what my patients taught me this week.

i love being a nurse for a lot of reasons, but just the stories they tell me and the things i see amaze me.  someday i am going to forget, so i decided i am going to document some of what i hear and see.  it all varies from serious, ornery, sick, and funny.  no day is ever the same, obviously.

my patients make me feel good when they tell me that i am an angel or i am the reason they made it through the day, but i also have the most thankless job when i am screamed at, used like a drug dealer, maid, and whatever else you might think of.  no matter what, it is a pretty cool job and i really like most of the people i take care of.  so, here are just a couple things i noticed the last couple of days.  who knows what i may see and hear tomorrow!

1)  turpentine and castor oil will take away aches and pains if you mix 3:1 parts and rub it on the part that is bothering you.  it doesn't smell good at all, but it will make you feel better.

2)  god is what makes a marriage stay strong and keeps it together.  without him, it will not last.

3)  heroin makes you feel like you are snuggling on the couch with your boyfriend for 7 hours and makes you feel warm, fuzzy, and totally relaxed.

4)  do what makes you happy like jumping out of airplanes, shooting guns, and drinking beer, when you're eighty-five!

5)  a person can live for a week sitting in exactly the same spot, oh say a recliner, if one has a stocked cooler next to them- that's all that person needs.  may not be pleasant after that one week (if you know what i mean) but it can be done, and one will survive. 

6)  a man's scrotum can really get to be the size of a small cantaloupe! 

do you know what i do for a living?

how do i answer the question, 'what do you do' without actually telling you?  well, here it is.  

i work in a hospital on a cardiac floor, rarely sitting down for my twelve hour shifts.  i get to wear comfy scrubs, rarely have to do my hair, and can wear minimal makeup, if i want {but knowing me, and from this post, you know i don't skimp on the makeup}. 

i pass meds, give injections, teach patients, help the sick to feel better, put people on bedpans, and start ivs.  there are days i see my patients cry, their family members needing reassurance while shedding tears, and sadly, witnessing the passing of some every now and then.

most days are stressful, but there are positive aspects of the job, like working three days a week, hot doctors, meeting so many different individuals, making people feel good, and greater self-worth.  one thing i have definitely learned is that i have to take care of myself as well.  always caring for others can lead to self-neglect - going to the bathroom once a day, eating lunch on the go or not at all, and not getting enough water to drink.  i have to be on top of my game, which can be hard for me since i am scatterbrained and have ocd, but it works most days. 

i'm not sure if this is my calling in life, but i can say that i like what i do, which is a first for me.  there is such a variety in each day that i am rarely bored.  in most cases i can't keep up because my floor is a busy one, making the days pass quickly.  this job isn't for everyone and i never saw myself doing this about five years ago.  somehow i changed along the way and have adapted to hospital life quite well. 

who knows how long i will stay in this particular job, but for now i plan to enjoy the daily learning experiences and the relationships i form with so many unique individuals. 

High Five For Friday

I can't believe it's already Friday, but I won't complain!

Here are my top 5 favorite things for the week.

1.  I finally ordered my new camera yesterday!  It should be here today and I am absolutely super excited to get it. I found an awesome deal on a kit and it also comes with 2 lenses. Beautiful pictures, here I come!

2.  I got my letter from the state giving me the authorization to take by boards.  Amazing news, but now that means I have to start studying hours a day. I'm sure I'll have a post on this because I'm totally freaking out now.

3.  Darjeeling tea!  I had been out for a few days and finally got some of this wonderful stuff again.  I am good to go after a couple cups of this in the morn!

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4.  We got rid of our living room and sofa to make room for the new stuff my aunt and uncle are giving us.  Hopefully sometime this weekend we will get it.  We will finally have a matching set (:

5.  My boots finally came!  I had ordered these before Christmas and I'm not sure what the hold up was, but after several calls, discounts, and free shipping, they arrived! I love the modern-vintage look!

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As usual, I'm linking up with Lauren. 

Happy Friday, everyone. 

New Adventures in the Job World!

Well, I was offered my first nursing job!  I have such a mixture of emotions, but it's going to be nice to be making some money after living off student loans for the last year and a half.  Yikes.  I don't want to even think what my monthly payments are going to be just for living expenses, excluding what I paid in tuition :|

I am going to be starting an RN residency program for like 16 weeks or so, and after that I will be working on a cardiac floor.  I have never enjoyed the heart because honestly, it scares me!  It's such a powerful and complex organ, and yeah, it's intimidating since it basically keeps you living.  But it will be a super learning experience and hopefully will make me a better nurse.  It's a great hospital and I am looking forward to working there. 

The only downfall is that the hospital is a little over an hour away from my house.  Ugh. I am dreading that awful drive, especially since I will be working midnites.  That brings a lot of ideas about though. Do we keep living in our house now that we will finally have the money to make updates?  Do we sell as is and move closer to the city?  What to do, what to do?  I have been saying forever now that I can't wait to get out of my small town, so I'm thinking, here's my chance.

So I just wanted to share that with you all.  I graduated less than a month ago, so it's pretty nice to have a job in line.  Now I just have to get to cramming for my boards.  That's going to be a daunting task, for sure!