Happy, a bit stressed, but satisfied and blessed.

Sooooo...it's no surprise that I really do love my job.

This past weekend was Easter weekend, and I admit I was already a bit on edge already. I had worked a full weekend by covering for a co worker on Friday, then Saturday and yesterday (Easter Sunday) was my weekend to work. Saturday was pretty stressful; cigarettes being eaten after dinner, tempers flaring and playing a game of run around with the doctor throughout the shift had me calling it the Saturday dramarama hour. I prayed and prayed driving home Saturday night that Sunday would be better. Well, thank goodness that God answers prayers. Of course there was just the general unit weirdness with a few weird episodes thrown into the mix, but overall it was a much better night than Saturday. I worked with a fellow co worker that I've developed a pretty good rapport with; he agreed to help me out yesterday due to Saturday's craziness. One thing I love about my job is that no matter what unit I have worked on, I get a clear sense that the staff has each other's back. You're not left hung to dry in a situation on your own. And when you're counting on a crazy few days, that is a reminder you are so glad to have. After the fiascos, a patient came up to me yesterday and said "I don't know how you all do it." My response? Lots of practice and a good team.

It's a good feeling to me when you leave at the end of the day an even though the crap hit the fan at times during the day or week, you just tell yourself "I did ok." And it's even better when you look up in the stars and thank God He's on your side. That was me coming home last night. It was late, I got stuck at a never ending traffic light, but I still left work feeling accomplished. Had a patient come up to me and tell me "miss Kelly. I like all the staff here but you are one of the best nurses. You're quick, efficient and always so nice. You do a good job." I mean, seriously?! I don't expect to get thanked for the work I do, but my goodness that made my day. Sometimes you get told thank-you in different ways. I've often been told "wow your job must be hard" or "I could never do that" and yeah I've heard it all and in between. But the way I see it is this; yes, my job is very hard; I'm not trying to put myself on a pedestal but I think it's one of the hardest in the world. Had a friend who was also a nurse who just seemed to never have a good day. She worked on a med/surg floor, something she hated to do, but turned down doing something she loved because the med/surg position payed better. Now I'm not one to judge, but just let your mind wander. It would be the tiniest of things that would make her day "bad." Our definitions of bad are totally different. Saturday for me was pretty bad. When other patients were coming to me and telling me they didn't feel safe, that's bad. When I was scared for their safety and for mine, that's bad. When I was figuring out what to do to keep a patient calm so he wouldn't hurt himself or someone else and couldn't think of anything that would touch him as the unit charge nurse, that's bad. Praise God I had good co workers and a supervisor who was willing to always be there, and continuing praise to Him that nobody was hurt and at the end of the night every body was safe.

The way I see it is this; no matter where you are in life or what job you do or don't do, I encourage you to rethink your definition of a "bad day." Was it really a bad day or just a bad moment? I'm still trying to think what my definition is. If you let one little tiny negative thing make you throw in the towel and just say oh screw it, then well....there's going to be a lot of bad days. Hate to say it. But yes, Saturday was scary, but even THAT wasn't overall a bad day...just scary and stressful if anything. But I pray, focus on the good, remember the good compliments patients give me, go home at night and rest knowing the patients were safe when I walked out the door. And the cycle repeats.