What a day!

Today I was on the step down unit of Santa Rosa Memorial. And it might just be my last....(just kidding Helen). Most of you don't know Helen, she is my FANTABULOUS recruiter that got me this oh so wonderful position here at Santa Rosa Memorial=), no really I do love her for it. Besides that, she also is making sure I am getting paid correctly (real reason why I love her). LOL. She was a little alarmed at my previous entries and how negative they all have been about this place they call Santa Rose (brian). I reassured her that I don't hate it her as much as it sounds. I just am trying to convey my days to my former co-workers how good they have it up at PPMC. Today started out nice. Three patients and by 9AM I realize that I have three discharges. Something a day shift nurse never wants to hear two hours into her 12 hour shift. This could only mean one thing....ADMITS! Now up until this point I have never done an admit in their system all on my own. Did this charge nurse care....NO. By 1330 I had discharged all of my patients and was getting two admits....no big deal. I finally take lunch at 1510, and head downstairs for a chocolate run, because that is the only thing that is going to save me. As I am trying to find the nearest chocolate, a patient's family member stops me in the hall with her loved one in a patient gown and in a wheelchair...she says, "Do you work here?" I almost say no as she is wheeling her mother into the public bathrooms in the lobby obviously needing me to help this women to the bathroom. I don't mind helping patients to the bathroom in the privacy of their own rooms, but the public restroom....not a place where I want to be exposing my butt wiping skills. But what does any nurse do...oh she had a gait belt on too...lol. I help her to the bathroom stall. Barley fitting in the stall with her...I help her go, get her put back together, gait belt and all, and I head out to find even more chocolate now. Evening shift comes on and I am up for the first two admits...GREAT! So when all was said and done I DC'd 3, and admitted 4. Well long about 1900, mind you I am to go home at 1930, I am told that I am doing the admits wrong. I have all this computer charting to do on top of all the paper charting and box checking that I have been doing all day on this all paper charting floor. Nice timing. I almost loose it. But I pull it back together and report off to the poor night nurse who is following me. I start out by saying sorry, gave him report and proceeded to stay 1 hour over to finish as much as I could. I was supposed to finish an admit history on my third admit of the day....when he couldn't get off the phone with his wife...so I left that one for the guy following me. WHEEW! That's not all. I don't know if I had mentioned that all day shift people have to park off at the Vets building across town, and they bus us in every day. That's right....I have to rush to catch the bus in the AM. I feel like I am a freshman in high school again. So today, with me being late...(do you see where this is going?) I missed the last shuttle.................SHIT! (sorry Helen). It was the topper to my fabulous day. I ask the security desk what I need to do now, and she looks at me and says "oh, don't worry I have a cab voucher for you." Poor lady, I lost it. I am thinking, I have to wait for a cab???? How long will that take? As tears well up in my eyes....I just want to eat, drink and go to sleep. Emphasis on the drink. LOL. The other poor security took pitty on me and went and got the "truck". It was a nice truck...NOT. But I didn't care at that point, I wanted to get to my car and get home. The young security guard, was so nice....dropped me off at my car and I got the hell home. Of course stopping for a bottle of wine and a chicken sandwich....great combo. One good thing is.....I STARTED AN IV!!!! Yes, all of my fellow PPMC employees know that they tried to train me to the IV team and I failed. Well today, when my patient pulled his IV out on accident....I was the only one around to do it. I sucked it up and got it....FIRST TRY!!! That's right 20G LFA and did I say...FIRST TRY! Someone please relay this to Terry Hauck, Jan, and Christina...all on the PPMC IV team who said I could do it, and I didn't think I could. WHEWW! That is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Hopefully all the rest of the IV that I try have as good of veins as my patient did. With my patient's permission...I took a pic of it on my phone. So if any of you want to see proof...I do have it. LOL.

I think that is it for today. Sorry for the two day lag (helen). But I had two days off and didn't really do much. I cooked dinner for my friend Heidi on Monday, we proceeded to drink too much wine while listening to my music on my i-pod. So all day Tuesday I wasn't feeling like doing much. So I just sat around in the AC and watched TV. Next week I will be out and about and have much more exciting things to write about. I plan on hitting some vineyards, and some little events here in the area. I also plan on going and visiting my aunt and uncle in San Jose....if they will have me. So I will have much more to write about other than work...I am sure you guys are getting bored with all my horrible stories.

Bottom line is I do like the challenge of working here in Santa Rosa. It is a total learning and growing experience. No matter how bad it sounds in my little stories, I really don't regret coming down here. It is just what I needed to wake me up. I love the challenge and how much I am learning. And I love my recruiter...Helen. lol.

I hope all is well with you all. Miss ya!
-Bev =)