Getting fired isn't so bad!

There is a first time for everything....

Yesterday I got fired.  Yup.  Fired.

A patient fired me for the first time in my 12 years of nursing.

I am in nursing school, and the patients I take care of have no idea I am a nurse already, granted not a "registered nurse" yet, but a "licensed practical nurse".

I was assigned two patients yesterday on the postpartum floor.  One was a couplet, the other was just a baby.  I walked into the couplet room first, figured I'd knock her and the baby out really quick and focus on my other patient with the more complex issues.

As soon as I walked in, I knew she was gonna fire me.  She had that look.  You know...this one...

I came in, told her who I was, what school I go to, and that I'd be taking care of her and the baby today.

Her response?

Mom:  "You gonna touch my baby?"
Me:  "Yes, I have to touch him in order to do an accurate assessment"
Mom:  "They just did one of those"
Me:  "No, an assessment is only done at the beginning of each shift, unless otherwise indicated"
Mom:  "Hmm."
Me:  "If you are uncomfortable with me doing the assessment, then maybe it is in your best interest to have the nurse take care of you today and not a student."
Mom:  "Yeah, I need a real nurse, not you the pretend nurse"

Ouch!

I smiled, then thanked her for her time and walked out of the room.

Being fired wasn't so bad.  It didn't bother me one bit.  I mean seriously.  I know all patients have a choice.  But when you are admitted to a teaching hospital, you have to realize you will encounter many students (nursing and medical, among other type of students). The hospital I'm at is very open about being a teaching hospital.  There are two hospitals in town, so if you don't like this one...go to the other one.

So in the end, I laughed about it.  I'm a happy nurse, I know I take extremely good care of my patients. If she didn't want me, well then that's her loss, not mine.  I ended up taking a GYN patient instead that was amazing.  I was better off not dealing with some one who was gonna be grumpy.  I don't have time for that!

Have you been fired before?  Was it ugly?  Did you see it coming?

I kinda saw it coming as soon as I walked in...she had "the look".

Sleep, Snuggle, & Study

You ever have one of those weeks where you think, "really?  REEEAAALLLLYYYY?????"

I had one of those weeks this past week.  It's over now.  Thank goodness.

I just could not shake this "I don't wanna study, I'd rather sleep/snuggle/eat/watch TV/read Game of Thrones"

Yup.  I said snuggle in there.

Anyone who really knows me, knows I don't snuggle.  Ever.  I've never been one to show any PDA.  I've stolen a kiss a time or two in public, but not those messy sloppy ones.  But for some reason all I wanted to do was lay up in the bed and snuggle with the hubby.  Weird.

Dogs make me smile.

I did it.  I feel better, and I no longer need the snuggle.  I sweat too much for that.  Yuck.

So this week was challenging for me in more ways than one.

I had a test.  I didn't do so well, I felt very prepared, and you know nursing school, all the answers are correct, but you have to pick the most correct one.  Well I was off my game.  I believe I was sleep deprived.  I reviewed the test yesterday with the instructor.  I feel better now, mostly because she said everyone did horrible...and my grade was not the lowest.  Not that it was really low, but definitely not in my normal range.

I'm over that.

I need a full time job come June.  I've had no luck so far at the local hospitals.  You'd think they'd be all over new nurses.  Fresh meat.  Apparently not.

I do have a job now, but it will more than likely not be full time.

I did have an interview the other day for a pediatric clinic I worked at before I went back to school.  It looks promising.  I love peds, so I will more than likely take the job (if they offer it to me) just so I can work with the kiddos.

My PT is going very slow.  I was highly discouraged at my Wednesday appointment, even my therapist noticed.  I just told her I'm moody and I want to make a freaking fist for goodness sakes.  Is that too much to ask?  I haven't been able to make one in 6 months.  Ugh.

The highlight of my week was my run on Monday, with my buddy Stephanie.  We only ran once, and that's okay, mostly because I had to take Wednesday off because I had to take a freaking stool softener Tuesday night because the pain meds for my hand constipated me.  Of course I woke up at 5:30 with crazy poop cramps, so I had to call it off.  She understood, I had the poop discussion with her the night before.  She said and I quote, "no runs on the run!!"

Another highlight is I also found out a friend is moving back here after being gone for three years!!!!  I met her while I worked at the pediatric clinic.  Her hubby is a Marine, so they move a lot, and he's been given an opportunity to come back and teach, so they will be here for three years!  AND they want to move in the area I live in!!!!!  YES!!!!!  She is also a runner, so maybe we can make our runs a threesome!!!  Woo Hoo!

So that's it really.  I need to get my butt back into school mode, and I need to run more.

How do you deal with the stress of life? 

I usually run, but that hasn't been happening much lately!  I need to get on that!

Surgery Update

I can actually use my hand more now than I could before surgery.  If anything, that is a success!

My pics are a little graphic, well not to me, but to some maybe.

Therapy is going well.  She fit me in a splint to be worn until she says so.  My sutures will come out on the 17th, and they are already getting on my nerves!

The first thing we did Wednesday was take that insanely huge dressing off!

At therapy

Getting fitted for my splint.  They really need to make cute ones.  I mean for realz.

After a good scrubbing. 

Side by side comparison.  

Post therapy ice and electro therapy

All in all things are good.  My hand is stiff, but that's expected.  The sutures are annoying, that's expected too.  I'm ready for things to be normal again with my hand.  My therapist is super confident that I will return to post injury status.

I sure do hope so.

Talk about an expensive trail race.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Surgery Edition

Dr. Evil!!  Bahahaha

In recovery, I was asked to "smile" for my mom and dad

Wrapped up...yet again

All is well.

Typing sucks.  

It hurts.

Drugs are awesome.

Physical therapy starts today.

Thursday's jumble in my brain

I've been a bit more jumbled up lately.  Blame it on school, life, job, whatever.  I'm just busy...and jumbled.

I ordered my nursing pin for my pinning ceremony.  Now you peeps that are not nurses...Us nurses are so special we get a pinning ceremony AND an actual graduation where we walk and get our diploma.  Yup.  That's what hard work will get ya.  Two graduations for the price of one.  Some of my friends are not gonna walk at graduation.  I was like, "WHAT?!?!?!"  My parents are coming from out of town and I'm the first person to have an actual college degree in our family.  You can bet your ass I'm walking!!

Wouldn't you walk???

I'm currently addicted to Alex and Ani bracelets.  They make me happy.  I absolutely love every bracelet.  Here are just a few reasons:

-They are handcrafted in the good ole US of A!!  And because each one is handmade they are all    slightly different.

-They all have certain meanings and messages.

-Each bracelet they sell a certain portion of the proceeds will go to an American charity.  All different charities, and you even get a little card telling you which one.

-They are super cute, especially when you have several and you stack 'em!

-They are super affordable.

We have a local store here, and I cannot stop going there (okay, I've only been twice).  I bought my running buddy one for her birthday this week, and she loved it!!!

Here is a pic of the ones I have:

If you'd like to buy browse their website, go here. **  (They also make cute earrings, necklaces, and rings!)

I have surgery scheduled for Monday (first day of my spring break!!!) to release my joint capsule and remove the scar tissue that has accumulated.  I'm super happy about it.  I am so tired of waking up and my hand feeling swollen and stiff.  I even had a dream last night that I could make a fist!!  What?!?!  It was awesome, the tip of my pinky touched my palm.  (Yup, you're totally doing that right now, aren't you???)  I haven't been able to do that for like...oh almost 6 months!

So send good vibes to me on Monday around 1000 Eastern Time, I'll be under the knife and in a Versed induced dreamland...my favorite kind...



**Alex and Ani did not compensate me for commenting on their bracelets.  All opinions are my own.

My quest to be great at all the things...

I'm a mom, wife, student, friend.  Basically in that order.  Most days.  Some days I'm a student, student, student, student.  Do I feel bad?  Sometimes, but not all the time.

I am in nursing school.  I know it is supposed to be difficult, I mean do you really want someone to take care of you that has no idea what they are doing?  

I didn't think so.

I've been working on my RN for the past 1 1/2 years now.  I will finish in May.

Going back to school when you are 33 years old is not for the weak.  Hell, I'd say it's even harder to go back when you have a family.  And I'm super lucky since I have the support of my hubby.

So why do I feel so guilty?

Well you see, I'm an overachiever.  I think I can do it all.  I think that in order to be successful I have to be great at all things.  I have to be an awesome mom, superb wife, "A" student, and cool friend.

I've feel as though I only have the "A" student thing down.  

I feel bad for studying all the time.  All day and night.  I go to school before the family is up, and when they get home I'm upstairs in the office studying.

I often get these questions from my 13 year old: 

"Mom, how much longer are you gonna study?"

I have a test tomorrow that is 50 questions, and they are NCLEX style, where all the answers are correct, but I have to pick the best...I'm gonna be here a bit longer.

"Are you gonna cook, or are we on our own tonight?"

No, I have to make sure the patient I take care of tomorrow gets the best care ever.  He has a rare congenital heart defect and he had surgery to repair it today, oh AND his parents abandoned him in the hospital.  

"Did you remember to pick up the granola bars I've been out of for 2 weeks?"

No, I was trying to make sure you had clean underwear and socks to wear to school, I thought you'd like to not go naked, or in dirty clothes.

The other day when he asked me to take him to school on a rare day I'm out of school AND clinical:

"Can you take me to school, it's not like you have anything else to do today"

Yeah, I have absolutely nothing going on, I need to pick up those granola bars you asked me about 2 weeks ago, and guess what?  You've dirtied more underwear and socks.  Oh AND I have another test this week, the same day I have a quiz I've not even begun to study for.  

Do I feel guilty?  

Absolutely.

I love my kid and husband more than words can express in this blog.  They are the reason I try so hard to do it all.  I want them to be proud of me.  I will do anything to make them happy.  

Deep down I believe I was put on this earth to be a nurse.   

I cannot imagine being anything else, no other job in my mind can be more rewarding.  

So yes, I'll keep studying, I'll keep doing it all, because this is my calling.

And if you see me at the hospital and I have dark circles under my eyes, my hair is a mess, and maybe my clothes are wrinkled...

Don't judge me, I've probably been up too long, I forgot to get the clothes out of the dryer as soon as they were done, and got up wayyyyyyy too early to take care of you.

But I promise it'll be the best care you've ever received.  

GIVE ME ALL THE ORANGES!!

Do you have a moment that only comes every once in a while where you think...

"It would be amazing I could get my hands on some xyz"

Well that moment for me is oranges.

I'm not even sure why.  I was making juice the other day and an orange went into one, and after I peeled it I helped myself to a few.  OMG!  I couldn't stop eating it.  I had to peel another to put in there.  I had no idea I needed an orange that bad.  

I have a story about oranges actually.  

When I ran my first marathon (MCM) we were at mile 11 and there was a stand with Marines handing out oranges.  I took a few and kept trucking.  Then when I bit into it...it was as though that oranges was like nectar to my lips.  It seriously almost melted on my lips.  Hell, it probably did.  I even made said to my running partners, "That was the best orange in the entire world".  Crazy the thoughts that go through your brain during a marathon.  I mean seriously.  And orange?  Yup.

I'm sure my craving is coming from some sort of Vitamin C deficiency or something, but OMG, they are delicious!!!

So here's to the orange:

 Thank you for being so yummy!

Are you eating your oranges?  Or another food that all of the sudden you cannot live without?