Nice to See You, 2014!!

I finally have a day off today, and I need it sooooo much!  The last several days have been pretty busy. I haven't had a day to relax and do nothing for.....crap, I don't even remember now.  I have worked a lot of doubles this week, and they take such a toll on me.  My coworkers may have been mad at me for a little bit for not working for them (they got over it once they realized how much I was working, AND I had gotten the nasty little stomach bug, too, and I still came to work after taking some Pepto and was fine), but I am glad I said no, because I would be dead right now.

Last night was just a day from hell.  Sick residents, I'm trying to nurse them back to health, all while I'm on the phone with the pharmacy for their huge errors at least 6 or 7 times.  How hard is it to get the correct form of Potassium.  Cl = Chloride, ER = Extended Release.  KCl 20 meQ only works for this resident if it is ER, so when you send me the form that isn't ER, we have a problem.  And then when you send me K Citrate ER, again, we have another problem.  When the correct dose that finally got entered into your system correctly at 6:30 gets to me in 2 hours, yet the antibiotic I ordered at 12:00 is still not here when I leave at 11:00pm, I'm full out enraged.  I was so angry with the pharmacy that I gave myself a headache.  I wish the people taking the phone calls from us understood the importance of them doing what they are supposed to do, within the time frame they are supposed to do it in.  But they don't, and my residents suffer as a result.

But, the days where I have sick residents, and they aren't as sick by the time I leave because of my direct actions, it makes me feel like a real nurse.  Even though I sometimes get chewed out by irate family members for things that aren't my fault (don't shoot the messenger, folks), I still love what I do.  The benefits of seeing that you have nursed someone back to health, eased their suffering, and gave them comfort......its worth all the stress and politics that come with my job.  I still feel embarrassed for some reason when my care managers tell me that my residents tell them I am their favorite nurse.  I don't do this because of the praise or pay, I really do love taking care of my residents.

So anyway, 2013 was a great year, and I actually kept a lot of my New Year's resolutions:

"So, moving forward with 2013, there are some things I need to achieve:

- Find a job as an RN so I can start to FEEL like an RN.   DID IT
- Lose weight (I have to stop starting and stopping and just DO it!) DID IT, THOUGH NOT AS MUCH AS I HOPED, BUT THIS IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS
- Stop being late. DID IT (WELL, I HAVE BEEN HABITUALLY EARLY TO WORK FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE, I'M STILL LATE TO OTHER THINGS)
- and prepare myself for trying to start a family. DELAYED"

I was doing well on the weight loss front until work got hectic, but I will keep marching on.  I got a lot of running/work out gear for Christmas, so I am really looking forward to getting to put it on and head over to the forest preserve once its not -100 degrees outside. :)

Our NYE was really nice.  I had to work 7-12 that day right after working a double the day before, so I was pretty exhausted.  I napped until an hour before Mom and Dad-in-law came over, and quickly straightened the house up, and showered up.  We had a great time, but I crapped out after 10, I knew I was gonna have to get up earlier than usual because of the snow, and I was still tired from the last couple of days.  Luckily, Mike woke me up right before midnight so I could say goodbye, and give my honey a midnight kiss. ;)  Catch Phrase is now officially my favorite party game, Apple to Apples not so much.  I will need to be drunk, very drunk for that game to be much fun, IMO.

My New Year's resolutions for 2014 are:

1.  Continue losing weight
2.  Run a 5k straight without walking
3.  Get this freaking Chemistry class over with, and not drop it before the class even starts this time!!
4.  Stop getting Wendy's after my shifts, no matter how much I am starving....the workers know my face far too well.

It is my weekend to work this week, and I have my annual Chrismukkah with my friends.  I'm just happy to not be doing any doubles this week!! :)  But today?  This girl is gonna be lazy as fudge. :)