Holidays

I will miss seeing all the scarlet and gray when I leave here. Maybe I'll be back for football season...probably not though. The work here is just not worth it. I work twice as hard here as in the west for half the cash. The gray also describes the sky most days. I still don't know why people stay here all their lives...the weather really pretty much stinks.
So, the holiday is Monday, but, if you work night shift, the holiday is Sunday night. This hospital pays all 12 hours of holiday pay on Sunday. Guess who doesn't get to work in Sunday? The travelers. But, we're scheduled Friday and Saturday, Monday and Tuesday...pretty slick. If it was Christmas or New Years you can bet we would have been scheduled. Just a little irritating, makes me want to call off on Monday night.
The morale is just so awful on the unit it can be so draining. All night hearing nothing but complaints being thrown freely about the floor. You would think they would complain to someone who could change things, like their boss. But, instead they just complain about her. Just one more reason not to become staff, it's too easy to get caught up in the complaining and I just don't want to go there.
I am still waiting to hear from a hospital in California for an interview. The company I was with in Arizona will take me back, but, I have to come down a week early to get another physical (which was done in August of last year) and take a couple of tests. At this point, I am not willing to give up a week of pay to do that. I think it's totally ridiculous since I was there less than 3 months ago. I suppose I could go back to the same hospital with a different company but the pay would be $4 less an hour. It's a toss up...maybe I'll just wait till it's cooler there like I originally planned. I will be missing my friends though, hopefully they won't mind too much and we can pick right up where we left off. I will probably end up going there alone as well so, it could be a totally different experience. My husband will most likely be staying behind here in Columbus to further a new business we started. We've done it before, it's not fun, but you have to be willing to do what it takes to get the end result you want.I would just like to work a little less hard for my money, ya know?
Hope you all have a great holiday or at least got some good holiday pay. Remember first do no harm.

A change of pace

Well sports fans...this is one of the things I will miss when I leave Ohio. I am a huge Cleveland sports fan, sad but true. I love the Indians and the Browns. I love to watch Ohio State football as well. I think I got it from my mother. Funny thing is I married a guy who doesn't know sports. He could care less if it's football season or baseball season. He does, however, care about keeping me happy...which is most important...cuz we all know if the wife ain't happy...ain't nobody happy. So, Saturday night at work he text messaged me with a picture of an Indians ticket and asked me if I wanted to go. It helped me get through the night I tell ya. Sunday was a little rough, trying to sleep in the truck while he drove the 2 1/2 hours to Cleveland. It was typical Cleveland weather, gray and cool and a little damp but, I didn't care. Our seats were pretty good for being free. Oh, yeah, he got them off of Craig's list for free. My sister and her boyfriend go to all the games, he has season tickets, so we went to see them after the 7th inning stretch. That's were we got the first picture...just an awesome view. Plus, the Indians won!!! It was a great day.

Now we are in the hunt for a new job. I am not thrilled with my company, or my recruiter, so we are searching elsewhere. One company I am trying is called Nurse choice..check out their website..www.nursechoice.com. It gives you the pay rate right on the first page. I have been submitted to Tucson AZ, St.Mary's hospital. Almost all the hospitals in AZ belong to an association who decides the pay for the state it's 28 or 30/hr. This particular hospital doesn't belong to the association so they can pay more, which is the only reason I would consider heading back to the desert in June and July. Ok, maybe it's not the only reason, I do miss my friends..you know who you are. And it's not far to drive to Phoenix to see them.

I am considering a couple of other companies, we'll see what they come up with. I don't enjoy the hunt. It's like looking for a new car. You know what you want and the money you want but no one seems to have the exact thing so, you have to pick from what they have to offer. It can be frustrating. And, the closer you get to the time you want to leave, the more frustrating it gets. Will keep you updated.

Remember first do no harm.

Questions

Ok folks there are these things running around the blog world called MEME's. Basically someone asks you five questions and you answer them. kinda like a get to know you type thing. My questions come from a blogging friend Jleonard at Adventures in nursing. So,here we go with the questions:
1. Being a female, what are the top five pick up lines used on you? And did they work?
Uh, pick up lines, I'm trying to remember. Pick up lines.... I got nothin. Are you looking for some new ones? lol.

2.You are to be sent to a deserted island. You can not take a cell phone. What do you take and why?
No cell phone, no recruiters calling me while I'm trying to sleep!!! How long am I staying on the island? I need more information. I probably would take a box of lighters and matches (I assume it gets cold at night and I hate to be cold), sun tan lotion (I don't like to burn), a new bikini (with little food it will be a great time to diet and I'll be looking hot in no time),that stuff that purifies water (assuming it's salt water), a knife, and a tent (to keep out the bugs, I don't like them either). There's a lot more I could bring, but, I assume I'd have to carry it all, so I can live with that.

3.Your luggage is lost at the airport. What would you miss most?
Being a traveler, I am used to replacing my stuff when I forget it or lose it... if it's the luggage from question #2 I am pissed!!! I need all that stuff!

4. Where would you like to retire to and why?
It's funny people usually ask when I am going to stop traveling and where I want to live...but I want to retire to the Rocky mountains. Some place like Estes Park Colorado, absolutely beautiful scenery, and peaceful.

5.You are a tape worm in a celebrities small intestine. Who is it and why?
Ok, I just want to say gross. I would have to pick Mario Batale the chef...have you seen him? He eats whatever he wants and he's a chef so it's all the best food.

So, who's next for the interrogation?

You too can get in on the fun of the FIVE QUESTIONS., Here are the Interview Meme rules:1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Nurses week gifts

Tell me what things your company or hospital has done for you for nurses week. My current travel company sent me a plastic light that attaches to the bell of my stethoscope. I am unsure of the purpose, I don't remember finding a heart beat with a light before...maybe I'll give it a try (lol). I think it might be for checking pupils, perhaps they are encouraging me to multitask and check them as I am headed to the chest to check the heart beat all in one sweeping motion. Can you picture it? Maybe it would work if the patient would hold their eyes open with their fingers for you... aahhhh, that's funny.
Oh, and I got another one of those stretchy thingys to hang my badge from. They always seems to turn my name and my face around. No matter how many times I turn it so my face can be seen, someone is always asking my name and when I look down to see if maybe they can't read,I see that my badge has once again turned around to face me. Maybe it's trying to rub off that awful picture I took, nah, couldn't be just a design flaw I'm sure.
So, my last day at work was much better. I still got an admission but, only one. Last week when I worked I didn't think I would make it through the shift. My night started out with one patient asking for pain meds, one alzheimers patient, and one with a heart rate of 170. I asked the nurse who had given me report how long the patients heart rate had been high, she said she couldn't remember but they had been telling her that it was high. She said she was just really busy. At least she called the doctor before she left. I went and told the charge nurse, so maybe she could come and help me, but she just said oh,ok. So, I gave the cardizem bolus, the charge nurse looked at me crazy when I asked her to keep an eye on the monitor for me while I was giving it. Reluctantly she turned the monitor on at the nurses station and sat back down. Then it was every 3 hours dilaudid for one patient with zofran in between. She was going for surgery in the morning so I had the check list to do and she was going to have an insulin gtt after midnight as well. So, there's two drips. I have an alzheimers patient who's lungs sound awful. I got her a breathing treatment, then the GI doc comes in and says she needs Mag citrate so she can get a PEG in the morning. I was a little confused, but, she couldn't drink it...dysphagia, so I had to put down an NG. Plus I had 3 other patients, luckily they were pretty stable. I mentioned to the charge nurse that I was having a hard time and she said oh I know isn't it busy? And walked away. Finally, at midnight ,when I was just about to lose it completely, she appeared and said she had come to help me and ,by the way, she was giving me an admission. Yeah, it was a fun night. Then last time I worked I got called into the asst mgrs office because the charge nurse from the other night had written me up. She wrote me up for giving iv dilaudid that was ordered for my patient because we are supposed to try p.o. first. The patient had refused the p.o. but I didn't chart it, apparently it warrants charting at this facility. I said the nurse before me told me she had tried p.o. but the patient had refused but, I guess we have to chart that they refused every shift...what a pain in the butt...that's the stuff that makes me hate nursing...it slows me down.

Nothing else for nurses week, just a card from my sister the nurse. She always remembers to send a card. Hope yours was a good one.

Remember first do no harm

Happy Nurses Week

Thought you all might get a kick out of this picture. We often talk about the Jesus bus coming to get our patients, but how often do we actually see it? I hope when mine comes it's in a little better shape! I thought I would write about the good parts of nursing and leave the dark side for a while.
Nursing has been a great career. I have been able to travel to some really awesome places. I've ridden a horse in Rocky Mountain National Park. I've stayed in a little cabin by a river in Estes Park Colorado. I've picked shells off the beach in Maine at sunrise which was breathtaking. I've driven on Daytona Beach and seen all the bikers during Bike week. I've para sailed over a beautiful Florida lake. I've seen cactus wrapped in Christmas lights. I've watched sea lions play in the Pacific. I've watched hot air balloons hover over the hospital in Napa. And I've watched the full circle season of the grape vines, from dry looking twigs to lush green to harvest.
I have met some of the best people. I wish I had the space to name each one. So many have made the extra effort to make me feel at home in their cities and hospitals. I wish I could put all my favorite nurses to work with together on one unit, then I might actually take another staff position. All of my friends from Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Hts Ohio, Florida Hospital Orlando,Mercy Southwest in Bakersfield,Good Samaritan in Phoenix and The Queen of the Valley in Napa. I am especially glad to have met all of my traveler friends, they have given me some good tips over the years.
I have seen some interesting patients and disease processes. I never would have known about Valley Fever if I hadn't gone west of the Mississippi. I have seen patients who had robot assisted coronary bypass surgery, never thought I'd see that. I've taken care of inmates in a locked unit, never thought I'd ever do that either.
All in all ,I think without travel nursing I wouldn't be this happy. I want to thank my mother and my sister for inspiring me to become a good nurse like them. I want to tell everyone how proud I am of my niece who started out as a CVICU nurse.She is now getting her masters and is helping to run a pain clinic. She does it all, works, goes to school and has 2 beautiful children to take care of. I have no idea how she does it. Just amazing.
Lots of days, if I take them by themselves, I would tell you how much I dislike my job. The day to day stuff is hard to do, in some places more so than others. But, if you look at it over all, it's not a bad life. Thanks Florence, nursing is nothing like it was when you were alive. I wonder if she is glad when she looks down to see what it's become?
Anyway, I hope everyone of you has a great nurses week. I hope you get massages and get fed and get presents, maybe even a little extra in your check. Maybe you'll even get that rogue card in the mail from someone who remembers that it's nurses week.
Remember first do no harm.