Birthday Nurse

Seems like I haven't worked/blogged in a VERY long time! But don't fear...the craziness has still be going on, I guess I've just been avoiding it...until last night. I turned down 2 extra shifts in my "8 days off (which was really 7 this time around...)" for 2 different but very valid reasons. I realized when I went car shopping yesterday that maybe a few extra shifts in the near future would be a GOOD thing and I need to stop coming up with excuses like "I'm tired" or "I'm busy", etc...reality bites! Anyway, as I'm halfway to work yesterday (after an hour and a half nap after the car deal...) I get a call from the day charge nurse..."Sorry it's 1815, but we're putting you on call!" Seriously? Here I am thinking that I need extra shifts and I can't even work my regular ones anymore? I was JUST on-call, and I'm half-way to work already! But what can you do...so I drove to the gym (just a different building ...

Someone write this down...I was acutally "on-call" for 12 whole hours Tuesday night! That has happened ONE other time (back in December) since I've been off orientation. Everyone else is always complaining of how they always get put on call, I guess my days have just lined up right! Good think I picked up those extra 9 hours Sunday night, that made up for the 12-hours that I got all of $2 an hour to sleep! It's ok though, I slept horrible Tuesday afternoon, and yesterday afternoon too. Random phone calls from people with the wrong numbers, realitors trying to show the house, etc. Fun times. So yesterday afternoon I had just rolled over and turned off my alarm about 1630 after a fitfull nap and my phone rings, it's work. "Can you come in early? Like 1700..." Well, I haven't taken a shower, put my contacts in, let the dog out or even really woke up yet, and it takes me a GOOD 30 minutes to drive, but sure, I'll be there ASAP. I clocked in at 1710. ...

I worked Sunday, worked Monday, worked Tuesday and had signed up to be "on call" if they needed me last night from 1a-7a, before realizing that I was working Sun/Mon/Tues. Go figure they needed me last night, so I slept from 2200-0000, then went to work, did a C/S and got the 0730 C/S ready for day shift. NOW I can enjoy some time off without feeling too guilty that I haven't been going in extra. It's not my fault that they've been calling only on the nights that I already have plan! Oh well. I'm house sitting for some friends from church, and I came home yesterday and let the dog out, and went upstairs to bed. Was dead asleep after 3 nights in a row, and all of a sudden I hear this knocking on the front door. I figured it was UPS or someone and they would just go away. No, the door opens and I hear " realtor ." Seriously? The people are trying to sell their house but they gave strict instructions to the realtor company that they were supposed to ...

It's been a long time since I have wanted NOT to go back to work. Usually I can have a rough night and then move on...but I seriously do NOT want to go back to work tonight. It's been a long first two nights of this set of 3, and I'm just not sure I can do one more. I'm trying to pick out the positives, like I get 8 days off after tonight, and I'm getting to go out of town tomorrow morning after I get off, and I made it though 2 nights I can make it through 1 more...but it's not helping too much! I had a nasty strip tonight, had to run to the ER and catch a baby and then do the recovery of the mom who spoke NO English. I loved my cervidil couple, they were amazing, but their baby just wouldn't cooperate! I'm still working on this "control" thing, and realizing that I can't control what the baby's doing and I can't necessarily "fix" anything, but it doesn't make my pulse any slower when the baby's pulse is! Anyway...

I've never had a "call date" (being on-call for at least 6hrs on a night your scheduled to work...) and trust me, tonight was the perfect night for it. I kept thinking in my head on the way home from work this morning how I would 100% take the call option if they called and gave it to me tonight! After last night, I needed some time to think and just take some deep breaths. I really didn't think that the whole shift last night effected me that much until I was writing about it this morning and bawling my eyes out...and then when I woke up from my nap this afternoon crying again after dreaming about it. I was feeling so guilty because I didn't shed a tear last night when everyone around me had lost it. I was really wondering why it wasn't getting to me when I knew it was a horrible situation and now I haven't been able to stop myself from tearing up every time I think about it since. So after I decided in my head that I would take call tonight I got to thi...

So when I was at work Monday night I figured I would do my good "nursing duty" and sign up to be on-call from 1900-0100 last night (Wednesday night). There were already 6 nurses scheduled, and I don't remember the last time I heard them calling someone in from "off the door" where we sign up for extra shifts, so I really didn't think they'd use me. I finished teaching piano lessons about 1700 and thought I would just call to see if they had an idea if they would need me or not...and the day charge nurse said "Come in!!" and sounded pretty desperate. So I dashed to the gym, only got in a 40 minute run and then jumped through the shower and went to work, and they really used me the whole 6 hours! I only had a cervidil , but everyone else was either doubled up or in the back doing sections, so I guess they really did need me! I guess the "ante" world hit today and there were 7 or 8 antes who were gonna be longterm or at least until they...

Cervidils...cervidils...cervidils! But I survived my 2 nd night of "unsupervised" nursing...and both my patients were breathing when I left! I was 1/2 expecting to get put on call, but I didn't...until 0315. I was the only person who hadn't had a "call" date yet, and the one person who wanted to go home had left about 2100, so I was the next one up when we only had a recovery and my 2 cervidils . I was on call for 11 1/2 hours Sunday night, but they ended up sending people home that night too so I didn't have to go in. I'm signed up for call tomorrow from 1900-0100 and am crossing my fingers they really don't need 7 nurses! Then I work this weekend and I'm sure I'll be there for the duration of it, but that's ok ...I need Christmas money! Got some pretty snow today that started right after I got home, so I'm glad I got to drive home and miss it instead of driving home in the thick of it at 0700! Babies today : 0 Babies total : 28...