it's 2:15 in the morning and i cannot sleep. blame it on the shift work. i just got off nights and then slept all day. oh, it was glorious. i slept 7 hours straight without waking up because i was hungry or had to pee. but now here i am. you're thinking that i shouldn't have let myself sleep that long during the day. well i've tried that - set my alarm so i only sleep 4 or 5 hours. but then i'm quite the zombie come evening time - it would be like if you only slept 4-5 hours at night and then tried to function like a normal, non-night shift person. oh shift work, how i love thee.
as i was lying in bed, i realized that now would be a good time to blog about work, since i just had a really good week of quiet night shifts. i actually had a little bit of time to read a book!! ("black" by ted dekker) no crazy patients that we had to strap into padded wheelchairs and keep them in the hallways close to the nursing station or jab them with needles of anti-crazy medication at 3 am because they're yelling and swearing and waking up their roomates. no paper work and other prep for someone going on an ambulance transfer first thing in the morning for a scheduled angio in the city. not even a single blood transfusion (while not a difficult task to do, it is quite the disruption to a normal night shift). no code blues (thank God). hardly even anyone ringing their call bell because they need to use the commode (again).
when i got back from my break last night, things picked up. there was a gentleman having quite a difficult time. i ended up calling the doc and getting some orders, sitting with this man, checking his vital signs and reassuring him repeatedly. my nursing school experience tells me that his signs and symptoms suggested possible heart failure from fluid overload. although the thought lingers in my mind if he was not having a heart attack while i was sitting at his bedside, holding his clammy hand. (i had gone home long before any test results were back, and i do try not to think about work when i'm at home, but i think i may just call work tomorrow to find out about him).
there you have it. i like my job. it's never boring, that's for sure.
now if only i could get some sleep.
Friday, May 08, 2009
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3 comments:
I like my job too! Even though some days I feel like it was the worst decision I ever made in my life, I usually really like it. I think that summarizes what most nurses feel.
I find I have to sleep all day on my last night too. But, I can usually sleep well at night too. Nights are so hard on the body. You'll find what works for you soon...and then you'll have kids and then when you work nights you won't really bother with the whole sleep thing...who needs it any way.
I think you are great!
Thanks for the encouragement.
Wish we lived closer to hang out with you guys.
Karin
I'm sure it must be hard to see so many patients and to always wonder how they are doing after you see them.
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