I didn't go without making mistakes. The narcotic reconciliation is extremely overwhelming because the other nurses know the residents and medications so well, they fly through it. So, not to excuse myself, I don't feel I got a very good lesson and was rushed through it. And now I know the CNII meds need to be double locked, and to not put blister packs in the notebook as an attempt to make sure you are signing everything out, and then forget to take them out of the book and into the locked med cart. Do not open medication packs by sink with the water running, medication will for sure go there instead of the medication cup you were aiming for. Do not rush through things, accuracy over efficiency.
I was otherwise elated to get back to being a nurse, and getting to give medications without having someone hovering over me. To see that my assessment skills came back to me despite the months of not being able to assess anyone. I got to see what happens when someone falls, or when they need to be sent to the hospital because of a change in their vitals. I was almost in tears when I got my badge that said "Nurse" on it. I still have to stare at it because it hasn't completely sunk in that I'm actually a practicing nurse. It just doesn't feel real yet, but I'm ecstatic none the less.
My coworkers are awesome. They all seem to help each other, and most of them are around my age (or at least look it! :D ) My manager is really nice, and while she is down to business about certain things, she is otherwise laid back, and easy to talk to about silly things. She gave me a heart attack on my birthday. I was pulling a patient's medications from the med cart, and she called for me, so I poked my head into the office. She said she had spoke to corporate, and they weren't sure about adding night shift for nursing. I was panicking in my head "I just gave up my full time job!!" "What do I do" "Fuck Fuck Fuck!!!" On the outside, I was just blank, I didn't know what to say. Then she said "Just kidding!! Happy Birthday" and pulled out one of those giant frosted cookies from under her desk. I was relieved that it was just a joke! I thought it was very kind of her to do something for my birthday even though this was my first week.
I also got a bracelet from my mom with a "Nurse" charm on it, and a subscription to Scrubs, which is a nurse magazine. And my favorite doctor at the dental office, Dr. Twin Mama, gave me a sweet card and a Starbucks giftcard for my "new late nights". I am happy that I will still be able to do a day at the dental office, because I would really miss working there, even though I can't be a nurse there.
Oh, and I also got goosed. By a little old dirty lady. Who would have guessed the first time my butt would have been violated, it would be by a female, and not some pervy man patient/resident. Apparently this is just her thing, and I really couldn't be too offended. But I will make sure to not turn my back to this woman again!
My birthday was far more awesome than I could have expected. All I really wanted was to go to Wildfire for dinner and a sewing machine so I can learn to sew. And Mike really went all out! I came home on Tuesday to flowers, and an awesome little Valentine's/Birthday display he set up on our side table in the kitchen. He made cupcakes with little lips and mustaches on them, and got my favorite starburst jelly beans, and little V-Day decorations. And he was too excited to let me wait to open my presents. On top of the sewing machine, he got me tickets to see Beyonce this summer! I thought they had sold out! And how he told me was with a little envelope that had this picture inside:
I couldn't stop laughing. I don't think there was any better way for him to have told me he got them for me. Except for him putting on a black leotard and heels and doing the single ladies dance for me. lol He also got me a cake from Jarosch's, which was the same flavor as our wedding cake, and it was yummy. And Wildfire was delicious as always! We had to cancel some of the plans for my birthday because of my work schedule, but my hubby made my birthday special regardless. I also got a really cute text from my Dad-in-law, who is just entering the world of texting. It was the most formal text I have ever received, and it made me smile.
And speaking of Wildire and cake, I did gain a bit this week because of the over abundance of cake, cupcakes, cookies, etc. I didn't track at all on my birthday because I wanted to enjoy it and not feel guilty. Of course, I could feel the silent shame from the lady who weighed me in on Saturday. Then silenced it with Richard Walker's French Toast. It is my birthday week, and only gaining 0.6 pounds is not bad at all considering all that I ate.
We have found some yummy recipes this past week that make Weight Watchers not so bad. I feel like a grown up now that red wine vinegar and white cooking wine is in our pantry. And we even bought meat from the meat counter instead of the pre-packaged stuff. I know this may in fact be sad given that I just turned 29, and Mike will be 31 in July....but regardless, we are making up for lost adultness. lol
I also felt like an adult electing my benefits. I haven't had benefits like this since I worked at Big Box Do-It-Yourself store. At the dental office, the benefits were simply vacation time, and health insurance that I couldn't afford, and 401k. And I haven't even had access to that the least 2 years or so. I was a bit overwhelmed. Luckily, Mike is familiar with this stuff since he has taken care of most of our coverage through his employer. It is nice to know that if something were to happen to me, he would be taken care of, or I'd have income coming in if I get sick and can't work. Of course, now I just have to make sure he doesn't kill me since I'll be one profitable dead body. lol
This next week is a bit more crazy. I am at the dental office tomorrow, nurse work Tuesday and Wednesday, Medication class ALL DAY on Thursday, nurse work on Friday, and then dental office on Saturday. Then I start my nights on Monday. I don't know what I am going to do in the daytime on Monday. I may need to take a sleeping pill or something to sleep through the day, or drink a LOT of caffeine in the evening. I also got pink ear plugs and a Hello Kitty sleeping mask to help me sleep through the day. It is going to be hard adjusting to this change in my sleep schedule. But, on the upside, I will have a pretty regular schedule from what I have seen. I will be on 3 nights, off 2, on 2 nights, off 2. So it won't be like I'm working one night, off the next night, then back on the next one after that, or -hopefully- not have a constantly changing schedule. I realize the potential where I may be asked to fill in for someone, or to work a double. Which I actually don't mind as long as I'm not doing it all the time.
So to wrap it all up, I am a pretty happy girl, and finally getting to do what makes me happy. I've said this before, and I'm sure I'll say it again many more times, but helping people is the best thing a person can do. Caring for others has been all I ever wanted to do since I was little, and I feel like this is my "When I grow up..." point in my life. I am so incredibly thankful that I was able to pull this off, and make this dream come true. 7 years ago, I thought I was never going to be able to do it, because of money and time constraints. But luckily, I have people around me who were generous enough to help me make this happen, worked shifts for me so I could go to class, or study, let me move into their home so money wasn't an issue, and cheered me on as I succeeded, and cheered me up when I struggled. I am just beyond blessed.
I love this blog entry so much. You are wonderful!
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