Twelve Days
It's been a helluva eleven day stretch, one more to go. I try not to snivel and snort about the demands of work on my blog. Who wants to read that stuff? This is supposed to be a gun blog. Tonight though, I just might.
February 23 to February 27 was busy, more so than it should have been. I stayed late every day, by an average of two hours each. I took call every other day. I went on call the afternoon of the 27th. My pager went off within two hours. I worked full days Saturday and Sunday, and on March 2, I was back to work at 6:00 AM. Each day this week, I left work late. Three days were education days for two nurses needing Arrhythmia Class as a prerequisite for ACLS. One nurse resigned. Then called in sick. Strange how that happens..... So I have been working understaffed by about 50%, with about a 40% increase in overall caseload, and no time off myself. I continued to take call every other day.
I eat, drive to work, drive home, sleep, eat, repeat. I have been able to fit in thirty minute visits to the range by pre-packing my gear, and going as soon as I get off work. Twice I was paged back to work from the range. The fact that I have been able to continue to blog each day is because I can pre-publish pieces. I apologize for the lack of coherence at times. I was just too tired to think straight.
There is much of my regular material that I haven't blogged on, simply because I have been so tired. Cassie is presently at the vet staying overnight after being spayed. That would have made a good piece. Ilsa spent her first day alone at home, lose inside the house. I didn't know what to expect that day. Would the sofas still have stuffing? Would the carpet still be in place? True to form though, my big black beauty slept on the living room sofa, watching the front door for my return. She was a good dog. That would have been an excellent piece as well. I came home one day during the last eleven to find that I now have cable TV piped into my home. I watched it for about five minutes before falling asleep. Ilsa enjoys Animal Planet. I have seen several interesting pawn shop guns, but had no time to write about them. A friend's mother was injured by a negligent discharge. Again, no time to write. I may write a bit about that one later.
It's been a tough eleven days. Then I read about a case such as this one. I have one more to go. I'm looking forward to Friday night, Saturday and Sunday.
February 23 to February 27 was busy, more so than it should have been. I stayed late every day, by an average of two hours each. I took call every other day. I went on call the afternoon of the 27th. My pager went off within two hours. I worked full days Saturday and Sunday, and on March 2, I was back to work at 6:00 AM. Each day this week, I left work late. Three days were education days for two nurses needing Arrhythmia Class as a prerequisite for ACLS. One nurse resigned. Then called in sick. Strange how that happens..... So I have been working understaffed by about 50%, with about a 40% increase in overall caseload, and no time off myself. I continued to take call every other day.
I eat, drive to work, drive home, sleep, eat, repeat. I have been able to fit in thirty minute visits to the range by pre-packing my gear, and going as soon as I get off work. Twice I was paged back to work from the range. The fact that I have been able to continue to blog each day is because I can pre-publish pieces. I apologize for the lack of coherence at times. I was just too tired to think straight.
There is much of my regular material that I haven't blogged on, simply because I have been so tired. Cassie is presently at the vet staying overnight after being spayed. That would have made a good piece. Ilsa spent her first day alone at home, lose inside the house. I didn't know what to expect that day. Would the sofas still have stuffing? Would the carpet still be in place? True to form though, my big black beauty slept on the living room sofa, watching the front door for my return. She was a good dog. That would have been an excellent piece as well. I came home one day during the last eleven to find that I now have cable TV piped into my home. I watched it for about five minutes before falling asleep. Ilsa enjoys Animal Planet. I have seen several interesting pawn shop guns, but had no time to write about them. A friend's mother was injured by a negligent discharge. Again, no time to write. I may write a bit about that one later.
It's been a tough eleven days. Then I read about a case such as this one. I have one more to go. I'm looking forward to Friday night, Saturday and Sunday.
Labels: Nursing
posted by Xavier at 1:14 AM
13 Comments:
That reads like it is absolutely killing. I work on call, but I don't get called very often, and it is a burden still. Just knowing that you can get called at every moment means your social life suffers, you decide to stay at home rather than visit friends, or go to a restaurant.
Your on call sounds like a nightmare, continuous work, and the constant threat of another call.
I salute you.
Edwin
Dude, I hope you're getting overtime! Good luck out there.
Greg
Best of luck getting through these tired times. Just think about how many people you're helping in the process.
Be sure to reward yourself for your efforts. A new gun perhaps?
...and you want to go to lawschool next?? Take a couple of community college business law classes to try and better understand the broad concepts and mindset of "issues presented" and call it good. It's clear you already have your vocation. Were I among the injured I would want you on the team trying to pull me back together. As to working too hard and blog topics, I am going to the visitation and funeral of a nephew this weekend. About your age, and leaving a family in shattered pieces not to recreational drug use but to an overeaching attempt to be responsible. He had a lawncare company that was doing well until a couple of commercial contracts filed bankruptcy and left him holding the bag. In Michigan, lawn care companies put their trucks to work plowing in the winter, some by subscription and others by the trip. Having a bad summer? Maybe you can make it up if it snows. Sometimes it snows. Sometimes it doesn't. We knew something was wrong at least 4 years ago when he plowed for 30 plus hours straight. There was no getting him back though and the slowmotion trainwreck that became his life just got worse and worse. He took his own life on tuesday night rather than face jail time. It surprised no one. He has a son and two little girls. His brother told me yesterday, "If he couldn't come back for the love of those kids, he had to be really sick." But no one had the cure, he just fell away from us while we watched like the opening scene from "Cliffhanger". Get some sleep.
I understand your frustrations and your weariness. I hope you find time to refresh your soul on your days off this weekend. I work 12hr nights but usually only 8 or 9 in two weeks...I know you must be tired to your bones. I've worked ER for 18 years and am looking at a job in PACU...it might just be the balm for my wounds.
Like my grandfather said
"load the wagon, don't worry about the mule" Enjoy your weekend. You deserve a some R & R.
Xavier,
Looking forward to reading all of those stories when you get a chance. Your blog goes well with my morning coffee!
Thanks for everything you do (not just the blog).
Take care!
Xavier,
I understand someone "getting busy" at work; especially when that someone is prior (or 'retired') military and I know that they know the meaning of work and dedication.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoy your blog whether you're talking about Cassie and/or Ilsa or you're talking about bicycles or whether you're talking about guns. Take your time. Get rested. I'll keep checking your site for when you are ready to blog again.
Thanks,
Doug
Xavier:
I visit here daily. Sometimes more often. The subjects of your writing and the beauty of its execution never fail to teach, inspire, sadden, and cheer in their turn.
The link to Kenny's nose is all of these things in a single piece.
Thank you, Sir, for your work here. I am grateful to you for making mine a richer life.
Gale_H
Keep at it X,
I am 1 level away from being in your field and though the hours are long, job demanding I can't see myself doing anything else.
Where do you work and how many nursing positions do they have in your section? Just wondering.
I can sympathize; I'm an Emergency Dept. nurse myself. Sometimes i think it should be renamed 'Inconvenience Dept.", but I digress. My employer would fire me in a heartbeat if it was discovered I had one of those evil weapon-thingys in my car on their property. My turn on call for the next two weeks...
Men, all I can say is Thank you for your Big efforts on your Blog, I came here thru Pistol -Training.com,(another great blog) 10 months a go, Im seen your blog from the beautiful Costa Rica in Central America, where we can, as responsable and free citizens, carry a gun everyday, with permit from the Ministery of Security of course (The Police)
I concelead carry a S&W M&P9c everyday, go to the range one or twice a month, also have a Glock 26 that my father (R.I.P) gave me at my 30th birthday, my first gun, I have a Mossberg model 88 shotgun that my father left me in his will, he want me and my wife and kids safe I guess, this one I keep at home, and tomorrow, Im finally paying my Sig p229r elite model to a good friend who sold it to me, in a good credit plan. My friend has big hands and felt in love with a Sig p226 instead . Guns here are expensive because taxes, and ammo is really expensive, but seems for now that we have enough, so back to the case, thanks again, keep up the good work, and well I have four years to buy my 1911 so I will keep reading, four years I say because thats what Im planning to get for my 40th birthday, and also because my wife says so.....
Gracias, continua con el buen trabajo.
If you need vacations sometime come down here...
best regards
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