It really is the little things sometimes
Looking forward to having a week off now! Wednesday and Thursday were very good days, but it's sure nice to have a break. Also the fact that I can enjoy the rest of my Spring Break! I suppose I will start with Wednesday. The first patient I had ended up being transferred after a suspected CVA. Sweet lady. Very quiet but still appreciative of what I did. Then we got a new admit who I had for the rest of Wednesday and all of Thursday. Super awesome lady. I went home that night thinking that when I eventually get older I can be like her. Such a good spirit; funny and always made me laugh. She thanked me by name after everything that I did. She needed an IV for an infusion of PRBC's, so I was given the first attempt. It blew. My preceptor attempted, and it also blew. We enlisted in the help of another nurse. Blew the first time, not the second. And in all four attempts she was just smiling and talking to her daughter in law. Didn't care at all. Didn't even flinch really. Anyway, she was an absolute joy to care for, both on Wednesday and Thursday. On Thursday she had to have an EGD done, which I got to see! It was pretty darn cool actually. My preceptor asked the staff beforehand if I could watch. You know, the "Oh she's a student. Can she watch?" Not that it was in anyway demeaning towards me, but....in the past I've been given "that look" where everyone's just like "oh well now there's an extra body in here. Put her in the corner and tell her not to touch anything." Honestly that's what I was expecting. But that's not what happened at all! One of the anesthesiology techs (the patient required conscious sedation) moved me to where I could see and was telling me what was going on. He then wished me luck at the end of the procedure since I told him I was graduating in May. It was awesome! Really was! I miss that lady. When I walked into her room in the morning she laughed at me and said "uh oh. Here comes trouble." I said "you better run while you get the chance." She laughed. Sweet lady. God bless her.
Then onto my other patient. He definitely gave me a new experience that I had never experienced; he was homeless. He had a very questionable lifestyle and was admitted with meningitis...thank goodness I was vaccinated. He also had cirrhosis and elevated ammonia levels; he was so jaundiced I thought he was African American because his skin was so dark. And then there were estranged family issues that I won't bother to delve into, but all in all it was a very sad situation. He was a challenge to take care of, but I feel I did the best I could. My preceptor said that he pretty much needed some TLC, so that's what I did. I always walk into a patient's room with a mindset of well, what if that was someone I knew? Patients shouldn't be treated any differently whether they're vented, fully ambulatory or because of high ammonia levels can't talk to you. I always have a bigger heart for the vented or those who can't talk for some reason. They can't tell you what they need, where they're hurting or how they're feeling. We can always assume, but that's never enough for me. I'm still thinking about that patient. I'm sitting in a warm(ish) apartment, typing on a laptop, I had a good dinner tonight and I've got a fridge and freezer full of food. I'm 22 years old, almost 23 and in good health. I have a job, not a very well-paying one, but I have one. I can tell you if I'm scared or where I'm hurting. This guy....I don't know what his fate looks like. All I know is he's at another hospital, probably still unable to verbally communicate. He's probably scared. It's almost like he was trapped in his own body. And he's made some very poor choices in his life. I just wonder how he ended up the way he is now and how I ended up where I am. Count your blessings tonight. We are really so fortunate and we take for granted so many of the little things. My heart breaks for this man, and I pray that he would find someone or something to turn his life around. He had a Pastor friend who came to visit and left a note at his bedside.
"Hey (name has been removed). I was here. Please get better soon. God's with you. Love (name has been removed)"
# of days completed: 15
# of hours remaining: 60
Then onto my other patient. He definitely gave me a new experience that I had never experienced; he was homeless. He had a very questionable lifestyle and was admitted with meningitis...thank goodness I was vaccinated. He also had cirrhosis and elevated ammonia levels; he was so jaundiced I thought he was African American because his skin was so dark. And then there were estranged family issues that I won't bother to delve into, but all in all it was a very sad situation. He was a challenge to take care of, but I feel I did the best I could. My preceptor said that he pretty much needed some TLC, so that's what I did. I always walk into a patient's room with a mindset of well, what if that was someone I knew? Patients shouldn't be treated any differently whether they're vented, fully ambulatory or because of high ammonia levels can't talk to you. I always have a bigger heart for the vented or those who can't talk for some reason. They can't tell you what they need, where they're hurting or how they're feeling. We can always assume, but that's never enough for me. I'm still thinking about that patient. I'm sitting in a warm(ish) apartment, typing on a laptop, I had a good dinner tonight and I've got a fridge and freezer full of food. I'm 22 years old, almost 23 and in good health. I have a job, not a very well-paying one, but I have one. I can tell you if I'm scared or where I'm hurting. This guy....I don't know what his fate looks like. All I know is he's at another hospital, probably still unable to verbally communicate. He's probably scared. It's almost like he was trapped in his own body. And he's made some very poor choices in his life. I just wonder how he ended up the way he is now and how I ended up where I am. Count your blessings tonight. We are really so fortunate and we take for granted so many of the little things. My heart breaks for this man, and I pray that he would find someone or something to turn his life around. He had a Pastor friend who came to visit and left a note at his bedside.
"Hey (name has been removed). I was here. Please get better soon. God's with you. Love (name has been removed)"
# of days completed: 15
# of hours remaining: 60
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