Things to look forward to:

• Seeing the little cousins this weekend
• pool time
• new cute intern ;)
• 4th of July weekend off (granted, I have to work on the 4th, but at least I have the weekend off)
• Only 8 more shifts till vacation
• Officially on vacation and off for 15 days starting July 11
• Summer softball league

Our awesome Spring league softball team after our first (and only) victory! Love these kids! CANT.WAIT. for summer league!!

Is it July yet?

Reasons why I need a vacation:

• New Grads.
• Unappreciative, rude patients
• Unassertive managers
• Charge nurses who are worthless
• Techs who argue with you when you ask for their help
• Doctors who talk to you like you're stupid
• Secretaries who spend their entire day making personal calls instead of doing their job.
• Housekeeping staff who think its more important to make the hallway look shiny than to allow the nurses into the medication room to get meds for their patients.
• Arrogant doctors.
• Non-compliant patients. Really? WHY are you even in the hospital if you wont let us treat you?? (this is a real hot-topic issue in my book)
• People (e.g. pharmacists, lab techs, transporters, respiratory therapists, housekeepers, etc) who don't do their job
• Doctors who yell at you b/c you havent had time to send down a urine sample because you were too busy keeping your patient's BP above 75/42, and HR below 145. (sorry I had to keep my patient conscious, doc.)
• Doing 1:1 care for 7 hours of my shift, when I'm not an ICU nurse and actually have 3-4 other patients to take care of.
• We are transferring patients off our unit to the ICU at a rate of 3+ per week. Inappropriate.
• We transplant anyone regardless of whether or not they are appropriate candidates. Dont worry, it's not like we're giving these patients something important to take care of, its just an ORGAN.
• I have reached the point where I have been so overwhelmed/frustrated/angry at work that it forces me to tears
• I need some Ocho in my life.

Ugh, I'm getting so burned out.... While I desperately need a break from work if I want to actually remain a nurse, I dont want to close out this post on such a negative/bitter note... SO! I'm actually coming up on my 2 year mark, which is super exciting and I cant believe I've already been a nurse here for 2 years! It has flown by and I feel like I've learned a ton, and I'm still learning new things! A lot has happened this past year: I checked off trach care from my list of "things to do" as far as nursing care goes. Now, I think the only thing left is to handle a patient who is seizing. (Still terrified of that happening, by the way.) I've precepted new nurses; I'm Charge Nurse on a somewhat regular basis and feel comfortable with that role. And this year I was one of the nominees for Nurse of the Year. So, it's been a good year. ...Now if we could just get control of our floor so our patients arent so unstable/time-consuming/needy, I'd be a happy camper! :-P

10 Years

Again, a little late on the posting... but last Saturday the family went downtown for the annual Race for the Cure. We run this race every year, but this year was extra special because it was the 10-year anniversary of Mom's survival. :)

On the Metro heading down to The Mall

yayyyy... on the metro at 6:15am...

We all look so happy and awake :-P

Survivors on the Mall before the start

Feeling good at the Finish!

My cousin and Katia ran too!

Celebrating Mom

Happy Easter!

Gorgeous Easter Sunday!



How stinkin' cute is Aldrich?? Seriously. They're all getting so old... siiiigh.

Opening Day!

I dont care that it is currently 45 degrees outside. Today is Opening Day, which means spring is now officially here and summer is right around the corner. I love baseball. It makes me happy. :) What makes me even happier? Actually PLAYING. One week till softball season starts!! :) :)

gym time

Dear girl on the elliptical wearing all the makeup and jewelry in your skimpy tank top and your lacoste brand shoes,

REALLY?!?

Judging you as I'm dying on the treadmill next to you,
Nikki

Charlotte!

Quote List:

• "Please dont drill my husband"
  
• D: I got a patient from the E.D.
  K: Wait. They have a whole unit for that?? Erectile Dysfunction?!
• "There's always room for alcohol" --who said this??
  
• "Hotty power!"
• "At least I know how to put it in my mouth!"
• B: We could help you - I watch CSI.
  N: They work with dead people!!
  
• "You bitch! You bitch in your pink dress!"
• "Danielle... that's not 4 inches... Did Mike tell you that?"
• "My ears are hot..."
• "Elizabeth should be our earthquake??"
• "Its so whimsical. I feel like I'm on a cloud."
• "We are NOT friends!"

I will post more details about the trip later, but for now that's all you get. I have to go make my brackets!! Yay March Madness!

Aldrich

My little cousins came over to our house a couple months ago and Aldrich is quite the little reader. He's in kindergarten now (ahh!) and apparently is in the accelerated reading group. When he saw me, I was wearing my Wake sweatshirt - you know, the one everyone owns and just has WAKE in big block letters on the front.

Aldrich: WAKE!!
Me: Yep!
Aldrich: Why does it say that?
Me: Because thats the name of my school.
Aldrich: Well they should put U-P under.
Me: What? Why?
Aldrich: Because then it will say "WAKE UP!"

Oh, how curious is the mind of a child. Precious. :)