What the ????????

Soooooo I went into work last night & upon entering my patient's room, she tells me she's burning up - yet she has the covers pulled up to her chin.  Me being the clever one that I am...suggested she take the blanket off.  She agrees & throws off her sheet & blanket & guess what!  She is dressed in navy blue scrubs....just like me & every other nurse in the hospital.  What the ???????  I felt like I was in an episode of that movie...what's it called...the one where the roommate tried to look exactly like the star in the movie....Single, White Female.  Creepy!  She then proceeds to tell me that it is her "going home" outfit, but since she wasn't going to be discharged tonight...could she please have a gown.  Huh???  

This is the same patient who the night before wanted to take a shower & had a doctor's order okaying it.......with her husband.  Who am I to object?  It is all about patient satisfaction, right????  

Just when I thought I had seen it all!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Renewed Effort!

I have decided that I need to make more of an effort when it comes to blogging......so, I will try to post at least once a week.  Here goes....

I get the pleasure of working this weekend....yay me!  I already put in 2 days this week & will finish up with Fri & Sat.  A little bit of overtime which is what I really could use.  Work has been tough though.  I don't mean mentally...I mean physically.  Funny how that changes as you gain more experience.  I mean maybe it always has been physically demanding & I was too focused on the overwhelming mentally draining side of it.  I guess one good thing is that is helping keep me fit.  I mean when you run around for 5 miles in a shift...that is a pretty good workout.  Even with having pct's to help out, we still seem to be running around like crazy.  Of course having 5 patients sometimes does not make life any easier.  We have some new pct's being trained....younger & more eager because they are brand new on the job.  Some of our current pct's know exactly what they can get away with it & use it to their advantage.  I try to be understanding....I've been there.  It is not an easy job.  Hopefully things will fall into place though.

This patient satisfaction measure of hospitals is turning our patients into spoiled brats.  Seriously...I am not being sarcastic.  We always have at least 50% who are decent, normal human beings who are there for health care & to get better & to get back to their decent, normal human being life outside of the hospital.  The other 50%...oh lord.  I can't even say it is psych issues....of course that may account for 20%.  They are who they are & they can't help it.  But that last 30%....they make me smile, laugh, chuckle...remind me that life is full of surprises.

I actually had a female patient get mad at me the other night because she forgot to bring her makeup to the hospital & wanted me to get her some.  Ummmmm, say what?  Makeup?  Like I'm going to run over to the mall or Target & pick her up some makeup.  Seriously?  I had another female patient get mad because I would not rub her thighs.  Hello!!!!!!  Not happening...ever. I can guarantee you I will not be rubbing any female's thighs (probably not even my own) EVER!!!!!!!  There are some lines I have drawn that will not be crossed.  I can get you some ice cream or apple sauce though, how's that?  :)

I am proud of myself.  Since mid-March I have been working out on a continuous basis.  I've missed a week or two here and there...one week because I was sick as a dog and just recently because I had dental surgery & there was no way I was in any mood to add to the pain I was already feeling.  Of course the only time since mid-March I have lost any weight was those two weeks I missed.  When I was sick...I lost 10 lbs.  It found me as soon as I got back to the gym.  And this last time with dental surgery, I lost 7 lbs.  But it's back.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!  I'm trying my hardest not to focus on that scale.  I know it will take more than a couple months of working out to make much of a difference, but it would be nice if I could stop losing & regaining the same 10 lbs.  My clothes are looser, so I know I'm losing some inches.  I've been doing cardio & weights.  I feel so good after working out.  It is hell sometimes getting my booty to the gym, but afterwards I am stress free & happy.  I've been going to Planet Fitness & it's great.  The price is great, the people are nice & my fellow gym members are all courteous but not overly friendly.  My only drawback is the number of elderly people there......and it's not because I don't like elderly people......it just makes me wonder if I'll still be dragging my booty to the gym for the next 40 years.  Gasp!  I do get a kick out of them...especially the husband/wife teams.  They are just so damn cute.  Maybe it's a hobby because 95% of them are thin & certainly don't need to lose weight.  

Then again, with my hospital heavily pushing the "Healthy 100" marketing campaign, maybe that's what these people are doing...trying their best to make it to 100 yrs old.  That is not really my dream, but like all things in life, I am being forced to join the program.  It started out being optional & they would encourage us with promises of a free water bottle or towel or some other crap to make us sign up.  I started to...but then resisted - because back then I preferred to be lazy.  This year it is mandatory & although I understand they want us to be healthier (probably so we won't call in sick very often & lower insurance rates)...I think it is also a personal invasion.  I don't think my workplace needs to know all of my lab results, what I eat or even how much I weigh.  It is my damn business.  If at any time, it hinders me from doing my job----then call me on it.  Otherwise, keep your nose out of my personal life.  Yeah, I can say that on my blog...but we all know it isn't an option, unless I want to get a job somewhere else.  

And in other crazy news...I just sent the new Galaxy S4 back to T-Mobile. What was I thinking?  I mean...why the heck did I even order it?  And why did I order it over the phone instead of going directly to a T-Mobile store???  Why why why??????  Cause I had to pay $15 to have it shipped to me & now I just had to pay $28 to ship it back.  It cost more to ship it back because I wanted signature confirmation & I had to insure the package for $700.  So that's what...$43 just in shipping.  Plus I have to pay a $50 restocking fee - didn't see that fine print until after the phone arrived.  So $93 to try out the hottest phone for 3 days.  Oh well!  I just didn't like it.  I will never be one of those people that is staring at my phone 20 hours a day.  I'm not the most social person, but I am no phone addict either & never want to be.  I love my Windows phone.  The only problem is...it won't recharge the battery anymore.  I ended up buying a separate battery charger on Ebay & am hoping that is the solution to my problems.  However, if not.....T-Mobile just announced they'll be selling a new Windows phone on May 22nd.  So that is my plan B.  Life has returned to normalcy in Jen-world.  Expensive lesson, but well learned.  NEVER ever buy a phone online or through customer service online.  Go directly to the store & if they don't have it in stock...then wait.

I should be sleeping right now since I have to head to work in less than 6 hrs.  I'm wide awake....uh oh!

Have a great weekend, my friends!

Whoa

How is it May already?  I swear it was just the beginning of the year & then I blinked & it is May!  

Work seems to be getting better...or maybe my tolerance for all the b.s. is getting higher.  We are no longer 3 patients to 1 nurse - not that they ever really kept us at that ratio.  We are now 4 patients to 1 nurse and we get 2 techs at night.  Dayshift has the same ratio, but they get 4 techs.  Hopefully we will be staffed appropriately & not just randomly have techs.   They say they want us to get back to being nurses.  ABOUT TIME!  Of course we still have to kiss ass.  Our manager told us today we are not allowed to say "no" to a patient.  That we must find a way to meet whatever needs they have.  This is just so unrealistic.  I had a patient last week ask me to rub her thighs.  Ummm, the answer is NO.  I am a nurse, not a massage therapist.  I am never going to be rubbing some stranger's thighs...ever.  Never ever ever ever.

I went today for a dental procedure called an apicoectomy.  I am not a wimp when it comes to dental procedures.  I don't like them, but I can tolerate them.  I was told it would 30-40 min procedure.  I declined IV sedation (I am an idiot) & opted for a Valium & some Novacain.  If I had a do over...I would pay the $350 for sedation.  The procedure ended up being 70 min of torture.  I've been home now for 7 hours & actually feel ok.  Not sure if my 4 rounds of Novacain have worn off yet or the Vicodin & Ibuprofen are doing their job, but I feel ok.  Sore, but tolerable.  Hopefully the next 24-48 hrs will be ok.  

Wish me luck!