I Hate Making Up Titles.

Seriously, I do. My dislike of coming up with creative titles stems from my stint as a PR/marketing writer - I liked writing stories...but the titles...sheesh.

Anyways.

I've been a nurse for almost six months. Not very long, but long enough to be tired of working in the "trenches" of the floor nurse. It's not that I don't love (most of) my patients, or enjoy working with (most of) my co-workers, but it's a million little frustrations that happen almost every day while I'm at work. I'll go into them in future posts - but right now I'm in a mood that isn't too foul, so I'll stay away from those nagging annoyances.

Also, I've turned a new corner in my life. I've changed careers, reached 6 months in that new profession (well, almost) and I'm getting that feeling again. That I-need-something-to-do-before-I-go-crazy feeling, that something-needs-to-change feeling. I'm officially a woman in my late wenties and my biological clock is starting to go tick-tick-tick... but I still want to get my BS and possibly MS in nursing. I want to be a change agent on so many levels - but I also want to be a mommy. That's a change agent too, right?

Hmm.

I'm a firstborn, and was one of the oldest kids in my class. I got married when I was 23 and have never regretted it. However, I'm terrified to be the first of my same-aged friends to get preggers (at least first of the non-Greenville ones!). But that's another topic too. SO, you can see, I have a lot rolling around in my head - so much, in fact, that it's been really hard to sit and put it into words. But...I'm going to try. At least for my sanity's sake!

So. That;s it for this rainy Friday (really like my Sunday since I have to work tomorrow and the next day). I solemnly swear that I'll be much much better about trying tp put SOMETHING down on this blog regularly.

Love and kisses.

Dani

Soapbox.

Here is a hot minute of me soapboxing about the dangers of the sun, not getting your mammograms or self boobie and testicle exams, ignoring chest pain, and generally not enjoying the time you have left.

Yes. It seems that being a nurse has made me into a downer. BUT, a downer who appreciates her life a lot more and realizes that she is super lucky to have a fabulous husband, and wonderful kitty, a loverly house and NO CANCER. Seriously, in the last week I have just seen way too many patients who ignored shit for too freaking long. Guys in their twenties who have huge tumors, women in their forties who ignored the sudden appearance of an inverted nipple and a large lump under the clavicle. Sigh.

On a brighter note, I did get to hang out with a patient who was so doped up on Lortab that he looked like a drunk frat boy. And another one of our patients brought us all doughnuts. Yummy. =) AND The ice cream cart came around on Friday...which was hilarious - everyone perked up (nurses, patients, respiratory therapists...) and helped themselves to free popsicles, snickers ice cream bars and more. It was a much needed break on our floor. 

Did I mention that next week I am working three nights in a row? Like 7pm to 7am. HA. HAHAHAHA. Part of my 9-week orientation. We shall see how THAT goes.

I'll leave you with a picture i took one morning I took before work. I have seen way too many dawns already. Meh.

The Pros and Cons of Nursing... so far

Pros:

- Providing comfort and care for people while they are at their most vulnerable.

- Meeting and interacting with a wide variety of people, in a wide variety of situations. (Sad, happy, funny...)

- Tons of gross stuff to "oooh and ahhh" over. (Like my patient the other day...his remaining foot had three black toes and a lot of dead foot...)

- Fast paced, CRAZY-ASS environment (I'll look at the clock and say, "Shit! How is it 2:30 already???")

Cons:

- Making my husband wash his hands after hugging me when I get home (because my patient was positive for C diff... you don't want to know...)

- Patients who argue with me about how medications work...

- Physicians who don't write complete orders (sorry, "Heparin dosing with bolus" is not a complete order)

- Hospital administration who decide that we can go with 8 patients per nurse on night shift...WITH a float nurse

- Getting to work at 6:30 am ...and leaving at 8:25 PM.

Yesh. I had a long day. And yesh, nursing is really hard in many ways. But I think I like it.

- Dani