**I guess I could be worse off. I could be like one of my patients this week. A drug addict. Late 20's...hooked for years. Doesn't appear like your typical druggie, but she's been to our ER alone over 100 times in the past couple of years. May as well multiply that by 3 as there are other hospitals nearby that she rotates ER visits. What I don't get is why the doctors review past visits & think...hmmmm...maybe she is faking her symptoms just to get Dilaudid. And hmmmm...maybe giving Dilaudid to someone that is pregnant isn't the smartest idea. Her latest antic was to crush up Ambien, mix it with water or something...and inject it into her bicep. Yep... intramuscular. Not really sure how you can get a high off that as I've never seen anyone do that before. I guess she's exhausted her veins as it is nearly impossible to even get an IV in her. Anyways...she has injected her arm multiple times & you know what happens. It gets an abscess & infected & she needs to be hospitalized for IV antibiotics & she begs for Dilaudid & gets her way. It is such a waste of time & money. Then she'll complain of a headache....a normal doctor would prescribe Tylenol. Her doctor....MRI of the brain, MRA of the neck & brain. Thousands of dollars in tests wasted.
**Another sad story...a perfectly rational person that is homeless & has nowhere to go & no money for food.......comes to our ER complaining of chest pain & tells the ER doctor he wants to jump in front of a bus. Before you go...awwwwww...mind you.....he was just looking for a place to stay for 3 days knowing full well the MD couldn't let him be discharged. So he was Baker Acted for being a threat to himself. While I have a lot of sympathy for people who have nowhere to go, I do not think a hospital is the place to be. I understand it, but again...numerous tests being done all because he wants a place to sleep & some free meals.
**I had a patient fall this week. I kick myself, but I shouldn't...because I knew this was going to happen. I must have gone to his room 100 times during my shift. I was telling him so often what would happen if he attempted to get up on his own & he'd brush me off. He was alert & oriented & used to getting up whenever he wanted at home. I can't keep him tied to the bed. All I could do is keep re-educating him the risks of getting up without anyone around for assistance. He assured me he would not get up. He was sitting in the recliner chair. I had just gone to his room..."you need anything?" NOPE. "You want to go back to bed?" NOPE. "Here's your call light, push it if you need anything...DO NOT GET UP." OK, NO PROBLEM." Within 120 seconds of me walking from his room to the nurse's station, I hear that dreaded noise of someone falling to the ground. I wanted to scream in frustration cause I knew who it was. Luckily he was fine, no injuries whatsoever. After that I told him he didn't have a choice...he was staying in bed where I could have a bed alarm on so I'd be alerted when he was attempting to get up. I do not like falls!
**One more shift to go (tonight) until my 2 week vacation begins. I CANNOT WAIT! Well, I will probably go into work early Weds morning to get the Nursing Skills fair done, but that doesn't really count as there is no patient care involved.
My cruise leaves on Saturday.......to the Caribbean....hopefully there will be no tropical storms or hurricanes floating around down there.
**Operation Workout begins when I get back from the cruise = Oct 1. No more excuses for me. I'm tired of being this size. You would think with the 930840248 miles I walk per night when at work, that I'd lose something, but nope. I have never sweated more at work than I do now. I don't know if it's hot flashes or just a workout for me...but something needs to be done. Exercise is key.
Have a great week everyone!
1 comment:
Have a FANTASTIC time on your cruise :) Take tons of pictures. We have 2 patients that come in every.single.day. Like, if it hits 2pm and you haven't seen one of them, you worry that something actually DID happen to them. If people had any idea how much money is wasted on bullshit things, and how much care is received by people with no intention of paying, they would understand why healthcare costs so much! Whne people call 911 and come in because of period cramps, there is a problem.
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