So, so busy

It's been a little while since I've written...eeekkk.  Sorry!  I've been busy working and taking care of my puppy.  My puppy is growing...she's over twice the size as when I first got her.  Yesterday I went back to Petco where I got her & they had the cutest puppy.  I was sooooo tempted to get another one, but as I was deciding on what to do - my puppy & the new puppy were barking at each other & I thought this is what I'll be hearing 24/7 if I have both of them in the same home.  Forget that!  I've got to stay away from pet adoptions - those little puppy faces are irresistable!  Shay is doing well.  She has her moments of being a maniac, but for the most part, she seems to be fitting in quite well.  She is getting spayed at the end of the month and her last set of puppy shots too - then she'll be free to go to dog parks and be around other animals.  It's also the time I'll be enrolling her in doggy daycare.  It's not the best alternative, but it beats leaving her home alone for 14 hours while I'm working. 

Work hasn't been too bad lately.  I had a rough beginning last week.  I had two patients both complaining of pain and both with orders for Dilaudid IV every 2 hours.  It doesn't sound like much, but when they are constantly calling - it wears you down.  One patient I truly believed had extreme pain and needed the medication.  The other patient was a bit more on the mental side and did not exhibit any signs of being in pain other than asking for medication.  I went home the next morning dreading coming back that night for another night like that. 

I came walking in at 6:35 pm & saw my patient that didn't seem like he needed the pain meds being discharged.  Yessssss!  One down!  Then I hear that my other patient coded at 6:18 pm and they pronounced him dead at 6:30 pm.  I immediately felt bad.  I know my complaining about them needing pain med so often wasn't the cause, but I felt a little guilty anyways.  I am told that I also will be getting a new admit from the ER after shift change.  Ugh, I don't like new admits that soon, but ok, whatever.

I turn to find the day nurse to give me report & I see an ER nurse with a patient.  I say "Ummm, you're not supposed to be transferring any patients to the floor between 6:30 & 7:30 (shift change).  She had an attitude & said she didn't know anything about that rule.  I said "Ok, well at least give me report on the patient then before you just drop her off."  She says "It's not my patient, I'm just transferring her for someone else, besides, I faxed report."  Well...she didn't fax it to the floor I was on.  And she leaves.  Luckily one of the other nurses helped get the patient settled into bed & told her I would be there as soon as I could.  And lucky for me...she was a stable patient with no real needs at that time.

I got report from the day nurse.  She was crying because of the code with my patient.  One of the doctors said something nasty to her - as if it was her fault the patient's heart stopped working.  I told her to just let it go, that the first person the doctor blames everything on is the nurse.  It makes him feel better or something.  This patient had been talking to God all night the night before.  He was begging God to either make him better or to take him - that he couldn't live like this anymore.  It was heartbreaking, but understandable.  The family had been called, but weren't there yet.

I'm still not comfortable with those type of situations.  Maybe I never will be - it seemed like no one else was comfortable either as they all scattered when the family showed up.  I did talk to the wife & daughter for a little while & I think I made sense.  They seemed to be doing the best that they could given the situation.  I thought about them all week long & had them in my prayers. 

The next night I was switched to the north wing.  I was glad...I wanted a fresh start.  It was better.  This week I only work Mon & Tues nights.  My dad gave me a contact with the Veterans Clinic - it's a day job, Mon-Fri from like 8 to 5.  I'll check it out.  I like the idea of no inpatients...just routine checkups...but I don't like the idea of working 5 days a week.  I don't know, eventually I do want to work at a Veterans Hospital because of the great pay and benefits, but I'm not sure this is the way I want to go about it.  I guess I could always try it out.  I'll have to think it over. 

I also have a contact number to give flu shots in the upcoming season.  That wouldn't be bad at all.  People paying me to give them a shot...lol...sounds perfect!