I have been working a lot of extra hours at work. Obviously, a lot of my motivation is the upcoming Christmas Holiday, but I've been putting in a lot of consectutive days because I notice I have been sleeping better. When I split my days off, I end up spending the days in between laying in bed trying to get to sleep. It has been so nice going to bed in the morning with that tired sleepy feeling, where the bed really feels GOOD. The past couple of days, I've been waking up in the same position I fell asleep in. It's too bad my knees get to be so painful after three or four 12-hour shifts.
I still get pretty angry at work about the poorly managed changes, but I have been trying out something new. I have been placing all of my charting materials on a rolling cart, which I move from one room to the next. When I chart, I push my rolling chair near my patient's rooms. I was doing this originally to get away from the noise and constant interruption at the nurses' station. But I find my nursing is a lot more intensive. Sitting within direct view of all of my patient call lights has saved a lot of steps, since my patients' charts are just a few steps away instead of at the nurses' station. I also have noticed my patients have been a lot happier, knowing I'm right in front of their room. I have not done any time studies yet, but I am certain my patients don't call out as often, confident that I will make an appearance soon anyway. Also, being away from where everyone is sitting has given me the chance to really concentrate on nursing, which makes me feel good.
I've been working more on those Patient Problem Lists I mentioned earlier. I've been using them in my verbal report, so that the oncoming nurse is given a brief summary of every DRG/medical diagnosis, and every physician/nursing order related to each medical diagnosis. Even if no one cares to make it a standard of practice, I plan to continue writing these lists out, so that no one can claim I have not passed on important details in an often rushed and hurried verbal report. There's been some talk of me teaching others how to fill out these forms, but I don't hold out much hope that the average nurse will want to spend the time working on them, even though they make nursing practice more comprehensive.
On a weirdly aside note, I've had the opportunity to watch the Matrix Trilogy several times these past couple of weeks. My favorite scenes:
- In Matrix Reloaded, I love the scene where Neo fights with the "old programs" that were working for the Merovingian. I, for whatever reason, get a big kick out of that Asian girl. She was just so relentless.
- In Matrix Revolutions, I love that scene where Neo and Trinity are making their final approach to the machine city, and while under attack, soar above the clouds and into the bright sun. It's very inspiring, even though the ship immediately sinks once again in the harsh bleak darkness of the real world.
- Again in Revolutions, I like the scene where that young guy takes control of that fighting machine. He aims his guns at a gate he must open. Just before he fires, he says something like, "Neo... I believe!!"
- Again in Revolutions, at the very last scene, when Seraph asks The Oracle, "Did you always know?" and the Oracle replies, "Oh, no. No, I didn't. But I believed... I believed!!"
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