Posts Tagged ‘nursing

A Resident No More

August 27, 2009

One year, two months, and twenty-five days ago I started my work as a “graduate nurse” at the hospital and began the residency program. For the first two weeks I did nothing but attend orientation classes, take tests and surveys, and get checked off on skills. Then I spent an intensive two months in a one-on-one preceptor relationship, which is really where I learned to do my job. Along the way I took and passed the NCLEX, becoming an RN. I began to take care of patients on my own. First three, then four, then five and, during crazy times, six. For a year I attended monthly classes centered on different topics applicable to new nurses. I got certified to…
Continue Reading »

Keeping Me Cooking

August 12, 2009

Not all of my stories about patients are sad. Ms. R, only 54, came to us with thyroid cancer. She had a mass that was obstructing her airway so she had to have a trach put in. She then went through many rounds of chemo and got radiation to her neck, which is a tough place to have that treatment because it left her skin burned and the tissue inside her mouth fragile and sore. Since she came into the hospital in May she hasn’t eaten or spoken. She gets fed through a tube in her stomach, and if she wants to say something she uses a whiteboard to write it down. The thing is, Ms. R has been very…
Continue Reading »

Just Some Stuff

July 16, 2009

Lately I feel like there are so many things going on in my life, little and big, that it’s hard to keep straight. I just want some time to relax and read my books, but it’s hard to let myself have that time. Anyway, before I head to bed I want to share with you a few of those random things that are happening, or that I’m thinking about. >The triathlon that I’ve been training for is about a month and a half away. I’m pleased to report that running is going very well. As long as I don’t attempt it in the heat of the day, I have no trouble running the 5k. Swimming is another matter. After I…
Continue Reading »

When It Rains, It Pours (Or Insert Another Such Pun)

July 13, 2009

Talk about a Monday. This morning I was in a patient’s room giving 9 o’clock meds when I heard the sound of running water. At first I thought it was the shower, or perhaps the sink. But there was no one else in the room. A few moments later my confusion evaporated when water began pouring from the ceiling near the door. I kid you not, within minutes the entire room was covered with an inch of water. Brown, stinky, disgusting water. Obviously chaos erupted. First of all, we had to get the patient and all of her belongings out of the room. That was interesting in itself considering she couldn’t walk and had to be wheeled in her bed….
Continue Reading »

Floated!

July 12, 2009

This morning when I got to work I found out that we were overstaffed. Usually when that happens they will call you at home and tell you not to come in, but I guess the hospital is trying to save money by not using flex staff (a group of nurses who don’t have an assigned unit, but just work wherever they’re needed) as much, because lately we are getting floated to other units a lot more often. Today, it was my turn. I was nervous because I had never floated before and I didn’t know what to expect. But thankfully everyone on the unit I went to was extremely nice and helpful. I don’t have a single bad thing to…
Continue Reading »