Three Weeks Down...
It's crazy. It feels like we just started (which I guess we did), and yet we are already three weeks into our 13-week contract. That means only two and a half months remain before we either re-sign here at the Y or go to another contract. I remember how fast the last two months at Big D went by, and I can imagine that these next ten weeks aren't going to last long. We're already having to think about where we want to be by early August, and even in January (we're hoping for Phoenix for that time of the year). I guess that is part of the job, continuously preparing yourself for the next stop.
I've spent the last week taking care of stable doubles, which for non-nurses means two patients who are stable for the most part. I've kept hopping, if nothing else because of busy work. I've already had several alcoholics, reminds me of the Big D and my typical patients there. I've had the crazies trying to get bed, the big folks cyring in the middle of the night because they're starving. Yeah, it's like being at home.
Last night, though, I finally had some actual sick patients. I even had a patient on a ventilator, something different than what I'm used to. Same tonight, I can't believe they'd let me have two vented patients in a row. Thing is, here they don't like to give sedation to their vented patients, which just makes me cringe. So I maxed out my PRN meds last night, and tonight I started my patient on Propofol, the nectar of the gods. They're a little more comfortable thanks to my nursing concerns.
I'm staying surprisingly busy these nights, each night steady all the way to the end (with the exception of tonight, of course), even with fairly simple patients. I think the real issue is supplies, as I have said before; not knowing where things are can slow me down tremendously. Also, procedures are different here, and I have to approach them more slowly. Finally, there is no IV team, so I find myself spending a lot of time practicing putting in IVs, which I'm terrible at.
Jess is having her issues as well, in particular that she feels that she is very dependent on her coworkers. I have to convince her that it's not a bad thing to have to ask a lot of questions, especially with a single eight-hour orientation shift to prepare us for our units. She's doing fine, though.
Our two night trip to Rhode Island is coming up quickly (this Friday). I'm finishing my 5th shift in a row tonight, then Friday we head to the smallest state. We'll spend two nights in Newport, which from all descriptions is a great little city. Everyone seems to have something good to say about it. We're pretty cheap, though, since we've yet to receive our first paycheck, so it's looking like we'll be camped out at the HoJo or maybe Hotel 6. Even those places are more than $100 a night. B&Bs are in the $200 and greater range, especially those that allow dogs.
Another cool trip is in early June. I've joined a Meetup group for photographers, and a ton of people (photographers and their families) are meeting in Mystic, CT, for a big shoot. These meetup groups are great ways to meet people in the area. That will be a lot of fun, I think.
Until next time, be safe.
