Words that make you feel things

What is it about words like LICE, CHICKEN POX and SCABIES, that make us involuntarlily itch? Ugh, I just starting itching thinking about it. After being a nurse for 4 years, I had my first patient with Scabies. Ugh! Despite my best efforts to channel my thoughts and not think about being gloved, gowned, bouffant capped and masked, I envisioned them jumping onto my pant legs (the only thing not covered). After I left for the night, I had an uncontrollable itch all of the way home. Unfortunately the drive was about 45 minutes long! I am not a germaphobe like many of my other co-workers. I actually feel like some germs are good for us and build up our immune system. Unfortunately scabies isn't one of them, I stripped down as soon as I got home, refused to pet my overly excited animals and got into the shower! Even afterward...I still had the itchies. Somedays, I feel like I have the grossest job. Despite all of that, I still love it.

I never thought...

So a few weeks ago, I had the very rare experience of having something happen to me that I never thought would happen. While working in the ICU, I had a very funny patient who while lucid, would tell some crazy stories. She had convinced our PCA that she was hooker and could hire him as a pimp. She even used the term "around the world" as a description for "69" as one of the services she offered. She was quite entertaining, I have no idea how I even kept a straight face. In the morning, I was doing my usual patient checks and she was looking funny at me. She grabbed my stethoscope in an admiring sort of way...then proceeded to take it off of my neck. And thenv she LICKED the bell of it...i was mortified. I couldn't believe it. She then took her cell phone and was showing me pictures of her granddaughter and she licked her phone too! It was such a weird night. I had to immediately saniwipe off my stethoscope!

The nursing home difference

I've been a nurse now for almost 2 1/2 years now and it is amazing to me how much I have learned.
I have 2 jobs at the moment, one in the IMCU at Huron Valley and one as a contingent nurse at Clarkston Specialty. What a night and day difference these two jobs are. I don't even know where to begin.
The hospital is busy, but a different kind of busy. Its not all task oriented and knowing exactly what to do and when to do it, because things change on a daily basis. There are nights when I hear the endless dinging of telemetry monitors and have to monitor my patient closely, but those days seem few and far between.
The nursing home is a whole new ballgame. Right upon walking in the door, there is always some sort of drama. Someone called in, nurses scrambling to get someone to stay over and cover the floor, someone complaining about seniority...too much drama to have to deal with everytime I work there to be honest.

My new job

About a month ago in a whirlwind decision, I took a new position in the IMCU or as most people know it, Step-down ICU. I loved the 3rd floor, but I really was starting to feel like I learned all I could there. Acute illnesses are fairly easy to care for and are treated and go home. A glorified Dilaudid pusher, I was. Or that is what I felt like most days. I never really felt like I was truly helping someone, I was just getting them through. If they started to go bad, I sent them to another unit. I've never really had anything "bad" happen.
In the IMCU, I have had to learn or relearn many things. These people are legitimately sick. They have problems...well most of them. Insulin drips for the diabetics, cardiac drips for the heart problems, telemetry for everyone and a lot of involvement by the doctors. It doesn't seem so difficult, its just learning when to give medicine and when to not...I am still learning. The pain medicine is not as often or asked for all of the time...it feels weird to me. No pain?, really? It seems like such a foreign concept to me coming from my old unit. I've been in "orientation" for about a month now and I will likely get another month of it so we'll see how much more I can cram into my brain. Wish me luck.

are pretty people treated better?

We had a discussion at work last night, that was spurred by my observation of one of my coworkers who consistently brings up the fact that...patient so and so is such a pretty girl, or so handsome. Why is that valid? Is their validity in the statement that people who are attractive are treated better? Why is it important to say that a patient is pretty/handsome? Does it really matter? Does it make a difference in the care we give? It seems that looks play a big part of society and our lives and it might even affect the care that is given to patients. I wonder if anyone else thinks about this?

I work way too hard

Since starting my job at the hospital and LOVING it, I have realized that I work WAY too hard at the nursing home. There is WAY more prestige at saying I work at hospital and it feels like my work is much more important.

I see dead people

More often than I'd like, I experience death at work. It is usually a very peaceful event and a somber event. I have seen and taken care of these people for months and then one day, its over and they are gone. Oddly, I have no issue with the dead in this case. I wil stay with them when i can and hold their hands as they take their last breath. And when they are gone, I can be close to them. Why can't i go up to a casket?