So here I am again....awake all night! I just enjoyed a great night with Stephanie...and Pam from Providence. I am crashing on Steph's couch...ok not crashing...but blogging. Thank goodness she got a laptop for Christmas...because even though it's 3am ..... I'm not tired. So i thought i'd blog. I don't have much more to blog about. But what else should I do when up at 3am on a friend's couch.

I had a good week at work. I did have some interesting patients this week. I took care of an interesting GIB (gastro-intestinal bleed) patient this week. He was very sick. His blood levels were very low. Which made it very risky to get out of bed. Of course he insisted on getting out of bed to the bathroom every time he had to go. It was about 2200 when his emergency light was going off. I knew something was up. As I entered his room I found him on the toilet...as white as a ghost. I quickly asked him if he was ok....he was pretty out of it. I got right in his face...like I do so well...and asked him again if he was ok. He looked at me and said...."I don't knwo how long I will be awake." Something you don't to hear from your patient in the bathroom. I quickly pulled the emergency light that i just had canceled....I got four nurses immediately. We quickly and easily got him back to the bed. Bolus ed him with some fluid...and applied some oxygen. He snapped out of it...and i needless to say transfused four units of blood within my shift. It was a good night!

Needless to say i am learning alot. In my previous blog, I mentioned that I was titrating drips left and right. I have been stretched...and challenged every shift. But I like it. I do enjoy what I am doing. I learn something new every night I work....which is a good thing. The only thing is that my body isn't used to the hours yet...needless to say since it's after 0300 in the AM!

I am enjoying all the people I work with. They are a great group of nurses. The only thing that sucks is that I don't know my doctors. I really got used to knowing all the docs. Here in Salem..i don't know who is who. I have to ask frequently...who is the cardiologist on this case....and I am slowly learning names. I really miss knowing who was who in the doctor world, it really makes a difference.

I am finally getting tired now...may be the wine I have been drinking.....who knows. But I will be sleeping now.

Hope all is well with you all. I miss everyone...and hope to see you all soon. Take care. Thanks for reading this...even though I don't keep up much anymore.

There will be more to come.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone who is still reading my blog. I have been home for a few months now...and totally enjoying it. I was able to have a few weeks off before I started my current contract, which was really nice. Melissa gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on Nov 12... and it was killing me to miss the birth of Jackson Thomas. He was a beautiful 7lb 20inch bundle of joy. Since I wasn't working until Dec. 2nd, I was able to come up and stay for a week with Melissa and Wes. I really enjoyed helping out . I stayed on the air mattress....and cooked and cleaned...and of course rocked the little Jackson. I really enjoyed my time off. It was much needed after Santa Grosa.

I started orientation at Salem Hospital on Dec. 2nd...which was interesting. They put me through new hire orientation....RIDICULOUS! I had to sit through hospital ethics, body mechanics, and policy training. I was hoping that there would be more hands on training. I didn't know how to use the IV pumps...something that a nurse should probably know. I didn't know how to use computer charting....oh wait...four hours....right that is all I needed! I wasn't impressed with the training, but I had a week of day shift before I started on night shift...which was nice to be on day shift schedule. I started that Friday on night shift orientating with an RN on the floor. I got two 12 hour shifts of orientation on the floor. It is very different than Providence. Salem hospital has: med drawers with keys, paper narrative charting, different IV equipment, different pumps, different beds....needless to say the easy tasks (raising the bed) are small challenges that I have to figure out on my own. Drawing from a central line is very different from the set up at Providence...believe me I learned the hard way (spewing blood everywhere!) I learn something new every night....and am humbled as to how little I really know. I am on a Progressive Care Unit (PCU), pretty much a true step-down unit from ICU. We have open heart patients post-op day 1-2, lots of drips and cardiac meds. I love it. I am challenged every night. One night I was titrating three diltiazem drips at once.....which is a bit of a challenge. At least all the patients had the same diagnosis...so the care was similar. I work with a great group of people. Everyone helps everyone else, noone is allowed to get overwhelmed. The floor is a 46ish bed unit and the pt/nurse ratio is 3-4/1 which is really nice. I am working night shift and we have anywhere from 2-4 CNAs on our shift. I was amazed! And the CNAs are awesome. They do most things without being told. We also have an awesome turn team that rounds on our floor every two hours and turns our heavy patients!!!!!!!!!!!! So my back isn't hurting all the time. For the most part I like it, except for the hours. I am totally screwed up on my sleep schedule. I am frequently awake all night...and want to sleep all day. Hopefully that will change with time, but my schedule hasn't allowed me to get used to it yet.

Today I am up in Battleground getting ready for Melissa's 30th Birthday. We are getting up tomorrow and getting pedicures, having lunch, and going shopping...then dinner at the house with everyone! I am making my enchiladas....and of course some margaritas.....it should be fun.

I am needing to get to bed now....forcing myself to sleep. Thanks to those of you who are still checking in on my blog. I am sorry I am such a lame blogger, but I am totally enjoying being at home.

Take care all.
-bev =)

Yes I'm still alive!

I totally admit I am the worst blogger.  At least I own it....right?   There really isn't any reason for me not blogging...except for laziness.  Last time I blogged I was doing some wine tasting down in the "Santa GROSA"  area.  My time in Santa Grosa finished up quickly.  Before I knew it I was out of there.  

For the last month of my contract there at Santa Rosa Memorial I was thrown into the second twilight zone of Santa Rosa Memorial...a.k.a. the Palliative Care unit.  This was the unit that was stationed across the street from the main hospital.  The building was circa 1970, and trying to work in that was the challenge.  Some of the staff had been there since the building was built, and totally set in their ways.  One good thing i do have to say about that unit was that I had a great schedule.  The manager gave me a long weekend every weekend I had off, so that was a good thing.  But other than that...it was a rough last month.  This unit was where the end of life patients go to "transition into the after-life" (damn I'm good).  If they weren't "transitioning" then we got all the difficult patients that were "overstaying their welcome" in the main hospital (again...I'm good).  This building was so outdated...there wasn't even wall oxygen or wall suction.  I couldn't really chart LIWS (low intermittent wall suction), because it wasn't wall suction.  It was more accurate to chart LICS (low intermittent CART suction).  If a patient started choking I had to leave the patient and run to the end of the hall to the storage room and retrieve the suction cart!  If a patient needed oxygen, which most transitioning patients do, I had to wheel in a oxygen compressor and fire it up, which made a not so soothing low pitch humm/buzzing sound.  Nursing is always a combination of book smart, people smart, and being able to make due with what you have.  But the Palliative Care Unit took that to a whole new level.  Everyday was a new challenge.

Another challenge I faced every day I worked was with the Acute Care Manager.  She had been at her position forever, and was not a fan of me.  Most of you who know me and have worked with me know that i usually tell it like it is.  It's a little hard for me to hide how I'm feeling.  Well she didn't like that, she would hover over me and bark orders at me...which really went over well with me.  I did overhear her one time lean over to the manager (who actually liked me) and say, "I don't know why you are so sold on her."  So welcoming.  Gotta love it.  I soon found out that she just usually picks someone and rides them.  And I was her October ride.  I could not do anything right in this woman's eyes.  One time she even questioned me on how i poured coffee for my patient.   Needless to say, October was a very humbling month.  

October was a busy month for me, I was host to my mother for a weekend and my good friend Stephanie another weekend.  Both weekends were awesome, and made me miss home very much.  I was also spending a lot of time trying to hunt down a job back at home....I am now back at home....yahoo!  I will be working at Salem Hospital on the ICU step-down unit, which I am very excited about.  The only thing i am not real excited about is the fact that i will be working the night shift.  I haven't worked the night shift for a very long time so it should be interesting.  I will keep you all posted.  I am really excited to be home and starting something new.  I always like starting something new.  Which I guess is good in this area of nursing.  

I don't know if Salem Hospital will have as many funny stories as Santa Rosa, but I will try to do a better job of keeping everyone updated via the blog!  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving today...I know I am very full and very thankful. =) 

Out and About in Wine Country!!

My first wine tasting was in the middle of September with my friend Marcea. She works on the cardiac floor where I was floated to many times. We got together one Sunday for a little wine....here are the pictures.

The view from our first vineyard. There was a little band playing on the veranda, you could buy wine by the glass and order cheese and bread. What more could I ever want?

In the small town of Healdsburg, about 20 minutes north on Hwy 101, is the La Crema Tasting Room. AKA Heaven! If you can't find me in Santa Rosa...you might try here.

They even let me behind the counter once...I took advantage of the opportunity!

I couldn't get enough pictures of the different views I was seeing. I felt like I was in the movie Sideways! Everywhere I turned there was a beautiful view.

This was our third stop. Most of the vineyards have picnic areas for you to come buy a bottle of wine, enjoy your picnic with a view.

This vineyard had a pirate theme.

More shots in an amongst the grapes. I was wanting to be one with the vine! lol.

It really is a rough place to be living...but I am really trying to make the most of it. LOL.

We were able to see the wine actually being made at one of the vineyards.

Marcea getting in on some picking.....or stealing.

I'm wanting to take a few bunches home.

They were a little difficult to get off the vine.
And we were not wanting to get caught.

I got the goods!

Too beautiful!!!

Harvest Park - and it's cast of characters.

So the apartment complex I am staying in is called the Harvest Park Apartments. I don't think you could get any more characters within a three block radius then I have already met. First there was Randy, the stressed out maintenance man of Harvest Park. Randy always walks around this place like some of the trauma surgeons do at work. He is very important to the over all function of Harvest Park. He is always in a hurry, head down, walking really fast, with some tool in his hand; or plunger a few times. Always putting out small fires. If you ask him how he is doing...he sighs, "Oh you know, it's busy around here. " The first week I was here he had to put a fresh coat of paint on my walls. He came over at like 5:30 in the evening to start the job....??? He was off work at 6. Did he really think that he was going to get it all done in 30min? Within that 30 min. he left my apartment four times...to retrieve tools or little odds and ends. Finally at 6:15, wanting a little time to myself, I suggested that he come back in the morning when I was at work to finish up the walls...."Oh that would be great! Are you sure? I can stay and finish, it's no problem." This is after he has spent the last 30 min telling me why he has been so busy today. "This old man...fell. I had to call his son. I had two toilets overflow. One girl got locked out. And my new manager has been on my ass about everything." Boy, I was really feeling for Randy. But I let him go for the evening. He came back the next day and finished the project. I wasn't home, and I guess he was going to rinse out his paint brushes in my kitchen sink and got paint on some of my pots and pans. So what did he do...he did all my dishes in the sink! When I asked him about it he just blushed..."oh well, I got some paint on your pots...and needed to clean it up." He is very nice...but a little creepy.

Then I explained Mrs. Doolittle...if you missed that entry, please re-read a few previous entries and you will know who Mrs. Doolittle is.

The next on the cast of characters is a family. This family is made up of a grandma (nana), mom (she is my age) and four children....my favorite goes by Pudgie. He is this little rolly polly three and a half year old boy. Chubby as can be. And everyone calls him Pudgie. LOL. I don't know Pudgie very well, but I do know that he is in trouble a lot, because at various hours of the day and night i hear his mother or occasionally his grandmother yell, "Pudgie! Hey Pudgie! Get back in here!!!!" This in a very thick southern accent. I was unsure of the educational status of these kids, seeming that they were at the pool during school hours. I did see them getting off a school bus yesterday. In fact, Pudgie almost got nailed by an oncoming car while waiting for his siblings to get off the bus. He is too cute! I heart Pudgie!

My final character....is my newest friend here at Harvest Park. Right after I first moved in, I was making a trip to the dumpster when I heard a loud meowing. Me being the cat lover that I am, and missing Jack, looked around for the kitty. Not seeing anything, I headed back to my apartment. The meow got louder as I got closer to my apt. Almost to my door, I looked up. There it was. A beautiful grey and white cat in the window sill of the apartment directly above me. The cat meowed again, and I began talking to the cat. "Hi buddy, aren't you pretty. What a pretty kitty." As I realized how I might look, looking up and talking to a cat in the window...I quickly stopped and headed back into my apt. About a week later, I was at the pool and started talking to these two girls about my age, both very friendly. I learned that one of the girls was a single gal, who just quite her job as a pharmaceutical rep....she had enough money to just live for a few months until she moved to Chico and start up on her pre-nursing classes. When she found out I was a nurse...it was all over. She was inquiring about what path she should take..and how she could get there. After finding out she lived directly above me, I confessed to talking to her cat. She insisted that I come up and meet Cody sometime. Thinking nothing of it, I agreed. About three weeks have gone by, and I have yet to see the woman who lives above me....until yesterday that is. Again on my way to the dumpster and then to the mall, I ran into her. She said she was just going to knock on my door and see if I wanted to come up and meet Cody. I was wishing at this point I could remember her name, I said..."Ok sure." She then launched in to, "I have a huge favor to ask of you..." I should have ran. But I didn't. "What's that?" I said. She proceeded to tell me that she was going out of town next week and was wondering if I would keep an eye on Cody. "Oh sure." I said. She then said, "I remembered that you had a cat, and if you would like, you could keep Cody down at your apartment if you want to. She is totally de-clawed, litter box trained, she really is the best cat. And she just loves to go to new places." OK...i am thinking. This is kinda weird. Is this woman trying to pawn off her cat on me? Is this woman actually moving to Chico next week, and just wants me to take her cat for good? HMMMMM. As we made our way up to her apartment I asked about her move...very nonchalantly of course. She informed me that she and her boyfriend from Chico broke up. So, no move was in her near future. WHEWW! I thought. As we entered her apartment, she began calling Cody, in a weird form of baby talk. LOL. When she saw that Cody wasn't coming...she burst out in song... "Good morning, good morning, Good morning. How are is Cody this morning? Good morning, good morning, good morning..." As she sang, I thought, "is this really happening to me? She looked so normal. But what was with the song?" I couldn't help the little chuckle that came out of me. After the second verse of the good morning song, I asked, "Do I have to sing that song to her every morning when she is with me?" LOL! I couldn't help it. I had to call her on it. LOL. That wasn't normal! LOL. She replied, "Oh no, that is something I have been doing forever with her." Oh my word. Cody finally made an appearance in the living room for a few minutes before retreating back to the bedroom. Cody wouldn't have anything to do with me. She insisted that Cody was a great cat, and when she was gone Cody would really warm up to me. We made a little small talk, exchanged numbers and I headed out to the mall....still not knowing her name. I left the mystery woman, knowing that she was going to bring the cat down sometime to meet me and see my apartment. I couldn't help but wonder if we were dealing with a cat...or an actual human. HMMMMM.

Later that night, she texted me to see if it was ok if she brought Cody down. I was very thankful when she included her name in the text....COURTNEY!!! Finally. LOL. I knew her name. She brought the cat down to check out it's temporary apartment....emphasis on temporary. LOL. Cody and Courtney came down and Cody explored the apartment while Courtney told me again how awesome of a cat Cody was. She travels by car, plane and boat with this cat. She really adapts well to new surroundings, she doesn't try to get outside....which is a good thing because she doesn't have any claws...lol. What was I getting myself into????? I was in too deep so far....I was going to have a house mate for a week, no matter what! LOL.

All kidding aside, Courtney is a very nice girl, and is very greatful for me taking her cat for the week. I really don't mind, I like cats. It not such a big deal because I really do like cats, but I just find it really weird that she asked me to keep the cat at my place...what am I a kennel? Maybe I will be able to make a little extra cash...and start a side job. I could take in animals.....keep them in my fully furnished apartments.....I could advertise a little. Each city I go to I could place ads on craigs list....I could start it off....."Need a cat sitter? I'm your gal!" I think it is a promising business!!! Who knows.

I will keep everyone posted on any new and interesting characters that I come across here at the Harvest Park Apartments....but for now....this is all I've got.

Please check back. I will make sure to include some great pictures of Cody and I enjoying our week together.

Hope you enjoyed my entry today. Thanks again for reading. I miss you all!!!

-Bev =)

My first No.Cal. beach trip pics!

Bodega Bay with a flock of pelicans (looks like a white pile of trash, but they are birds). They were fun to watch for a little while. Cool birds.

North California Coast is much like the Oregon Coast. Very green. But I noticed that most of the trees seemed to have really bad hair days.

This is the ocean overlook where I parked and was able to walk out onto the cliffs a little. I was so high up, I was a little scared to be on the edge.

It was an overcast day, but still really beautiful!

Traveling alone...you have to become one with the birds. They are great travel companions. LOL.

The waves were crashing up on these rocks...so beautiful.

This was the crazy lady who felt the need to be right on the edge of the cliff. I did tell her that I wasn't going to be able to save her if she fell. She didn't care. She still hung off the edge. I didn't tell her that I was taking her picture...lol.

But she insisted that I get a picture of myself...

which I never understand why people take pictures of themselves while traveling alone. But I just went with it. She was very persistent. And look, now I have proof that I was actually there. It looks really cold, but really it was a great day at the beach, not too cold, not too warm.

A view of Bodega Bay. Hey Wes, I spy a RV park!

This is Spud Point Crab Co. where I had lunch. The best clam chowder and crab cakes ever! Yes, even better than Jake's! Notice all the retired people. This is how I knew it was good. LOL. I think that is Carol out grilling something out front. Really cool place.

This is Spud Point Marina. All the fishing/crabbing boats here. This was the view directly across from Spud Point Crab Co. Very relaxing to sit and just chill. I even saw a seal swimming right behind these boats shown here.

Yet another friend I met. This was at Goat Rock Beach. He almost nibbled my toes. Kinda freaked me out a little. There was also a camera crew filming some movie at this beach. So lots to watch.

I sat and read my book, and watched this front move in. It was really kinda cool. I felt the David Salesky coming out in me! LOL.

I then just made my way back via Hwy 1 and back through the wine country...it was so beautiful. There wasn't any room on the shoulder for me to pull over and take pics. But it was a great drive.

This place is NUTS!

Upon my arrival into the Santa Rosa area I really didn't notice much of my surroundings. I was so focused on not getting lost, that I really didn't have a chance to take in all the scenery. Well, four weeks into it....I have been noticing the scenery. At first I didn't think much of the statue of Charlie Brown that greeted me every morning as I got off the dreaded bus at the hospital.

Here is the sight I see every morning at 0645 as I arrive to Santa Rosa Memorial. At first I just thought, "cute, they must have a great pediatric unit here." But, boy was I mistaken.

One of my next destinations that firt week was Applebees' for a little carside to go. Always necessary being single and not really wanting to cook. As I pull up into the carside to go parking I see another statue....this time it was Woodstock. Aparently he enjoys himself a little Applebees also...here he is at the entrance of Applebees.

I finally got up the courage to ask. As the waitress brought my food out to my car I asked, "What is up with all the Peanuts' statues scattered around this city?" After she looked at me like I was a total mental midget..she said, "Oh he lived and died here. They are all over the city." I felt like I was in Texas again. When I lived in Texas with Sara we took it upon ourselves to see how many things we could see that were in the shape of the ever so great state of Texas. We found rocks, bushes, soap, stepping stones, benches, etc. It was great entertainment as we traveled around Texas to find how many different things we could that were shaped like the state of Texas.

Well, here in Santa Rosa I have made it my mission to see how many Peanuts' statues I could find. Here is what I found:

Charlie playes hockey at the ice rink here in town.

Snoopy and Woodstock hang in the park all the time.

Snoopy enjoys a night out on the town.

Snoopy kickin it with Woodstock on his house....this is in front of the museum.

Charlie sells tickets to the Charles Schulz museum....don't really know what is in there. But I am going to go out on a limb and guess....more statues. I didn't want to pay money for something I could see all around town.

Linus and Woodstock at Railroad Square in downtown Santa Rosa.

Snoopy got his braces at the orthodontist's office up the street from the hospital.

There is a whole airport named after Charles Schulz...and guess what. Snoopy hangs out there too.

Snoopy is even carved into the sidewalk! I am really feeling like I am in Texas!

I am sure you are thinking...man, she has way too much time on her hands. Probably so, but I wanted to share with you all the experience of Santa Rosa. These pictures I have shared with you are only a few of the statues and drawings around the city. They are everywhere. I can't get away from them. I would have encluded more, but there have been many times when I couldn't stop to take a pic, or I just didn't have my camera on me. But I think you get the picture.....they are NUTS about the Schultzmeister!

I'm thinking of buying some sort of t-shirt with some Peanuts characters and the words..."I got this shirt in Santa Rosa!" It really is a must have.

I hope you enjoyed this blog as much as I did creating it....I miss you all!

-Bev =)