Anticipation and a Sense of Dread

Major happenings at work this week.  At least, it is supposed to go down this week.  Ya never know with my job.

The ripple effect should be hair raising.  In too many ways to properly explain to anyone that doesn't work at my facility.

This whole thing, the event to come, makes me very leery about trusting anyone at this company.  Because the bottom line is about the bottom line and NOT about loyalty, length of employment, where in the hierarchy one may be, how many hours of overtime (usually unpaid) one works.....none of this matters.

I sincerely wish the job market was more friendly.  Because I feel stuck and that sucks.

In an ideal workplace there would not be med techs in their early twenties acting like gang members in their merciless drive to taint anyone they dislike at any particular nanosecond.  Yes, they tried to get me in some serious trouble last week because I had the gall to expect them to actually take care of our residents.  Silly, silly me.

In a better workplace one would not fear the chopping block every time the regional manager makes an appearance.  Trying to learn from my mistakes, my honesty in making mistakes, and all my efforts to provide excellent care to those entrusted to me should be enough.

You may have heard the phrase "Shit rolls downhill."

I'll be wearing my boots and trying not to roll in it this coming week.

It's going to be a long February folks!

Play Pretend

I hope I am not the only one who feels this way.

Some days I feel like I am pretending to be a grown up.

I remember vividly how I felt at 15. I felt the age of 49 was a death sentence.

Today McArmy called to let me know he has his deployment orders for late next fall.

Wait just a darn minute!

I am too young to be the mother of a son at war.

I am too young to have been married twenty five years.

I am too young to hold people's health and welfare in my hands.

Exactly when did I cross the bridge to responsibility and accountability?

It is all so surreal sometimes. As if Salvador Dali is painting my life secretly.

On the other hand, I can eat Ben and .jerry's ice-cream for breakast and no one can stop me......

Attitudes

I work with mostly people on Medicare/Medicaid. They have maybe 60.00 after their living expenses are taken out.

I cannot imagine having so little money for co-pays,things like soap,shampoo,razors, the basics.

What gets to me is how often my patients whine.

They whine about the high cost of cigarettes, for example. Okay person with COPD, wouldn't it make sense to stop smoking now? The taxpayers are paying for their cigarettes at the same tome they are paying for thei very pricey inhalers and pulmonary specialists.

They whine about the food. Hey,it's better than eating out of a dumpster, isn't it.

They whine about not getting their medication whenever they feel like they want some. Umm mm, sorry Mr. Cranky pants, but the law says I can only dispense your meds as the doctor prescribed them. The fact you call me an f***ing bitch is NOT making me anymore sympathetic.

Lately, no one is happy where I work.

Of course, their unhappiness could never be their own responsibility...

There are some exceptions.

The ninety five year old female who's stone cold deaf and is profoundly grateful for the gentle way I wipe her face after I place her eyedrops into her eyes. Her smile and hugs can make my day.

Nursing is a crazy see saw job.

The Code Returns

The man I performed CPR on returned to our facility yesterday.

He was going to die, said the cardiologist.

He would never get out of a wheel chair, said the physical therapist.

Cardiac rehab would keep him in a skilled facility for the rest of his life, said the primary care physician.

He walked in yesterday with the assist of a walker.

I know the odds for successful CPR are fairly low.

Except it was a witnessed arrest and I began CPR within 60 seconds.

He's back to his baseline.

This includes telling me to shove the f***ing facility up my a**hole as far as possible.

I hadn't been verbally abused for at least two weeks.

I find the irony slightly amusing.

The guy is back smoking after 4 weeks without a cigarette.

He has end stage renal disease and was out to dialysis today.

They called me to let me know he was tachy at 160 beats per minute so they were sending him to the ER.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.  LOL.

DYJHIW...?

Don't you hate it when...you go back to work after a hard earned two days off to find no charting was done?

DYJHIW...your Pupples get out of the back yard for the first time and is found with badly abraded paws?

DYJHIW...co-workers try to suck you into their faux drama?  NO thanks!

DYJHIW...your 23 yo son wakes you and your spouse by playing stupid Modern Warfare at 0100?  GRRRRR.

DYJHIW...they stop manufacturing your all time favorite hair conditioner?

DYJHIW...you work seven days in a row and are so wiped out you forget to pay the power bill?

Welcome to my Monday.  :P~~~~

Catching Up

Hey ya'll.

Between my boss's vacation and her getting the real flu I have been working too much yet again.

Sigh.  It's always something.

My patient with active MRSA lesions cleared up until her antibiotics ended then WHOMP!  There it is again.  The only measures I can do is get her more antibiotics (done), make sure housekeeping changes her linens daily and wash in hot water and bleach, direct the med techs give her a shower with chlorhexadine wash, direct the kitchen to bring her all meals, and make sure she gets all her meds w/in the hour window.  This poor woman has has nausea and vomiting x 8 weeks now.  Zofran helps but only if given before she throws up.

I have sort of been the acting DNS which takes up way more time than I expected.  I have dealt with several social workers, a VA case worker, one over diligent PT who called in outside agencies because she was played by a patient she considered a suicide risk (OY VEY!),  and various other paperwork crap.  I know with even more certainty I never want to be an administrator.

McArmy was home over the holidays.  He took me to the shooting range where he watched in awe as I killed it! (OK, I may be overstating the awe part.)  He refused to believe I had never gone shooting before.  That was the first time I'd ever touched a gun.  In your face son! (snicker)  I do not plan on going shooting ever again.

I received an iPad from McArmy and my husband.  My older son bought the killer protective cover which is supposedly military grade.  (It's all about the military whenever McArmy is home.)

McArmy's friend Sam is regaining eyesight slowly in his right eye.  He and his wife spent two weeks at home in Montana and are living in San Antonio while the army takes forever to out process his medical discharge.

We celebrated our 25th anniversary in December.  WHOOSH.  Time flies.

I hope you have a lovely holiday and a wonderful 2012.