Day Number 29 of My Captivity

Today was a pretty eventful clinical day. There was so much doom and gloom, I can't believe none of my patients coded. Flash! Tornado watch! Swine flu! Mexican earthquakes! While I wouldn't go as far as to say it was exciting, I was on my feet pretty much all day.

Dentures Lady started to have some strange hypotension and dizziness, so I got to do an assessment and bolus her It was pretty cool that I pretty much figured out on my own what needed to be done. I need to be better about data collection, though, because I was asked all of these questions about labs about which I had no idea. I was just concerned about the 70s systolic blood pressure.

LIHB was having a very emotional day and her primary nurse wasn't doing much at all to help. She was having a lot of pain and a ton of anxiety about her discharge planning. The nurse just sort of blew her off and didn't talk to her at all even when she got tearful. Remind me to switch careers if I ever get to that point. I got to do blood cultures, though. That was an interesting process, but I don't know if I'll do it right next time I'm asked because the nurse had her "own way" of doing things. I wish she would have at least taught me the right way seeing as how I'm a student.

I get somewhat annoyed when some of these nurses take shortcuts and I'm unaware that they are, in fact, shortcuts. I do procedures and skills the way the nurse taught me at the hospital and my instructor gets upset when she sees what I'm doing. All I can say is that that's how the primary nurse does it, and that's how I thought it was done. Confusing.

Anyway, I got a compliment from one of the nurses on the floor about my confidence and how I'm going to be great at my job some day. Then, my patient complimented me on the way I drew blood because he was a hard stick. Then, my other patient complimented me on my blood drawing skills because she was a hard stick as well (history of IV drug abuse). People were giving me so many compliments it was a wonder my head could fit out the door.

Overall, a success. No one died (on my floor, anyway. That's quite a story for later on), no tornadoes decided to strike our little (big) hospital, no one had swine flu, and, best of all, we don't live in a 100 mile radius of Mexico city.

Three?

Tomorrow I'm taking three patients on the Med/Surg floor at clinical. Can I handle it? I think so. Here's the lineup:

1. Lady I've Had Before. LIHB is pretty easy. She's got scheduled 'round the clock pain meds and IV antibiotics and a PICC line. Shouldn't be too hard just as long as she doesn't have another anxiety attack. Bring it on, LIHB.
2. Conversion Disorder Dude. The docs aren't quite sure what's going on with him. He came in for chest pain, but the EKG was negative. Now he's on a suicide watch. I love the built in babysitters! Easy meds and I will get to practice my Spanish. Oh, and don't forget, no silverware.
3. Dentures Lady. I walked in to introduce myself to DL and she said "There's something rather important that I forgot as we were heading out to go the hospital." I had no idea I would end up running over to HEB with her five dollars to buy denture glue. She should be pretty all right, she's just a little pathetic with her knee replacement and CHF. If denture glue will make DL happy, then gosh darn it, I will oblige her.

How does that sound? It can't get any worse than last week when I had Homeless Apple Cider Vinegar Dude. But that's a different story for a different time.