Is anyone reading this blog? I don't think so, but I sure have enjoyed writing. I don't write as much as I used to; school, work, and salsa are taking their toll on me, but I can't seem to sacrifice any one of them. I had a fabulous time this past weekend! I basically spent the majority of it in the ballroom dancing my butt off. It was great. Can't wait to do it all over again this weekend!
It's back to work tonight. They say Mondays are the hardest days. We return to work and have to get back into the groove. I enjoy Monday nights. I look forward to what awaits me there. Patient turnover in the ICU is a bit high. Some patients stay longer than others, of course, but for the most part we get 'em in and out ASAP. I always look forward to seeing what Mondays have in store for me. Things have been pretty mellow at work. No codes, no deaths, and no violent situations in about a week or two. For a while, that was all we were getting.
We got a middle aged man some weeks ago who put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Motive? He had been diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer, and didn't wish to contine with therapy. His wife heard the gunshot and ran into the room to find him on the floor in a pool of blood...alive. By the time he got to us he was a mess, obviously. I have never seen anything like this before: the entrance and exit wounds were clearly visible, and his eyes and face were severely swollen and blue. Needless to say, he didn't make it through the night. The very next night we had another patient who had come to us for respiratory failure secondary to a brain tumor. She suffered from mental retardation due to child abuse. To look at the young girl was to look at an angel. She was in her late twenties, but looked half that. She had become a ward of the state and was living in a nursing home when she fell ill. With no family and no friends at her bedside, she quietly passed away, clutching to a stuffed teddy bear. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.
I'll tell anyone...working where I work -even as a low on the totem pole, know-nothing tech -is not easy. But so far, it has been one of the best things I've ever done. Yes, I have to commute almost an hour five days a week and lose sleep, but I believe once PA school starts, I will realize just how fundamental this position has been for me.
This week is all that stands between me and a final exam for my music history class. Then I start chemistry next week. The fun never ends! 7 months to go before PA school. I can't wait!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Update 2
Wow, time is surely flying by. I haven't done a great job with keeping up with this blog. My life has been so busy lately.
For starters, work continues to be a challenge. I'm still enjoying the job and the night schedule, but all I do is sleep all day long when I get home. It doesn't leave much time for cooking, cleaning, and spending time with my husband. Good thing the cop works at night, too. At least we can go to sleep together! I continue to learn more and more everyday at work. The nurses have come to know my work ethic, and they are learning to trust me. I remove lines, catheters, draw flushes, and participate in codes on a regular basis now. I've come a long way in 5 months. I was voted employee of the month this month...can you believe that? 5 months in, and I'm employee of the month. It is quite an honor! I hope I can live up to it. Most people at work now know that I will begin PA school in the spring. They are genuinely happy for me, I think. The hardest part for me is being 'just a tech.' As smart as the nurses think I am, I am nothing more than the tech that assists them. Sure, I can carry conversations with them, and they come to me and ask me questions, but I'm still just the tech. It's hard playing this role, especially when I am in such a great learning environment.
I'm blessed to be in a job that allows me to read the history, physical, labs and progress notes on every patient in the unit. Everyday I see something new, learn a new drug or disease. I am constantly writing in my notebook. The nurses let me ask them questions, and I peer over their shoulders as they start IV's and change dressings. As a tech, I don't think it gets any better than this. This is precisely what I need before going off to school.
Working in the ICU forces one to become intimately acquainted with death, also. From time to time I flip through the discharge notebook, and it amazes me how many patients we lose each week. I try to put myself in the mix of every code; I think it is important that I deal with death now rather than later. When I become the decision maker, I can't crack under the pressure just because I see someone dying before my eyes. On the other hand, I can't allow myself to become too cold, too rigid, that I lose my sense of empathy and compassion. It is a thin line to walk.
I've been working lots of hours lately for two reasons: to save money for school, and to surprise my husband with a weekend getaway for his 30th birthday. We depart today for 4 days in the mountains. The cop works way too hard. I really want to wow him and show him just how much he is appreciated and loved. If a cabin in the mountains, a personal chef and a day at the spa doesn't convince him, I don't know what will. We both need the rest, really. I can't wait to climb into that hot tub, sip Greek wine, read a book, watch the sunset, and stuff myself with as much birthday cake as I can. Might as well enjoy it...it will be over before we know it.
I have so many stories to share relating to work and the patients and medical staff I work with on a daily basis. Perhaps after this trip, my mind will be clear enough to begin blogging these stories. As of now, the mountains await us!
For starters, work continues to be a challenge. I'm still enjoying the job and the night schedule, but all I do is sleep all day long when I get home. It doesn't leave much time for cooking, cleaning, and spending time with my husband. Good thing the cop works at night, too. At least we can go to sleep together! I continue to learn more and more everyday at work. The nurses have come to know my work ethic, and they are learning to trust me. I remove lines, catheters, draw flushes, and participate in codes on a regular basis now. I've come a long way in 5 months. I was voted employee of the month this month...can you believe that? 5 months in, and I'm employee of the month. It is quite an honor! I hope I can live up to it. Most people at work now know that I will begin PA school in the spring. They are genuinely happy for me, I think. The hardest part for me is being 'just a tech.' As smart as the nurses think I am, I am nothing more than the tech that assists them. Sure, I can carry conversations with them, and they come to me and ask me questions, but I'm still just the tech. It's hard playing this role, especially when I am in such a great learning environment.
I'm blessed to be in a job that allows me to read the history, physical, labs and progress notes on every patient in the unit. Everyday I see something new, learn a new drug or disease. I am constantly writing in my notebook. The nurses let me ask them questions, and I peer over their shoulders as they start IV's and change dressings. As a tech, I don't think it gets any better than this. This is precisely what I need before going off to school.
Working in the ICU forces one to become intimately acquainted with death, also. From time to time I flip through the discharge notebook, and it amazes me how many patients we lose each week. I try to put myself in the mix of every code; I think it is important that I deal with death now rather than later. When I become the decision maker, I can't crack under the pressure just because I see someone dying before my eyes. On the other hand, I can't allow myself to become too cold, too rigid, that I lose my sense of empathy and compassion. It is a thin line to walk.
I've been working lots of hours lately for two reasons: to save money for school, and to surprise my husband with a weekend getaway for his 30th birthday. We depart today for 4 days in the mountains. The cop works way too hard. I really want to wow him and show him just how much he is appreciated and loved. If a cabin in the mountains, a personal chef and a day at the spa doesn't convince him, I don't know what will. We both need the rest, really. I can't wait to climb into that hot tub, sip Greek wine, read a book, watch the sunset, and stuff myself with as much birthday cake as I can. Might as well enjoy it...it will be over before we know it.
I have so many stories to share relating to work and the patients and medical staff I work with on a daily basis. Perhaps after this trip, my mind will be clear enough to begin blogging these stories. As of now, the mountains await us!
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