Marathon for computer charting

Well, I made it. We are the last of the Banner hospitals in Arizona to go live with their computer charting. I worked the whole first week. Since I used the system before I got to be a "super user" and spent the last 3 days of last week helping the nurses find their way. I have a new appreciation for those of you who know how to type, even just a little. The hardest part was helping to teach those who don't use a computer at home on a regular basis. If you have to study the key board to find the letters, you should have practiced. If you cannot click and drag, you should have practiced. If you cannot scroll without clicking your mouse a bazilion times, you should have practiced.
The biggest thing I learned, a new tool doesn't change old bad habits. If you want to pull all your meds for all your patients for the whole day, you'll still find a way to do it, even with a newer better system. If you didn't check the meds against the mar and check the name band before you gave them before we got computer charting...you won't now.
All I can do is never let my family members go to the hospital or stay in the hospital alone.
Non noc nocere.

Happy Nurses Week

Well, it's that time again. Nurses week, it used to be a day...now it's a week. The hospitals usually give you some free food and some free stuff and say they appreciate us. I think about god old Florence, she did it because she cared about people and wanted to make them feel better when they were sick and hurting. I'll bet her patients were mighty grateful for every little thing she did for them. Her nursing was about fluffing the pillows and keeping them clean, dry and warm. Have we lost sight of that somewhere along the way? Some days it seems like nurses just come to work to see their friends and check their email or surf the Internet. Some days it's like we are there just to pass out pills and food. This May 6th (Florence's birthday) I am going to honor her by wearing all white. I try everyday to be the best nurse I can be to my patients. Looking back, yeah there was a time in my career that I cared more about seeing my friends than taking care of my patients. Traveling has helped to cure a lot of that, when I start somewhere I don't have any friends to worry about. I focus a lot more on my patients needs than what the other nurses did over the weekend. I think that's what it's about. Being the best nurse you can be, every day, like Florence did. Have a great nurses week!
Non Noc Nocere

The Code

Hey all...yeah it happens to all of us. I was transport nurse for 8 hours then took over for a nurse that went home. Things were great at 4pm...all of my patients were happy and healthy just waiting to go home in the next day or so. My best patient had finished her walk around the unit with her chest tube and was sitting in her chair visiting with her friend... when her friend came out and said that her friend (my patient) felt dizzy. I went immediately to her room after checking the monitor and she said she felt dizzy, we immediately got her back to bed and by then she couldn't complete a sentence and her pupils were fully dilated. We coded her for about a half an hour. Thank goodness her friend was there because she was in PEA for a while. It was devastating to me. I hate to code patients,especially my patients, but this one I knew there was nothing I could do. As we laid her down in the bed, she couldn't form a complete sentence, and she looked into my eyes and started to cry. It is really a strange predicament to be in. But, it really makes you think of your life and how quickly it can change. (She didn't make it)
Ok, on to better subjects...today is my birthday. It has been a great day..ok so all of my siblings didn't call or email me happy birthday..but my friend Jeanett called from Ohio to say she missed me at the Louie Run today ( a motorcycle ride named for a guy in North East Ohio that benefits lots of different charities) and my friend Frank called from Kentucky. Frank has the same birthday as me and is married to one of my best friends Frankie. We took a boat ride on Saguaro Lake with our friends Don, Jeannie, and Shirley. We had a great day and went to the marina diner for lunch and it was a great day.
I am still waiting for the bank to decide if I am going to get this house or not but I am finally stabilized here for another 3 months...at least till the end of August. So, another year and none the worse for wear. Non noc nocere.

Waitin on a contract

So, I'm waiting on 2 contracts right now. Number one is for the house pictured above. It is in the neighborhood right next to our apartment. It is a foreclosure and has been vacant for a year. Yeah, the pool is a little low and green... the weeds are a little high in this picture...luckily the HOA has since cut them down for us. The inspection is done but we are still waiting for the OK from the lender...so that's one contract. We are hoping to buy this house at a discount, live in it for a year or two and then sell it for a profit.
The second contract I am waiting for is from Banner for an extension to stay working at the hospital I am in now. About a month ago I asked my boss if she needed me for the summer and she said she wouldn't know for a few weeks. So, now that it is getting close to being a month away from the end of my contract, and with everyone elses contracts ending the end of May too, we are all getting a little nervous. I would just like to be able to stay at this facility for a little longer. I like the people I work with for the most part and the work is not very annoying. Let's just say I can tolerate it for a few months longer. At a increased rate of pay, because I will get a housing stipend instead of an apartment...that stipend should pay my mortgage, plus I will still get my same hourly rate. Of course at the other end I will not get a bunch of write offs for my next years taxes but, I'm ok with that.
All that aside I had a very phlegm filled week this week. Our cardiac unit has turned respiratory on me. I had 2 COPDer's , one CP and a suicide. Yesterday my suicide was discharged to inpatient psych and I got an ESLD. My least favorite was the 49 year old Cerebral Palsy patient...he was nice enough but barely functional and just coughing and coughing and I was so afraid he was going to choke when I fed him. Speech therapy said he was ok, just a delayed swallow, just not in my comfort zone. But, I have 2 days off and next week is another week.
Remember non noc nocere.

Poem Crabby Old Man

This is a great story whether true or not...

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in North Platte, Nebraska,
it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions,
They found this poem.
Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.
One nurse took her copy to Missouri.
The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health.
A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.
And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this ' anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.
Crabby Old Man
What do you see nurses? .What do you see?
What are you thinking.....when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man, ...not very wise,Uncertain of habit ........with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food.......and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice.....'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice ..the things that you do.
And forever is losing .......... A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not...........lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?
Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse......you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .....as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten.......with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .........who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen .with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now. ......a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty ..my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows......that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now ........ I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide .... And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty ......... My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other ...... With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons ..have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me.......to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, . Babies play ' round my knee,
Again, we know children ....... My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me .. My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ..............I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing......young of their own.
And I think of the years....... And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man.........and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles..........grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone........where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass .. A young guy still dwells,
And now and again .......my battered heart swells
I remember the joys........... I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living.............life over again.
I think of the years .all too few......gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact........that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .......open and see..
Not a crabby old man.
Look closer....see........ME!!
Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within.....
we will all, one day, be there, too!

More days off

This tomb is in Papago park next to the Phoenix zoo...it is a great place to look out over the city...especially at sunset. It was one of our stops with my niece because it's right next to the hole in the rock.
I had another 3 days off this week for my husband's birthday. We didn't do anything spectacular but we did go house hunting. Hey, what can I say ,it's what he wanted to do. We found a cute little house right down the street from our apartment that has been vacant for almost a year...sounds about right for us. It is a 3 bedroom 2 bath with a pool...we'll see what happens.
Work has been frustrating because we still have our doctor's father. I feel badly for the doc...trying so hard to keep dad comfortable. We have been having some staffing issues...people not showing up for their shift and late call offs. Sometimes it can't be avoided...and I prefer if you call instead of not showing up at all or coming in and then leaving because you don't feel well. You know you don't feel well when you get up so, just take the points or the attitude from the staffing people and call. Don't, don't, don't think you will feel better once you get to work because you will just end up going home and leaving everyone in a worse position.
I have to ask...how many people will go into work if the staffing office calls you and asks you to come in? Does it depend on how you feel? How much they beg? Do you even answer the phone? Would you be more likely to say yes if they called you the night before if you are a dayshift person? When is a good time to call a nightshift person to come in? How likely are you to stay a couple of extra hours if you are already at work and the next shift is short?
Here's my position. I will pick up extra days when it is convenient for me...not 4 in a row or more ...don't even ask me if I have been there for more than 2 days in a row. Call me the night before if you have an idea...I will most likely not come in if you call and wake my butt up at 5:30 am and ask me to come in. Now, when I was working agency, that was the norm, I had to wait for them to call and tell me where I was going to work that day so I was up anyway. It also depends on my wallet...and how much cash I need. What's your take on it? Just wondering.
Remember first do no harm.

Desert in bloom

What a great week! We went for a little nature hike one day and got to see the desert in bloom...some really vibrant colors. Not a lot of color, which makes it even bettre just splashes here and there. I had so much fun sitting by the pool and shopping with my niece. We took her to a little restaurant that we had gone to with our friends. They serve a lot of senior citizens...lots of cheap food...it was fun. We went to the workout room at the apartment complex and played racket ball as well. It was fun playing the cool Aunt.
Went back to work on Saturday and Sunday, nothing too exciting. The boss actually came in on Saturday. She told me one of my crazy patients had called administration and told them how nice I was. Yeah, how much weight does that statement hold when they know he's crazy? Does it just show my attraction for the bizarre? This is a guy who has been admitted to the hospital 15 times since the beginning of the year...not to mention all the times he was in the ED and was not admitted...for chest pain. When I had him he got a Psych eval and the Psychiatrist even said he was and odd bird...she couldn't tell if he was schizophrenic, drug seeking or just plain odd.At least he didn't tell them I was crazy,huh?
Headed to class today...at least I got to sleep in. It's a refresher so, hopefully I'll retain something. Then tomorrow, it's back out to the pool. Yeah, traveling sucks.
Remember first do no harm.

a week off

Yep, a whole week off...one extra day cuz I was sick. Beware of food brought in for "pot luck". I usually have a pretty strong stomach, but it really got me. Easter dinner...better with family. So, my neice is here for a week. I get to play the cool Aunt..as close to being a Mom as I ever wanted. Seems weird what with everyone else in my family having one or more off spring. I'm lucky I just get to enjoy them all. So, we will be spending a lot of time at the above scene...the pool, so she can got back home to the frozen north with a little tan and make her friends jealous. My oldest sister is in the happiest place on earth...Disneyland...don't envy her. She is there with her 4 kids and 5 grandkids...sounds like fun to some...can't wait to see the pics. Be safe and find some time to enjoy a day off.
Remember non noc nocere.

Busy,busy,busy

Well, this is one of my favorite places...it's called the hole in the rock. It's in Papago Park in Phoenix. It doesn't look like it from this picture but you can stand in the hole and look out over the city. We stopped there on our way home from a baseball game last week. Yep, baseball is alive and well in the Cactus league..we saw the D-backs and the A's. It was actually a pretty hot day...about 85 and sunny.
My nephew has made the trip to Iraq...he is currently about 11km southeast of Baghdad. Still doesn't seem real to me. Please keep him in your prayers.
Got some bad news from a traveler friend, her husband's sister's body was found Tuesday near a lake in York PA. She was a high school teacher and had gone out for a hike Sunday and went missing. They suspect foul play but are awaiting the autopsy results.It just makes me shake my head, what is happening to this country when you can't even go for a hike in rural PA and return safely? Please also keep them in your thoughts.
I've been working my 4 to 5 twelve hour shifts a week. It's been really heavy at work...one of my patients was on the floor the other morning when I went in to see him...ya gotta love to start your day that way. We had to use the Get-a-lift to get him off the floor...he's a big guy and really sick too. I was really impressed, even the nurse manager came in to help. I've had a couple of nice old guys the last couple of days as well, they love to talk about the state of the country. I love to get the time to talk to them, some of them have such great stories.
Well, headed out to the game again...Cubs vs. Rockies...be back with pics.
Remember first do no harm.

One of those patients

We've all had them...the patient that just won't leave...every time you go into work you just hope they have gone home or to another floor or anywhere that you won't have to take care of them. It's not that they are a difficult patient or even really sick...maybe that's what irritates me. I like my patients to come in sick and go home better not linger in annoyanceville forever. Mine most recent one is still on the unit and I have had him everyday that I have worked now for 2 weeks straight. He has TGV(transposition of the great vessels of the heart) and he needs a transplant...the doc is trying to prove it by bringing him in and putting him on dobutamine, now he's dobutamine dependant. It's a fight with the insurance where to send him for the transplant...but he's not even on the list yet. Makes going to work just a little more annoying.

Had a great trip to Las Vegas...saw the new Palazzo and a great little place just off the strip called Tuscany.It's always changing, they are building a lot of new stuff. We followed our friends advice and took the southern route from Phoenix into Las Vegas. We got to go through little towns like Searchlight Nevada...plus we hit Arizona, California and Nevada...always a plus to hit as many states as possible in your travels. The ever present question...did we win...well, yeah we won some we lost some but, it didn't affect our financial standing so, it was a good trip. Still waiting to hit the big one...as always first do no harm.

CPR

Nothing wakes you up faster in the morning than a code.It was not my patient but I found myself there in the room...the monitor looked like V-Tach and the alarms were going off.I went quickly to the room asking who's patient she was. I looked at her and knew she was not breathing. My second responder (her nurse) entered the room and I told her to call the code...I flattened her bed and suddenly the room was full of people...the ambu bag was being tossed to the head of the bed, as I was putting it together the resp. therapist appeared and started bagging. I started the compressions, then came the AED pads and finally the backboard. I asked for a switch and the next person stepped in after the first shock...still no viable rhythm. More drugs ,more CPR, the ET tube was finally in and another shock and she was back...now, the entire room is completely full of people,student nurses are in the door way looking in with a look of shock,terror, and awe on their faces. You know they are thinking I hope that never happens to me. Well, me too but, it will. The patient was sent off to the ICU. Our patient population is getting older and sicker and the people who are in the ICU's are ones who would have been dead 10 years ago. So, the ones on the PCU's and Tele and SDU's are the ones who would have been in the ICU 10 years ago. And the patients on your med-surg floors would have been in the SDU or Tele floors and the ones who would have been on med surg are now in skilled nursing facilities or rehab centers and so on. It's scary to me, but it's reality. This is the second code I've been in since January when I got to this hospital. 2 codes in 2 months, those aren't good odds. I hope that pattern changes.
I have decided to stay here in Arizona until June, well, actually, the hospital asked if I'd stay and I accepted. Yeah, it'll be pretty hot by then,but, the money is good and the overtime is avaliable. This hospital is changing over to computer charting just like Good Sam did, so, luckily I already have had the classes and worked with the system...am easy transition for me.
Our little house in Columbus is still on the market,but we have started the search here for another one. It's a buyers market so, we hope to profit from that.
Remember first, do no harm.

Barrett Jackson '08

If you watched any of the Barrett Jackson car auction last week on Speed..you saw this boat. No, that's not me in the pic but I was there. I love being in Scottsdale in January. I cannot get enough of the cars. I remember watching it years ago before I started traveling... and just thinking how great would it be if I could go and see all those cars. And, now I've done it three times...I could walk around there for days. You could tell people are holding on to their money this year because not many cars got over $500,000. Still, it's a fun thing to do.

Work is going well, I am getting in all the extra hours I want. The floor is laid out well and they are all private rooms. No more taking care of the patient in the bed by the window and the one by the door, who is someone else's patient, asks you for something every time you go in the room. The patients are mostly cardiac, there's a little med-surg thrown in there for fun. I can't tell you how nice it is to take care of an uncomplicated cath pt or even better and AICD or a pacemaker. Yeah, the patient turn over is pretty quick but, I love it. The charge nurses are very helpful and my coworkers are friendly. I had to float the other day and they were even friendly. There are quite a few travelers and most of them are Arizona residents. It's interesting, some of them have been there over a year..pretty unheard of in other parts of the country.

The apartment is very nice and quite. It's great having our friends in walking distance. We are headed to Vegas the end of next month...lots of working till then.

First do no harm.

New assignment

This is just one of the great pics sent to my by my nephew from his training in the desert in California. I know he worked his butt off and I hope all the training will keep him safe when he has to go to war.
I had my first day of orientation yesterday at Desert Hospital in Mesa. I so got off the hook. Since I just left Good Sam I didn't have to take any tests or stay for the computer class. Yeah! I didn't even have to get a new badge..I'm most happy about that. Lets face it, I have to get a new badge just about every 3 months. I do not photograph well most of the time so, when I get a picture I like I want to keep it. So, even though it was raining it was a good day. I was there about an hour and a half, got to see the unit where I will be working and met the manager. Then I was pretty much done. The rest of the week looks to be measuring up pretty much the same. I work about 8 hours tomorrow and 4 hours on Thursday. I get to orient of Friday and Saturday then on my own on Sunday...pretty easy week...then only 12 more to go.
Love, love, love the new apartment. It's so quiet and it's nice to have friends so close by. This place has a great workout room...lots of weight machines and 3 treadmills, 1 bike, 1 elliptical and 2 racket balls courts. I talked my husband into buying rackets and he actually went with me yesterday. We had a blast..next time we are going to look up the rules before we go. We just had a great time trying to hit the ball...neither one of us got hurt too badly. I got him in the nose with the ball once and we each got ourselves a couple of times. But, we stayed there for an hour!
I can only hope that trend continues!
Remember first do no harm!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year all. We had an awesome New Years Eve. I worked until 7:30 but it was an easy day. We drove to our traveler friends apartment..we were a little worried because or the Insight bowl ending in Tempe (yeah Pokes!) and road closures for the block party afterward. Luckily the freeway was not too busy and we got to our destination without a problem. It was a nice quiet evening, some tv and some poker with a splash of Napa Valley Sparkling wine. I hope it was a great night for all of you as well and I hope you all made some good resolutions. May the year of the Rat prove to be prosperous for all of us!! Non noc nocere.

Christmas spirit

There really is a Christmas spirit and it is alive and well. I have to share this story. A nice little old (80) lady, healthy and does everything for herself, lives alone. While driving to church, somehow got off the freeway before her exit, as she was driving down the road she runs into the curb and stops. A man following her stops and walks up to her door and asks if she needs help. She feels confused and says I don't know. He walks her to his vehicle, helps her inside then goes back to move her car to a parking lot. He asks where she was headed and she tells him to church, she is starting to remember now, at first she gives him the right name but the wrong address, then she says no and gives him the right address. He drives her to church and along the way calls her son to tell him what has happened. The stranger walks her into church and helps her sit down, then he's gone...She gets help from the other parishoners to get communion then to sit back down. Her son comes in and sits next to her, after the service she asks her son to take her back to her car...he says I think you should go to the hospital, she actually agrees and takes her to the hospital. She is doesn't remember why she turned off the freeway, that few minutes are just gone...but wow, was she lucky. All of her symptoms are gone and it was most likely a TIA but, how badly that scene could have turned out. It really made my day to hear that story.I hope it helps renew your belief in Christmas and the good left in the world. Merry Christmas and non noc nocere.

what do you think

Yep, that's me, Standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona...we stopped there on our trip back from Oklahoma in November. We had stopped in Winslow before but never went to the corner. It was a nice day...a little cool then but they have been getting snow lately, it's up in the high country. Just one of those places you have to stop and see.

So, here's the scenario. 56 year old hispanic male comes in post op from ortho surgery after trauma, lets say he was hit by a car, it was a right femur fracture. He gets 2 units of blood post op. He codes at about 1am and doesn't make it. No real medical history to speak of. The first unit of blood was hung at about 1330. The second not until 1900. His iv infiltrated at some point in the afternoon and that's why it took so long for the second unit to go in. A couple of side notes...the same tubing was used for both units of blood. The tourniquet was accidentally left on his arm for over an hour. There was still a pulse in the arm. So, what do you think killed him...and what was the worst nursing error. What would you do if these were your nurses? or your family member?

first do NO HARM

GSW

Another sight on I-40, the largest cross I think in the Northern Hemisphere...in Groom Texas. You know everything is bigger in Texas. My husband just loves these action shots at 80 mph driving down the freeway he'll just pull out his camera and get a shot like this...amazing.
Ok, I know it's the holiday season and we should all be of good cheer and all that but, this week has just blown me away. This trauma stuff is just pitiful. I can't tell you how many gunshot victims I have taken care of this week. And most of them have no insurance, so the wonderful state of Arizona will help pay their bill. But, you have to give them all your info like a bank statement and your birth certificate...hard to find when you are laying in the hospital after being shot. So, you get to sit there until we can find someone to get the information and then the process takes like another week.
Then there are the illegals. I spoke with the case manager this week. We have a couple of people who need to go back home...and it's not going to be a short trip. $38,000 by ambulance. The hospital tried to send one person back yesterday with a medical person to transport by commercial airplane but, they wouldn't let him on because he didn't have a passport....duh, he's going back, he didn't have a passport to get here...how do we send him back now? I say call Sheriff Joe. Just really frustrating.
Then someone tells me that Santa Claus is not allowed to say HO HO HO anymore. What is up with that? Are we afraid he's going to offend someone? He has been saying HO HO HO for hundreds of years...the hoes know he isn't talking to them. Are we that afraid of offending someone, anyone? Now he's supposed to say HA HA HA...well, who is he laughing at? Yeah, are you laughin at me? Yeah, that's so much better.Ugh. It's hard enough for me to muster up some holiday spirit then I hear something like that...just kills it.
I'm looking forward to moving to a different hospital. I will be going to Banner Desert...sounds warm huh? It's in Mesa just south and east of Phoenix. We will be getting a new apartment...yeah no more music at 3am...I think any other company would have moved me to another complex as many times as I have complained...not real happy with Banner right now. We will be in the same complex as our friends from PA. The weather here has been pretty cool and a little rainy but still better than 30 degrees and snow.
My computer guru husband added a couple of things to my blog to make it a little more interesting. Can you find all 3?

Holiday trip

We made the trip from Phoenix to Oklahoma mostly on I-40. There are a few attractions on I-40 in Texas that you just have to stop at once. We actually made a couple of fun stops just to break up the monotony of driving. One was the famous Cadillac ranch..it's by Amarillo on I-40. It was a sunny day and about 40 degrees figured we could brave it easily. Wow, we forgot about the wind..it's one of those winds that no matter which way you turned it was still in your face. Of course we weren't the only ones to stop, there were plenty of people braving the cold. There are 10 Cadillacs buried nose down and completely covered with graffiti..we added ours with a Sharpie...no spray paint available. I'm glad we stopped when we did...I had suggested stopping on our way back but when we left to come home we left at 6am and it was snowing. The pics turned out pretty good. We also stopped at the Continental Divide on our way east...no real picture taking spots there.

We had a great time in Oklahoma. It was great to see my family. Pulls at the old heart strings when you leave though. On the trip back we stopped in Winslow Arizona and took some pics there...they'll be on the next blog. Having trouble with windows vista and windows xp, they don't see to want to play together. I have to get my live in computer geek to help me.

Still waiting to go back to work...I signed up with the agency for Monday Tuesday and Wednesday...no needs...I called the hospital where I am contracted and no luck there either. I start my week tomorrow, so, we are going to find something fun to do today.

Non noc nocere.

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving all. We made the 16 hour trip to visit family in Oklahoma City, I actually got to drive a couple of hours. I am thankful for so many things...all my wonderful family, my friends, the ability to work and persue my dreams. With all the bad things we as nurses see on a daily basis, it make me thnkful for the littlest things. Hope ya'll have a great holiday and be safe wherever you travel. Thanks to those who are working today.

So Close

Looking good,huh? I spent a few days in Columbus this past week trying to help my husband finish up our house. It was a great feeling to help out. I wish time were slower. It's funny how when I am at work time is so slow but when I was at the house time flew. The last thing to do is sand the floors, we got most of the painting done while I was there. As you can see above we got the new counter tops in and a new sink with stick on tile back splash...doesn't look too bad does it?

Work has been pretty good. I have mostly been on med surg overflow...with all the other travelers so work has been fun. I have said for years I would love to open a hospital that has only experienced travelers working there. As a whole we seem to be very flexible easy going people. In general we don't complain when we get an admission or have a busy day. We ask for help when we need it and remind our fellow nurses of things that weren't done rather than writing them up. I know there are some exceptions but for the most part I would rather work with travelers than staffers. I hope that doesn't offend anyone. To their benefit, staffers do know the little subtle things of the unit and usually share them with the rest of us.

Did have some interesting patients this week. More GSW than I have had in my entire career..4 this week. Had a tough guy who had an off roading accident and sat at home for 10 days with a hemopneumothorax and a torn spleen. Amazing what drugs will do huh? Positive for meth and marijuana on admission...but how else could he have been able to stay home with that pain? Yeah, he's pretty tough, amazing he's still alive. I also had the pleasure of caring for a very sweet young woman who has recurrent melanoma with mets to the brain spine and lung...shes so positive, but it still tears at your heart. I know the ultimate outcome...just makes me sad. No other days on tele here at Good Sam although I pass my friends in the halls, I don't get to work with them.

The weather is beautiful. I have good friends here. I miss my family and most of all my husband. But, I continue to work to help us reach our goal of being financially free. Thanks for reading and coming along for the journey. Non noc nocere.