My favorite part about my job is the funny and interesting things that old people say. The other day I was seeing a patient that has dementia who lives in an assisted living facility (ALF!) who has dementia. I asked her what she had for lunch.
“Oh honey, some sort of hamburger miss-match… it was terrible.”
I found that to be hilarious, in her sweet little old lady southern accent.
Another 85-year-old patient with Alzheimer’s:
“My throat hurts.”
“What do you suppose is wrong with it?”
“Well I swallowed some sewing thread when I was a little girl and I think it’s suck in there. Could you take me to the hospital to suction my throat?”
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Picture me this.
We take lots of photographs of patient’s wounds to document their healing over time, to prove that we actually do some good.
I was at a patient’s house with an LPN co-worker the other day and she was photographing a patient’s wound with her cell phone because she lost her camera. Her phone was a fairly nice one, a Droid something or another similar to mine.
Weird to watch someone snapping photos with their cell phone of a patient, but that is something we do. The gross part was that she was changing the wound dressing and touching her cell phone back and forth with her gloves.
The same gloves.
Gross.
Minus 2 points from me on that supervisory visit!
I was at a patient’s house with an LPN co-worker the other day and she was photographing a patient’s wound with her cell phone because she lost her camera. Her phone was a fairly nice one, a Droid something or another similar to mine.
Weird to watch someone snapping photos with their cell phone of a patient, but that is something we do. The gross part was that she was changing the wound dressing and touching her cell phone back and forth with her gloves.
The same gloves.
Gross.
Minus 2 points from me on that supervisory visit!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Is that for delivery or carryout?
I am working in home health now part time being paid per visit while I am in NP school. I really like it a lot, the hours are flexible, the pay is GREAT my patients are OLD (LOVE!) and things seem to be working out well.
A patient on our service who is a paraplegic has a Chihuahua. He was laying down and could see his dog was down at his feet, licking his toes presumably.
He wasn't licking. He ate a toe or two, just plum gone.
Gross.
A patient on our service who is a paraplegic has a Chihuahua. He was laying down and could see his dog was down at his feet, licking his toes presumably.
He wasn't licking. He ate a toe or two, just plum gone.
Gross.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
stress.
I was (well really I still am) so excited to be in NP school. However I have been freaking stressed out the last week or so. I signed up originally for THREE online classes, (the 3 "beginning" classes they offer, the 2 I'm in and "theoretical foundations") which was 9 graduate hours. I am so glad I decided to just take 6 hours, which in the summer is a full-time grad load.
I've been stressed out because for one my manager at work gave me a totally bizarre schedule. Secondly my brother who lives in Los Angeles has been home for a week and I would like to see him since I so infrequently get the chance. Then I got my first paper back for Health Policy and I had received an 88%. Her main critique of my paper was that I had too many sources. 35% of my paper was "similar" to my sources. WTF!??!?! Since when is quoting sources, and referencing them correctly a bad thing? Apparently a lot of people had that problem because she sent out a mass e-mail saying that she had received several e-mails asking about it, and vaguely stating that quoting too much (even with citations) is plagiarism. I'm really at a loss.
When I graduated nursing school I was burned OUT from school, and actually thought I would never return. Only a few months later I was so dang excited about getting the opportunity to become an FNP that I could not WAIT to start studying and was reviewing health assessment in April. I don't think at the end of this program I will barely making it out and cursing the last 2 years of my life but, I'm sure I'll be relieved it's over however. But then you just have to get a job and work.. LAME =) ....just kidding... sort of.
I've been stressed out because for one my manager at work gave me a totally bizarre schedule. Secondly my brother who lives in Los Angeles has been home for a week and I would like to see him since I so infrequently get the chance. Then I got my first paper back for Health Policy and I had received an 88%. Her main critique of my paper was that I had too many sources. 35% of my paper was "similar" to my sources. WTF!??!?! Since when is quoting sources, and referencing them correctly a bad thing? Apparently a lot of people had that problem because she sent out a mass e-mail saying that she had received several e-mails asking about it, and vaguely stating that quoting too much (even with citations) is plagiarism. I'm really at a loss.
When I graduated nursing school I was burned OUT from school, and actually thought I would never return. Only a few months later I was so dang excited about getting the opportunity to become an FNP that I could not WAIT to start studying and was reviewing health assessment in April. I don't think at the end of this program I will barely making it out and cursing the last 2 years of my life but, I'm sure I'll be relieved it's over however. But then you just have to get a job and work.. LAME =) ....just kidding... sort of.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
favorite moment.
Background note: we put labels on the IV tubing that says "Change Thursday" or whatever day, to remind us to change the tubing.
One of the funniest moments on my floor happened when I had only been off of orientation maybe 2 weeks. I was hired with a male, 27ish year old nurse from my nursing school class. He is very much an a-type personality. He has two bachelor's degrees and a master's degree in microbiology and only received one B in all of those classes. Talk about dork! Anyway... one night we were both struggling and stressed out (as usual). I had followed a day nurse that is notorious for leaving a crap heap behind for night shift to fix (we'll call him Tim). This particular day I remember he had not given random patients any of their afternoon medications, and screwed up some other things. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I came out of one room at a point and Mr Perfect was standing at a computer looking totally flustered as well. I said out of pure frustration and stress something to the effect of:
"Man, I really got screwed today! Tim left all this crap for me to do! What a Dbag!"
To which he replied:
"I know man! Barry left me crap too!"
ME: "like what?"
Mr Perfect: "None of the tubes are labeled!"
I don't know why but in all of my frustration about like 6 hour late Dilantin doses, the fact that Mr Perfect's tubes weren't labeled and he was flipping out about it, made me crack up and lighten up as well. Because he's just such a dork.
One of the funniest moments on my floor happened when I had only been off of orientation maybe 2 weeks. I was hired with a male, 27ish year old nurse from my nursing school class. He is very much an a-type personality. He has two bachelor's degrees and a master's degree in microbiology and only received one B in all of those classes. Talk about dork! Anyway... one night we were both struggling and stressed out (as usual). I had followed a day nurse that is notorious for leaving a crap heap behind for night shift to fix (we'll call him Tim). This particular day I remember he had not given random patients any of their afternoon medications, and screwed up some other things. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I came out of one room at a point and Mr Perfect was standing at a computer looking totally flustered as well. I said out of pure frustration and stress something to the effect of:
"Man, I really got screwed today! Tim left all this crap for me to do! What a Dbag!"
To which he replied:
"I know man! Barry left me crap too!"
ME: "like what?"
Mr Perfect: "None of the tubes are labeled!"
I don't know why but in all of my frustration about like 6 hour late Dilantin doses, the fact that Mr Perfect's tubes weren't labeled and he was flipping out about it, made me crack up and lighten up as well. Because he's just such a dork.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Who's got two tumbs and loves to learn? .... this girl.
Probably the dorkiest subject title ever.
When I was first hired as an RN last fall, my nurse manager told me that she loved new nurses. Probably she just loved warm bodies, let's face it, it's suburban med/surg we're talking about here. But I still enjoyed the sentiment... she told me that she loved to watch scared and timid new RNs who know... let's be honest... next to nuthin' come in and blossom into fast moving, quick thinking nurse-heroes. She explained there would be a moment where something would happen, or someone would ask you a question, and you would have an immediate knee jerk reaction, or spill out an answer before you even had time to think. And right there, click you were critically thinking. I listen to this during my interview and it was hook, line and sinker. I was so ready to be there.
After I had been working on the floor for six months, I reflected on this statement one night (must have had angel sleeping patients that night, can you imagine??? time to think!). I thought "I never had that moment, maybe I still know nothing and am a complete failure". Two months later, I realize that I at least am a competent nurse most of the time, like 95%. Don't worry, don't worry the other 5 I have backup, so your grannies are safe with me. So, I knew that I had surpassed that point where the click clicks, I just thought it must be gradual.
Tonight, I was talking about a news story of a baby born at 32 weeks and rattled of some fairly intelligent guesses as to what was really going on with the baby, something about "intrauterine growth restriction, blah blah blah" something I could never have surmised back in nursing school, when I was actually you know IN a NICU on occasion. And right then, I could have sworn a portion of reality in time and space shifted with a click. Although I never see babies, nor have I gained any new information about them in my time in adult med/surg (jez over this time I probably LOST some!) I realized that my brain had made some new connections over the last (almost) year and I can actually critically think and synthesize all these things I simply memorized in nursing school.
For the first time since I started nurse practitioner school 17 days and 30 mins ago... I am going to sleep not c.diff'ing my pantaloons thinking I am going to kill every patient I so much as even look at as an NP. Maybe, just maybe I'll be almost competent as an NP too.
Here's hoping =)
When I was first hired as an RN last fall, my nurse manager told me that she loved new nurses. Probably she just loved warm bodies, let's face it, it's suburban med/surg we're talking about here. But I still enjoyed the sentiment... she told me that she loved to watch scared and timid new RNs who know... let's be honest... next to nuthin' come in and blossom into fast moving, quick thinking nurse-heroes. She explained there would be a moment where something would happen, or someone would ask you a question, and you would have an immediate knee jerk reaction, or spill out an answer before you even had time to think. And right there, click you were critically thinking. I listen to this during my interview and it was hook, line and sinker. I was so ready to be there.
After I had been working on the floor for six months, I reflected on this statement one night (must have had angel sleeping patients that night, can you imagine??? time to think!). I thought "I never had that moment, maybe I still know nothing and am a complete failure". Two months later, I realize that I at least am a competent nurse most of the time, like 95%. Don't worry, don't worry the other 5 I have backup, so your grannies are safe with me. So, I knew that I had surpassed that point where the click clicks, I just thought it must be gradual.
Tonight, I was talking about a news story of a baby born at 32 weeks and rattled of some fairly intelligent guesses as to what was really going on with the baby, something about "intrauterine growth restriction, blah blah blah" something I could never have surmised back in nursing school, when I was actually you know IN a NICU on occasion. And right then, I could have sworn a portion of reality in time and space shifted with a click. Although I never see babies, nor have I gained any new information about them in my time in adult med/surg (jez over this time I probably LOST some!) I realized that my brain had made some new connections over the last (almost) year and I can actually critically think and synthesize all these things I simply memorized in nursing school.
For the first time since I started nurse practitioner school 17 days and 30 mins ago... I am going to sleep not c.diff'ing my pantaloons thinking I am going to kill every patient I so much as even look at as an NP. Maybe, just maybe I'll be almost competent as an NP too.
Here's hoping =)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The lamest blogger in town.
I guess I am a bad blogger because I never post! Well my first job ended up being more time consuming than I might have imagined. I thought I would have more time post college than I would when I was in college. But I honestly felt like I had much less time. Working nights was is the worst! I never felt normal, I always felt like I didn't get enough sleep, and lacked any real motivation to do anything with my time off because I was always tired, yet I would sit around and NOT sleep, thus continue to feel horrible because I hadn't slept, and continue to not do anything with myself those days off. I also got a puppy 2 weeks after I started my job! Which in hindsight was a mistake. If I had ever planned on reclaiming my life I had somewhat lost in nursing school, starting a new stressful night job and getting an 8 week old puppy were not good ideas. The job is now old news almost. I've been there 8 months now... and the puppy is now 10 months. Fortunately I lucked out on the pup, because after his 5th month of life he just had a switch in his brain flip and he started acting like a mature well behaved adult dog, as opposed to the energetic neurotic obstinate fluffy freak show that had formerly taken up residence in my living room.
So I was just starting to get things under control after the shock of such a life change, having been in school since I was 3, then suddenly being "free" from it. And what did I do? I turned right around and applied to nurse practitioner school! A few people don't understand why I would want to go back so soon (after all I am barely a good nurse yet! that doesn't happen until at least your first year is over) but most other people are encouraging. "Get all that schooling done when you're young. Its so much harder when you're older." I have been so excited about becoming a nurse practitioner, I've been almost obsessed. I spent all my free time looking at job postings, dreaming up big plans, joining the AANP as a student member, reading my assessment and pharm books from my BSN. Then my classes started June 1. I am currently taking "Role Development" and "Health Policy". This fall I am excited to get into learning the nitty gritty. I am excited to learn the real stuff. I wish there were more practice related classes and less nancy pancy fluff classes but what are you going to do? Having lived through most of a first year as a nurse, I am not looking forward to getting beaten down again and balling for lack of preparedness for reality when I graduate FNP school but, I guess that's what I signed up for. Being that I am only 23, I see it as I'll have a good 42 years as an NP before I retire if we're supposed to retire at 67 now, so one day at least I can look forward to being really good at what I do =) but now I have signed up for a good 5 more years (2 in grad school and 3 in practice) of not having a clue of what I am doing and a couple more after that of only basically knowing!
Winnie Tenenbaum, future FNP
So I was just starting to get things under control after the shock of such a life change, having been in school since I was 3, then suddenly being "free" from it. And what did I do? I turned right around and applied to nurse practitioner school! A few people don't understand why I would want to go back so soon (after all I am barely a good nurse yet! that doesn't happen until at least your first year is over) but most other people are encouraging. "Get all that schooling done when you're young. Its so much harder when you're older." I have been so excited about becoming a nurse practitioner, I've been almost obsessed. I spent all my free time looking at job postings, dreaming up big plans, joining the AANP as a student member, reading my assessment and pharm books from my BSN. Then my classes started June 1. I am currently taking "Role Development" and "Health Policy". This fall I am excited to get into learning the nitty gritty. I am excited to learn the real stuff. I wish there were more practice related classes and less nancy pancy fluff classes but what are you going to do? Having lived through most of a first year as a nurse, I am not looking forward to getting beaten down again and balling for lack of preparedness for reality when I graduate FNP school but, I guess that's what I signed up for. Being that I am only 23, I see it as I'll have a good 42 years as an NP before I retire if we're supposed to retire at 67 now, so one day at least I can look forward to being really good at what I do =) but now I have signed up for a good 5 more years (2 in grad school and 3 in practice) of not having a clue of what I am doing and a couple more after that of only basically knowing!
Winnie Tenenbaum, future FNP
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