Monday, June 16, 2014

Best Of, Worst Of

I bagged a four hour princess shift as a float (in the ER) in which our rooms were at 60% all day.   This followed on the heels of a 10 hour shift in which I could not get anything done because we were so short staffed.  

For 4 hours I leisurely wandered around from nurse pod to nurse pod, chatting, occasionally doing some work when requested, and a lot of transport.  So it was a fairly boring day but no stress.  That's a nice change.  Day shift has it made, too bad I hate to get up in the morning.
Here are the highlights.

Best Transfer of the Day:  an 18 month old bound for peds.  In a stroller, no IV, sound asleep.  Chart in hand, I led the mom off the floor and was back in the ER in 2 minutes.

Second Best Transfer of the Day:  a demented 80 year old to the medical floor.  The floor nurse and an LNA appeared magically (there can be no other explanation) immediately upon my arrival to transfer the patient from the cot to the bed, completely prepared along with the slide board and IV pole with pump attached.  Wow.  This should be number one, actually.

Best IV Start of the Day:  anemic, pale, tachy,  45 year old who asked for "the best sticker in the ER because she was a tough stick".  I was the oldest.  I won.  One stick.  I was compared favorably with the Best Paramedic on the Planet (she said she called to inquire if he was working before coming to the ER) by the grateful patient.

Best Provider Encounter of the Day: the nice PA asked me "hey, when do I get to work with you again?" as I passed her in the hallway.  Tomorrow.  A genuine "Oh, yay, happy dance!".

Best Cup of Dunks of the Day: The one I bought on the way to work.  As I usually do.  This is only on the list because the one I bought yesterday tasted like soap.  Seriously, I had to throw it away, and wasn't I pissed about that.

Best Meal of the Week:  Yummy salad that I actually got to eat.  Because my last shift I got to the cafe 1 minute after they locked the doors and had to resort to a meal of peanut butter in a teeny cup and a couple of saltines.  And a lot of water in the soapy Dunks cup that i rinsed out.

There is no worst.  I lied.  

In closing, I let my happy little dog off the leash, in the woods, for the first time in months to chase a chipmunk or two (she had surgery in April) and ate ice cream for dinner.  I shared it with her.  A good day for me is a good day for my dog.  

Day 5 of my captivity…..I ate the cone of shame.  I 'm not sorry.