Ho Hum

Not too much going on at the moment. I've been off for 5 days and after I work the next 3 nights in a row, I'll be off for 5 days in a row again. Not a bad lifestyle, eh?

I'm going to be precepting a new grad next month. I have never precepted a new grad before...hopefully it will go well. Work wasn't too bad last week. I had a sad case...a drug addict...again. I don't know why it still surprises me when that happens. I guess I am more optimistic than pessimistic...even with all the unfortunate things going on in the world. This patient was in her late 20's...totally hooked on anything that would make her sleep. I don't get it. If you want to sleep...take Tylenol PM or Melatonin. Why get hooked on the narcotics? Probably a tolerance thing.

By the time I got her, they had discontinued the Dilaudid & was only giving her Percocet and Phenergan. They should have dc'd the Phenergan as she was totally using it for sleep only. I had no problem giving it to her because when it's nighttime & you have 4 other patients...you want your patients to remain calm & a sleeping patient is a good thing for us nightshift nurses. Still though, it's sad to see someone throwing their life away because of a drug addiction.

I also had this patient...in her late 60's...screaming her head off. As soon as I arrived on the floor, I thought "That's probably going to be my patient"...cause I'm lucky like that. :) Sure enough, it was. And if that wasn't lucky enough, she was also on bedrest & drinking Golytely. Yes....the one drug in medicine meant to make us smile when we say the name. Cause it does everything BUT make you "go lightly." It's a prep for a colonoscopy & it produces some strong results. So having a confused bedbound patient drinking Golytely is a nightmare.

Sometime during the night though, I got to make the deal of a lifetime. There was another patient that was having trouble with his nurse. So much so that he did not want her in his room anymore. He thought she was rude & he did not need a nurse like that. So they asked another nurse to trade a patient for that one. Ummm, that nurse couldn't do it...seems she already had a falling out with the patient. The next nurse said "No way!!!!!" So they came to me...begging. I first started to ask "What is wrong with that patient?" And then I suddenly stopped & asked "Can I trade my confused patient?" The reply was YES. Ok, done deal.

This irate patient was someone getting Oxycodone every 6 hours for back pain. He was an older man & I did believe he had genuine pain....not that it matters as I go with the belief that if it's ordered & the patient isn't showing any signs of drug toxicity or unstable vital signs...they get their medicine. This isn't the show "Intervention." We aren't here to cure someone with chronic pain or even drug addiction. It's supposed to be short-term nursing care...so if it's ordered...then give them their medicine. I went in & spoke to him, got him some food, got him his medicine & that was it.

The other nurse....the one that got the trade....well, let's just say she was not a happy camper. Oh well...don't be rude to your patients next time!

Speaking of rude, this same nurse can be quite vocal & not in a good way. I often overhear her say rude things to patients...to the point that I feel the need to report her. I don't usually do things like this as I know nursing can be stressful & it's probably just her way of releasing stress....but it's wrong. It's rude, insensitive & wrong. Problem is...I'm not sure how to go about it. Talking to her is out of the question as she is so self-centered she would never accept the idea that she is doing something wrong. It's always someone else's fault. So the next step is do I verbally say something to the charge nurse? the manager? write an anonymous letter? I don't know...but we work hard to achieve patient satisfaction & here she is ruining it all...repeatedly.

My youngest niece turned 13 this past week. Sigh. I miss the days of when she was 3 yrs old. It doesn't seem possible that she is just 5 yrs away from being an adult. Where does the time go?