Membership has its privileges....

Or surviving almost 4 months at my work does.

Um... something may be wrong with this picture but, as of Monday I will be the SENIOR nurse on the floor for my shift. Other than the charge of course. But how weird is THAT? lol

Time to move again...

So its gotten to the point that I really am not liking this desert cabin anymore. The dirt alone is making me go running back for civilization. I have found a few places that are the same price as here and larger. Now I just have to get one and convince hubby that its time to move.

In the past its been my quick to move attitude that has gotten us in over our heads as our income plummeted. But now I think says its pretty much a lateral move it'll be all good. I really need to be closer to town.

Still waiting...

To find out about the RN-BSN program. They have my transcripts and now I have no idea what the next step is. I am told they will evaluate them, then let me know how much more I will have to complete my program and then we will go from there. But at least the process is started. I am excited to start again, but not for the boring Gen Ed classes. Those take a lot of .... what's the opposite of procrastination? LOL

All I really know is that LPN is not my stopping point. After serious pondering, a bit of my usual procrastinating, a few apathetic moments, and let's face it, all out laziness, I have come to the conclusion that, yes for the money the job is too easy & boring. Well except I haven't figured all the paperwork out yet. Um yeah cuz no one taught me... least I remind you of the type of orientation I had, "Here's the med cart GO!" Yet I digress, if I have to force myself to go in every day it isn't where I should be.

So stay tuned for the continuation of A Journey through Nursing School...Part 2-the BSN year(s).

Can you say hot

112 degrees for 60 miles with no A/C is deadly... because I know for a fact that the inside of the car is way hotter!

How do you move over 500 lbs?

At work we started a new dining program.. so far I have had an emergency during dinner every night.... last night's required a crash cart, which in turn brought some some hot fire fighters, so I have no idea if its better or not. Thank God my Nursing meeting was cancelled today. I really need the day off!

Funions, Vanilla Pudding , and Tootsie rolls...

If you mix them all together of course you will need Mylanta or Phenergan 8 times throughout the day!


Ewww.. nasty

LTC Nursing

Sucks! Hehehe... mainly because once you get a routine they throw you some more people. I have 28 residents with a ton of meds and a ton of psych issues on top. Yesterday one fell and the call to the family lasted 30 minutes. Of course this fall happened right at dinner, which was the first day of a new system.

Tomorrow is my day off but I have to drive the 59 miles each way in the heat just to sit for a meeting!

Hoping to get a lunch date with my old work friends at least outta the deal. I would rather take the boy driving and do something with him. I feel bad since he isn't going anywhere and I don't have the money now that the ticket prices have climbed to pay for his friend to come out here.

Ummm... yeah I just wanted to bitch I guess.

Father's Day

Was a bit of a redneck moment... went to Wal-mart and bought the man the shot gun he's been wanting. LOL

We had a cook-out with my folks yesterday, I supplied the food, they supplied the cooking.

All in all its been a nice weekend. Just not restful! Urgh.. can't believe tomorrow is Monday already.

Tachy and Blue

Do not make a good combination in one of your favorite residents. Although things turned out good for now, it doesn't look like a long future. HR in the 250's and Pulse Ox's in the 70's... then just back to normal, then another run of Tachy and Blue. It was a crazy night last night. At quitting time everything was stable again.

LPN to BSN

So I talked to the admissions advisor, have sent in my transcripts for review. found out they are starting a new batch of students in a month or so and that it will fit into my life at this point, although of course my Wednesday and weekends become study days again, but hopefully since we do 1 class every 5 weeks it'll just rock on through.

I have to meet with them in person and get more info... but I am sure this is the direction I am going. Of course now to figure out the money aspect. Urgh... to student loan or not to student loan?

The thought of more Gen Ed classes and she mentioned they added more science. Crap does that mean I still have to take Chem?

For the sake of all that is Holy...Make your Plans Known...

This is why it is important to let your family know about your end of life expectations...

You are up there in the 90's... the love of your life has passed. You are sick. Ready to die. Have made your peace with your maker. Slip peacefully into a painless sleep. Stop eating and drinking and talking. Are in fact actively dying. Giving in as God has planned and heading off to reunite with your love.

Yet your stupid family wants you to be a full code!! So after code 1 and they bring you back and code 2 and they bring you back... WTF is the family's problem?

What if in that glorious light stood your love and just as you reach them you are yanked back into a frail body and sent back to continue to rot away-literally ( but that's another story)?


I hope when they are old someone makes them suffer as much!! Damn a dog gets better care and compassion than some people!

Mommy to the Rescue

So yesterday's permit excursion was a trip to say the least.

We head out about 10am and its already almost 100. With no AC in the car it kinda sucks to have to drive the 30 miles to the Motor Vehicle Office. But we stop at Starbucks for some Frapaccinos and its all good.

We get there and I think I have all the paper work... well think again! He needs a school ID, because it has a picture and I don't have the original copy of is SSN card, because his father is a dick and has it somewhere. So we wasted about 30 minutes there and had to go over to the Social Security office.

So we go there to request a new card and guess what he needs? A school ID with a picture to prove its him. Or I needed a doctors record with his date of birth and name on it. Yeah like we carry those with us.

So he thinks he has an idea where the ID is so we drive the 30 miles back home.

He can't find it AT ALL. Tears his room apart and nothing.

So Mom goes into the room moves a box out of the closet, lifts up some DVD's and video games and there is the ID.

So off again to the Motor Vehile Department 30 miles away and the temp has climbed to over 104.

Thank God he passed!

Big Day

My son is 15 1/2 and in AZ that means driver's permit time. So its off to take the test. Since he didn't study and thinks he knows it all this could turn out badly.

But since he's a teenager and KNOWS EVERYTHING... well what more can I say about that?

Stay Tuned

Taking the NCLEX-RN in the up coming year stay tuned for a special offer!

decisions

Well I have decided that no matter what I have to go on for my RN soon. I am not sure which format I am doing yet but I have started the process of looking into the two options of programs that will fit into my budget and my life.

For a while here I was thinking of stopping. I didn't want the stress of school and the hassle of it all and I need to work & the pay is great.

But I seriously HATE my job. LPN LTC nursing is NOT what I want my career to be in nursing and not the reason I put myself through hell the past few years to accomplish. Sure the money is great but the job... well a pill passer in the geri-psych world is NOT for me!

I want OR or Women's Health. Heck I even want to teach nursing. But I don't want to spend forever in this place!

I can feel the life suck!!!!

Week in Review

Humm.. Monday and Tuesday were crazy at work. 1 Pt just kept screaming and climbing out of bed and ended up with so many bruises. I finished the shift with that person in a Geri chair at the nurse's station and it worked. I was thinking that they just didn't want to be in the room alone.

Wednesday I went to see Marmaduke with the boy. It was a nice day off.

Thursday and Friday back to work to my screaming pt actively dying. Hospice makes no sense. When we need a sitter to keep that person calm and safe, they don't send anyone. When they can't get out of bed and are safe and calm, they send someone to sit with them all day and most of the night!

Yesterday I took a Flexeril and ended up sleeping ALL DAY! What a waste of a day off. I had planned on taking the dogs swimming.

Today is meatballs in the crock pot, chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies and laundry sorting. Yup fun fun fun!

Working

As opposed to what? School? Humm... ever wonder just what exactly you learned in school? Sometimes I feel very prepared to work as a Nurse. Other times I am like WTF? Usually its only in some new word or drug or something like that, I don't understand. So that's a good thing at least.

Hummm.... burn out... there's a words I think may come too soon!

Girl Date

Heading out to watch Sex & the City 2! Hope its as good as the previews.

Hummm.. what else? So working with an agency nurse is different. Weird how I am the one to answer the questions?

Yesterday I had a very bad thought about a resident. Urgh! Sometimes you just can't help being human and screaming really does piss me off. I also had a talk with my drug seeker about yelling at me for things while I am standing in the hallway pulling meds at the cart.

" Everyday I come in I have the same routine. You get the same things at the same time. You do not have to yell at me while I am at the cart pulling them to tell me you need them. It is rude." We will see how long that lasts.

In other news we are fighting a battle with ants in our cabinets and on our counters. The tiny kind. We have sprayed and sanitized and cleaned and closed every little thing. This SUCKS!! i can feel the little buggers crawling on me!

Nothing Interesting

Not much going on right now. Just working and trying to figure out what to do with the boy for the summer. I offered to let his friend come down here from Massachusetts to stay for a few weeks, but still have to get the date and buy the ticket for him. Right now there is no extra money, but maybe the end of the month.

The girl is leaving for Texas for 10 days in 2 weeks. She's excited.

I have come to realize that although I really like the people I work with I really hate this shift. With the drive being so far and winding down after work, I don't get to sleep until 2am and then after that its an interrupted sleep, so I feel and look exhausted all the time. By the time I drag myself out of bed its time to get ready for work again. On my days off I just feel sick all the time.

Hummm... well I suppose I'll have to deal with it for a year!

Ok time to get ready.

MediFast Fail

Ok so June 1st is NOT going to be the day I start this. Actually, I am sending it all back, save the stuff I tried. Now I am stuck with 6 packages of crap of 5 items I will never eat. I just can't do it. I need some semblance of real food and this crap actually physically made me puke.

So its back to the drawing board and I'll figure something out at some time. I'm thinking Jenny Craig. But in the mean time I have decided to at least take baby steps and watch what I eat and try not to eat at night. Its just the crazy work schedule makes it so hard and I am starved when I get home at whatever time late, because I never have time to eat at work. On the bright side I am still down 16 pounds and have not gained back what I have lost, despite cake and eating late. I am working on portion control and not stress eating.

Ok time to hit the road and head out to work to give those meds to my drug seekers.

Wow... enabling has become my life.