceptional care.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
nurse on vacation
i've recently been noticing that nursing seeps its way into all aspects of life. nursing is not just a profession; it's a mindset. we nurse everywhere we go. we take care of those around us, whether or not they are our patients. and sometimes, nursing rears its ugly head at the strangest and most inopportune of times.
i work with this fantastic nurse. she recently acknowledged that she needed a break; not a long one, but a good one. we've had numerous deaths recently on our unit. and it just becomes overwhelming sometimes. so, on a whim, she decided to fly to cabo san lucas. she and her husband spent 6 days sunning themselves without a care in the world. it's just the kind of break from nursing one needs. self-care is important.
but then, just when you least expect it...
A and her husband were on a boat. they were spending their last afternoon on the water. then, all of a sudden, in the distance, people were in the water, waving for help, signaling distress. turns out, a couple walking/wading on the beach were carried out to sea by an undertoe. with help from locals, the female drowning victim was pulled into A's boat and A did CPR. the woman was cold and blue. her pupils were fixed and dilated (not a good sign). but as a nurse, you do your best. you try to save lives. whether you're in the hospital or on vacation, once a nurse, always a nurse.
once on shore, the mexican paramedics took over. and within minutes, A left the beach and headed to the airport - not knowing the outcome of her heroic works.
so much for a relaxing vacation.
both the female and male drowning victims died. see this article for more information. oh, and by the way, never go swimming on divorce beach. the name says it all...
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2011/02/05/17170151.html
i work with this fantastic nurse. she recently acknowledged that she needed a break; not a long one, but a good one. we've had numerous deaths recently on our unit. and it just becomes overwhelming sometimes. so, on a whim, she decided to fly to cabo san lucas. she and her husband spent 6 days sunning themselves without a care in the world. it's just the kind of break from nursing one needs. self-care is important.
but then, just when you least expect it...
A and her husband were on a boat. they were spending their last afternoon on the water. then, all of a sudden, in the distance, people were in the water, waving for help, signaling distress. turns out, a couple walking/wading on the beach were carried out to sea by an undertoe. with help from locals, the female drowning victim was pulled into A's boat and A did CPR. the woman was cold and blue. her pupils were fixed and dilated (not a good sign). but as a nurse, you do your best. you try to save lives. whether you're in the hospital or on vacation, once a nurse, always a nurse.
once on shore, the mexican paramedics took over. and within minutes, A left the beach and headed to the airport - not knowing the outcome of her heroic works.
so much for a relaxing vacation.
both the female and male drowning victims died. see this article for more information. oh, and by the way, never go swimming on divorce beach. the name says it all...
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2011/02/05/17170151.html
Friday, February 4, 2011
control freaks
as a nurse, i'm a caretaker. i like to take control of a situation and make things better. it's very hard for me to take a backseat. i'd hate to admit that i'm conceited or arrogant, but as a control freak, one often thinks that she can do things better. and in this situation, i want to take control and make things better.
(i know i can't. and even if i tried, the final result would be the same. i am no better equipped to handle the situation than the people in charge. but i'm bad at being a spectator.)
we have a family friend, let's call him C. he is one of the kindest men i've known. he is only a few years older than i am. he's the father of two boys - A is 16 and D is 12. his wife has a 19 year old daughter and he takes his parenting role very seriously, even with her. he works hard all week, working two jobs, to support his family, so that on the weekends, he can spend quality time with his children. they go to church. they play an active role in their hispanic community. C wants to give his children more than he had growing up. he wants them to be educated, upstanding citizens.
but sadly, all of their lives changed this week when A pulled a gun on D and shot him in the mouth. i wish i could say it was an accident. but bottom line is, the boys were rough-housing and A got out a gun and pulled a trigger. certainly A did not mean to kill D; and thank god, he didn't. D is in serious condition and will hopefully recover with minimal side effects (once the reconstructive surgeries, physical therapy, and possibly speech therapy is complete). but the fact of the matter is, A had a gun. it was purchased illegally. it has been discovered he is a part of a gang. and now he is in jail. he is being tried as an adult. and will forever be haunted by the fact that he shot his own brother over a video game.
because C is so devastated and in such a state of shock, i'm worried that he won't know how to navigate the medical and judicial system. he doesn't have the money to pay for high quality lawyers; and he's not in the right state of mind to research law offices who take pro-bono cases. i'm worried he won't demand the best care at the hospital. what if he doesn't know that you can request interpreters, certain nurses, social workers, and special treatment. i hate to admit that the system works in this way, but i truly believe that unless you demand high quality care, you often get just mediocre care.
and so, because i can't just sit and watch, my dad and i went to visit C and D in the hospital yesterday. it was a strange site to see; i've only seen one other child intubated and in serious condition (it was my sister when i was just 12 years old and she was 16). anyway, D looked peaceful and amazingly, in one piece after a GSW (gun shot wound - those of you who watched ER or Gray's Anatomy should know the abbreviation). he is well taken care of. his nurse was doing a fine job, likely her best. and in the brief time i was there, a social worker showed up to provide assistance.
it was good for me to see that D is getting good care. that the system is working to support C. many people are working hard to save this little boy, to give him the most normal life possible after being shot by his brother.
and it's sometimes okay for me to watch others do their job. sometimes it's okay for a nurse to just be a person. to just hug C and offer him human support instead of nursing support. it's okay to not be in control. very infrequently do my attempts at control work out anyway!
(i know i can't. and even if i tried, the final result would be the same. i am no better equipped to handle the situation than the people in charge. but i'm bad at being a spectator.)
we have a family friend, let's call him C. he is one of the kindest men i've known. he is only a few years older than i am. he's the father of two boys - A is 16 and D is 12. his wife has a 19 year old daughter and he takes his parenting role very seriously, even with her. he works hard all week, working two jobs, to support his family, so that on the weekends, he can spend quality time with his children. they go to church. they play an active role in their hispanic community. C wants to give his children more than he had growing up. he wants them to be educated, upstanding citizens.
but sadly, all of their lives changed this week when A pulled a gun on D and shot him in the mouth. i wish i could say it was an accident. but bottom line is, the boys were rough-housing and A got out a gun and pulled a trigger. certainly A did not mean to kill D; and thank god, he didn't. D is in serious condition and will hopefully recover with minimal side effects (once the reconstructive surgeries, physical therapy, and possibly speech therapy is complete). but the fact of the matter is, A had a gun. it was purchased illegally. it has been discovered he is a part of a gang. and now he is in jail. he is being tried as an adult. and will forever be haunted by the fact that he shot his own brother over a video game.
because C is so devastated and in such a state of shock, i'm worried that he won't know how to navigate the medical and judicial system. he doesn't have the money to pay for high quality lawyers; and he's not in the right state of mind to research law offices who take pro-bono cases. i'm worried he won't demand the best care at the hospital. what if he doesn't know that you can request interpreters, certain nurses, social workers, and special treatment. i hate to admit that the system works in this way, but i truly believe that unless you demand high quality care, you often get just mediocre care.
and so, because i can't just sit and watch, my dad and i went to visit C and D in the hospital yesterday. it was a strange site to see; i've only seen one other child intubated and in serious condition (it was my sister when i was just 12 years old and she was 16). anyway, D looked peaceful and amazingly, in one piece after a GSW (gun shot wound - those of you who watched ER or Gray's Anatomy should know the abbreviation). he is well taken care of. his nurse was doing a fine job, likely her best. and in the brief time i was there, a social worker showed up to provide assistance.
it was good for me to see that D is getting good care. that the system is working to support C. many people are working hard to save this little boy, to give him the most normal life possible after being shot by his brother.
and it's sometimes okay for me to watch others do their job. sometimes it's okay for a nurse to just be a person. to just hug C and offer him human support instead of nursing support. it's okay to not be in control. very infrequently do my attempts at control work out anyway!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
show of force
my unit was over staffed today. so, instead of being a nurse, i got to be the secretary. it's a nice change. although, i must admit, sometimes i think being a secretary is harder. i answer phones, help doctors find orders, answer phones, fax orders, answer phones, deal with patient family members, answer phones, validate parking... the tasks are endless. and all of them seem to happen at the same time. i'm constantly being interrupted.
the most exciting part of my day today was when a nurse asked me in a hurried and frantic voice to call a show of force. it's similar to a code, in that it's announced hospital wide on the intercom. but instead of having a crashing, near-death or dead patient, it's called on a patient who is violent or crazy.
the patient on my unit was in the bathroom, yelling profanities, and refusing assistance back to bed when he was unstable on his feet. he threatened to throw a pot of urine at our charge nurse! but thankfully, within a minute or so, we had dozens of people surrounding our patient, peacefully, but intimidating-ly, "forcing" him back to bed.
nursing is kind of comical sometimes. what other profession do you have to worry about getting doused with urine?
the most exciting part of my day today was when a nurse asked me in a hurried and frantic voice to call a show of force. it's similar to a code, in that it's announced hospital wide on the intercom. but instead of having a crashing, near-death or dead patient, it's called on a patient who is violent or crazy.
the patient on my unit was in the bathroom, yelling profanities, and refusing assistance back to bed when he was unstable on his feet. he threatened to throw a pot of urine at our charge nurse! but thankfully, within a minute or so, we had dozens of people surrounding our patient, peacefully, but intimidating-ly, "forcing" him back to bed.
nursing is kind of comical sometimes. what other profession do you have to worry about getting doused with urine?
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