Last last week a new resident moved into our unit. I'm not sure what her story is, but previous to coming to the nursing home she lived on her own in a senior citizen highrise. For people who are confused moving into a new place full of people you don't know & suddenly having a roommate is a very difficult transition.
This particular resident is having trouble sleeping at night - so she rings her call bell a zillion times. It's sometimes frustrating because we each have 20 residents to take care of. There's definitely time to devote a little one-on-one time to each of them, but it's really hard to constantly be running back to her room "just to chat."
But, we've all done our best, because becomming familiar with her surroundings & the new people is what she really needs.
So imagine my surprise when we got report from the nurse last night & were told that this resident's family requested that she have all her meals back in her room (and stay in there pretty much the entire day...alone) because they don't want her in our dining room "seeing some of the other residents."
And I knew exactly what residents they were referrinf too. There are people with end stage Alzheimer's desease, who have totally lost the ability to speak, but who frequently have loud vocal outbursts. There are people who have lost the ability to move their arms & legs, so they are very contracted in their chairs. These people are elderly & can't do things the way they used to, so some spill their food.
But, these are still people. They deserve to be treated with dignity & respect, not only by our staff, but by visitors as well. They are not the scourge of the earth. They are someone's parents & grandparents.
I know the stigma that sourrounds nursing homes. And I also know that, if you're not used to it, some of the things you see can be jarring. But at the end of the day our purpose is to take care of those who simply can't do it on their own anymore. Those things are meant to be embraced so that these residents have a good quality of life until the end.
The ignorance of some people will never cease to amaze me.
Showing posts with label Seriously?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seriously?. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Off to see the wizard.
Yesterday afternoon while I was watching the news a tornado watch was issued for some surrounding areas, including the county I live in.
Normally I just ignore them. I know that sounds terrible, but I have been fortunate enough never to see a tornado in my area my whole life. Plus, I'm a lover of crazy summer thunderstorms.
Last night was different though. When the warning was issued I started to get anxious. I was upset because I was scheduled to work at 11 last night, & I was planning to be napping when the wicked storm was supposed to hit. DJ wasn't going to be home, & I was convinced that the house was going to be blown away without me knowing. He assured me I was crazy, like usual.
Although I slept a little, I kept having bad dreams & ended up waking up long before my alarm was set to go off.
I turned on the news, & what do you know?
The report was bad. The storm was headed to us, & would be on top of us within a half hour. People were reporting seeing tornados where it was already raining, & the meteorologists were seeing cloud rotation close to me.
When the storm was about 10 minutes away & a few towns over, the weatherman said, "There is definite cloud rotation. We can't confirm whether or not a tornado is already on the gound. It's heading for Renee's house (I know I souldn't joke about this, but wouldn't that have been funny?). You have 10 minutes to get into the basement."
And so, that is what I did. I took my laptop, knowing I would lose power & not get news reports from the TV. I just hoped the internet would hold out. It did not, by the way.
Next I trapped my 2 girl cats in the basement, which was easy enough to do with a bag of treats. Then, I had to carry my dog downstairs. She had never even seen a flight of stairs until we lived in this house, & she is not brave enough to venture down. Once that was done, I had to fight with my boy cat. He doesn't like to be held, so it was an epic battle...that I ultimately won. I essentially hog-tied my cat, covered his head with my shirt & ran down the stairs while trying desperately to hold on.
Once my fur babies were safely downstairs, I didn't dare open the door. In my panic, it didn't occur to me to grab my flashlight or candles or anything I might actually need. No, no, instead there I was with 3 misbehaving cats, a terrified dog, my cell phone & a laptop that soon proved to be worhtless when the internet failed.
In an attempt to keep myself calm, I talked to my mom & MIL periodically. I had no idea what was going on. There was no way for me to know what the situation with the storm was. My only view of the outside world was through a tiny (& dirty, because I don't clean it) basement window. I couldn't see anything because the sky was black, except for occasional pink lightening.
I'll be honest, I was pretty freaking terrified. I was also sure this was not going to end well. Thankfully, it did. We got a severe thunderstorm & nothing more. Everyone was safe.
We were without power for a few hours, so when I ventured back upstairs I lit every candle in the house & read a book by flashlight.
DJ got home shortly after the power came back on. And although I was able to laugh a little about my disaster precautions, I was still a little on edge.
In hindsight everyone will probably think it was silly of me to go so overboard, but I don't think it was. Not only did the newscaster say it was specifically headed to my town & I had 10 minutes to take cover, but I knew this was coming since 3 in the afternoon.
Call it a message, or maybe a sixth sense, but I was sure this storm was going to be bad & I needed to be awake when it arrived.
I guess the moral of my story is this: trust your instincts. They're right more often than you think.
Normally I just ignore them. I know that sounds terrible, but I have been fortunate enough never to see a tornado in my area my whole life. Plus, I'm a lover of crazy summer thunderstorms.
Last night was different though. When the warning was issued I started to get anxious. I was upset because I was scheduled to work at 11 last night, & I was planning to be napping when the wicked storm was supposed to hit. DJ wasn't going to be home, & I was convinced that the house was going to be blown away without me knowing. He assured me I was crazy, like usual.
Although I slept a little, I kept having bad dreams & ended up waking up long before my alarm was set to go off.
I turned on the news, & what do you know?
The report was bad. The storm was headed to us, & would be on top of us within a half hour. People were reporting seeing tornados where it was already raining, & the meteorologists were seeing cloud rotation close to me.
When the storm was about 10 minutes away & a few towns over, the weatherman said, "There is definite cloud rotation. We can't confirm whether or not a tornado is already on the gound. It's heading for Renee's house (I know I souldn't joke about this, but wouldn't that have been funny?). You have 10 minutes to get into the basement."
And so, that is what I did. I took my laptop, knowing I would lose power & not get news reports from the TV. I just hoped the internet would hold out. It did not, by the way.
Next I trapped my 2 girl cats in the basement, which was easy enough to do with a bag of treats. Then, I had to carry my dog downstairs. She had never even seen a flight of stairs until we lived in this house, & she is not brave enough to venture down. Once that was done, I had to fight with my boy cat. He doesn't like to be held, so it was an epic battle...that I ultimately won. I essentially hog-tied my cat, covered his head with my shirt & ran down the stairs while trying desperately to hold on.
Once my fur babies were safely downstairs, I didn't dare open the door. In my panic, it didn't occur to me to grab my flashlight or candles or anything I might actually need. No, no, instead there I was with 3 misbehaving cats, a terrified dog, my cell phone & a laptop that soon proved to be worhtless when the internet failed.
In an attempt to keep myself calm, I talked to my mom & MIL periodically. I had no idea what was going on. There was no way for me to know what the situation with the storm was. My only view of the outside world was through a tiny (& dirty, because I don't clean it) basement window. I couldn't see anything because the sky was black, except for occasional pink lightening.
I'll be honest, I was pretty freaking terrified. I was also sure this was not going to end well. Thankfully, it did. We got a severe thunderstorm & nothing more. Everyone was safe.
We were without power for a few hours, so when I ventured back upstairs I lit every candle in the house & read a book by flashlight.
DJ got home shortly after the power came back on. And although I was able to laugh a little about my disaster precautions, I was still a little on edge.
In hindsight everyone will probably think it was silly of me to go so overboard, but I don't think it was. Not only did the newscaster say it was specifically headed to my town & I had 10 minutes to take cover, but I knew this was coming since 3 in the afternoon.
Call it a message, or maybe a sixth sense, but I was sure this storm was going to be bad & I needed to be awake when it arrived.
I guess the moral of my story is this: trust your instincts. They're right more often than you think.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wordless Wednesday: So gross...
I know it's Wordless Wednesday, but I think this requires some explanation.
My vacuum wasn't working properly, which usually means there's a clog.
This is what I emptied out of the vacuum hose, & it makes me question my decision to own pets.
My vacuum wasn't working properly, which usually means there's a clog.
This is what I emptied out of the vacuum hose, & it makes me question my decision to own pets.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tuesday Ten
It's raining today. It's been raining since Friday. It's supposed to rain until at least Friday. It's left me with a total lack of inspiration.
Imagine that?
So today I'm phoning this one in. I'm not being a Tuesday Ten hater, I'm just saying that I don't even have the energy it requires to make my Tuesday Ten creative & funny like my buddy G.
(Do you see what I did there, Gini???? I'm totally impressed with myself now.)
Anyway, enough of the inside joke. Now to the Main Event:
1. I took my mom shopping for a Mother's Day gift last night. It was a week late, but that was her fault. She wanted to get Ugg boots, but ended up with a ring instead. That made me happy.
2. I came home from the grocery store to find a flock of geese milling around the field behind my house. Random.
3. I'm still on vacation, & I don't go back until Sunday night. The plan for the rest of the week? Laziness.
4. Maury reached an all time low today by having a stained blanket tested for an angry wife. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that Maury could have gone any lower than he already was.
5. Is it wrong of me to want to delete some distant relatives from Facebook? Is it wrong that I don't care if it's wrong? Then, do those two wrongs make a right?
6. On my way to my next door neighbor's house this morning, I found 4 four leaf clovers.
7. I don't care if chips & salsa aren't a suitable lunch.
8. According to some religious zealots in my area, the world is going to end on Saturday. I'm glad I had vacation this week.
9. I bought a new lunch box last night. It has owls on it. You know you're jealous.
10. Given what the poor people in the south are currently bracing themselves for, I find it a little offensive to see a "flood watch" symbol in the corner of my TV screen. The worst thing that's going to happen here is that we may not be able to use a low-lying road for a while. Not really a flood, if you ask me.
Imagine that?
So today I'm phoning this one in. I'm not being a Tuesday Ten hater, I'm just saying that I don't even have the energy it requires to make my Tuesday Ten creative & funny like my buddy G.
(Do you see what I did there, Gini???? I'm totally impressed with myself now.)
Anyway, enough of the inside joke. Now to the Main Event:
1. I took my mom shopping for a Mother's Day gift last night. It was a week late, but that was her fault. She wanted to get Ugg boots, but ended up with a ring instead. That made me happy.
2. I came home from the grocery store to find a flock of geese milling around the field behind my house. Random.
3. I'm still on vacation, & I don't go back until Sunday night. The plan for the rest of the week? Laziness.
4. Maury reached an all time low today by having a stained blanket tested for an angry wife. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that Maury could have gone any lower than he already was.
5. Is it wrong of me to want to delete some distant relatives from Facebook? Is it wrong that I don't care if it's wrong? Then, do those two wrongs make a right?
6. On my way to my next door neighbor's house this morning, I found 4 four leaf clovers.
7. I don't care if chips & salsa aren't a suitable lunch.
8. According to some religious zealots in my area, the world is going to end on Saturday. I'm glad I had vacation this week.
9. I bought a new lunch box last night. It has owls on it. You know you're jealous.
10. Given what the poor people in the south are currently bracing themselves for, I find it a little offensive to see a "flood watch" symbol in the corner of my TV screen. The worst thing that's going to happen here is that we may not be able to use a low-lying road for a while. Not really a flood, if you ask me.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
She did what?
I've talked about my mother before on my blog.
She's a little nutty, & it's amusing to laugh at the crazy things she does. And once again, she didn't disappoint today.
She's at war with her neighbors - but she's the only one who thinks so. Shortly after we moved into the house where she lives now (10 years ago), she & my stepdad were making some improvements on the backyard. They built a new, bigger deck & garden area. These neighbors, who I will admit are a little off, approached my mom in the backyard one afternoon to adress their "concerns" with the home improvements. While I can't recite the entire conversation, I can tell you how it ended.
Crazy neighbor: How would you feel if someone new moved in & suddenly made all these
changes?
Crazy mother: I don't really fucking care how you feel.
I think it's safe to say any cordial, neighborly relationship was over at that point. From then on, my mother spied on them through an upstairs window, & Mr. Neighbor purposely threw sticks & shoveled snow into our yard.
Well, not to be outdone, my mother had a fence built - down only one side of the yard, which happens to be between these two houses. Really mature, right?
After that, she continued with her spying, but they were powerless to throw random things into the yard anymore. That's pretty much how the relationship has continued over the better part of a decade.
She spies so much that she knows all the following informaiton:
And the saga continued this evening, when my mother attended a school board meeting.
Why you ask?
Because Mr. Neighbor works for the school district, & they are planning to make spending cuts - so she wanted to know if he would be fired.
She seriously needs to get a life.
She's a little nutty, & it's amusing to laugh at the crazy things she does. And once again, she didn't disappoint today.
She's at war with her neighbors - but she's the only one who thinks so. Shortly after we moved into the house where she lives now (10 years ago), she & my stepdad were making some improvements on the backyard. They built a new, bigger deck & garden area. These neighbors, who I will admit are a little off, approached my mom in the backyard one afternoon to adress their "concerns" with the home improvements. While I can't recite the entire conversation, I can tell you how it ended.
Crazy neighbor: How would you feel if someone new moved in & suddenly made all these
changes?
Crazy mother: I don't really fucking care how you feel.
I think it's safe to say any cordial, neighborly relationship was over at that point. From then on, my mother spied on them through an upstairs window, & Mr. Neighbor purposely threw sticks & shoveled snow into our yard.
Well, not to be outdone, my mother had a fence built - down only one side of the yard, which happens to be between these two houses. Really mature, right?
After that, she continued with her spying, but they were powerless to throw random things into the yard anymore. That's pretty much how the relationship has continued over the better part of a decade.
She spies so much that she knows all the following informaiton:
- Where & when they grocery shop
- When they are planning a birthday party for their children
- When they are having medical issues
- When the couple separated, & ultimately reconciled
And the saga continued this evening, when my mother attended a school board meeting.
Why you ask?
Because Mr. Neighbor works for the school district, & they are planning to make spending cuts - so she wanted to know if he would be fired.
She seriously needs to get a life.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Lazy Sunday, lazy blog post.
I was woken up a little too early by my dog, & then kept awake by a snoring, beg-hogging boyfriend.
I had the largest pile of laundry I've seen in a long time taking up space in my bedroom.
I desperately needed to mop my kitchen & bathroom floors.
So, I devoted the day to getting this house in shape. Here's what I did today.
Who else loves that show? Cheese curls & elk - c'mon now!
I had the largest pile of laundry I've seen in a long time taking up space in my bedroom.
I desperately needed to mop my kitchen & bathroom floors.
So, I devoted the day to getting this house in shape. Here's what I did today.
- Started the laundry at 10:00 AM. Still going strong at 6:30 PM. FML.
- Mopped those nasty floors.
- Cleaned some stuff, & then cleaned some more stuff.
- Took my entire vacuum apart because it wasn't working. Found so much fur in the hose that I should have named it & put in in a designer bag like Paris Hilton.
- Organized both my living room closets
- Argued with my dog everytime she needed to go outside. She doesn't do rain so well.
- Febreezed the shit out of some stuff so it doesn't smell like cigarettes. Even though I have a strict "No Smoking" policy in this house, it still stinks. I'd really like the boyfriend to drop that nasty habit sooner, rather than later.
Who else loves that show? Cheese curls & elk - c'mon now!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Unfortunately, I may have to save your life one day.
I'm not unwilling to save your life, I just hope it never comes to that.
What I'm trying to say is, I took a CPR recertification course on Wednesday night. It wasweird interesting, to say the least.
The instructor was a little unusual, but I can live with that. He's been teaching this class (& teaching in general) for over 30 years. He was very nice & very knowledgable, just a little quirky.
Before the class started a woman came in & introduced herself as a newly trained instructor. Before she taught a class of her own, she wanted to observe one in action. Seemed reasonable to me, however, this woman was - how shall I put this? - a little "tightly wound." This class probably wasn't the best for her to observe. She couldn't handle the quirks. And when the instructor tried to include her in the discussion, which was meant to help, she ultimately said, "I'm not here. I'm just observing."
Umm...ok then. But you do realize that you are actually here, right?
Then there was this really weird girl who showed up late. She came in & announced she would only be staying for the adult/child portions because she didn't need infant CPR. There are two problems with that.
The weird part happened later on. She ended up being there for the whole class, including the infant portion & test. The Red Cross employees accidentially miscounted the supplies, so there weren't enough answer sheets for the instructor to make his own. When we reviewed the tests we went around the room & took turns reading a question & giving the answer.
When it came time for weird girl to read her question, she just blurted out the answer. So the instructor asked her to read the question like every else did. Instead of doing that she says (in a scratchy voice that I was hearing for the first time, "Do I have too? I've been sick & I'm losing my voice."
Really? Because it seems to me that you've been talking & being weird for the last few hours with no issue.
No issue speaking, that is. There were definitely some other issues there.
We actually found out after this whole ordeal that weird girl had the extra answer sheets the instructor was looking for. Somehow she just didn't notice - or couldn't talk, so didn't say anything.
Despite the unusual environment, the class went well & that's one more thing crossed off the nursing school to do list!
What I'm trying to say is, I took a CPR recertification course on Wednesday night. It was
The instructor was a little unusual, but I can live with that. He's been teaching this class (& teaching in general) for over 30 years. He was very nice & very knowledgable, just a little quirky.
Before the class started a woman came in & introduced herself as a newly trained instructor. Before she taught a class of her own, she wanted to observe one in action. Seemed reasonable to me, however, this woman was - how shall I put this? - a little "tightly wound." This class probably wasn't the best for her to observe. She couldn't handle the quirks. And when the instructor tried to include her in the discussion, which was meant to help, she ultimately said, "I'm not here. I'm just observing."
Umm...ok then. But you do realize that you are actually here, right?
Then there was this really weird girl who showed up late. She came in & announced she would only be staying for the adult/child portions because she didn't need infant CPR. There are two problems with that.
- It's all sort of mixed together because the skills are generally the same.
- The test we have to take isn't given until the end, & you need to be present for that to be official.
The weird part happened later on. She ended up being there for the whole class, including the infant portion & test. The Red Cross employees accidentially miscounted the supplies, so there weren't enough answer sheets for the instructor to make his own. When we reviewed the tests we went around the room & took turns reading a question & giving the answer.
When it came time for weird girl to read her question, she just blurted out the answer. So the instructor asked her to read the question like every else did. Instead of doing that she says (in a scratchy voice that I was hearing for the first time, "Do I have too? I've been sick & I'm losing my voice."
Really? Because it seems to me that you've been talking & being weird for the last few hours with no issue.
No issue speaking, that is. There were definitely some other issues there.
We actually found out after this whole ordeal that weird girl had the extra answer sheets the instructor was looking for. Somehow she just didn't notice - or couldn't talk, so didn't say anything.
Despite the unusual environment, the class went well & that's one more thing crossed off the nursing school to do list!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The waiting game.
I woke up so early yesterday morning that I don't even want to mention the time, as it might frighten some of you. I'm so not a morning person, but yesterday was the big day - the placement test for nursing school.
As some of you probably know, I've been dreading the math for a while now.
Turns out, the math was the least of my concerns -even though the $25 book the school suggested I buy to study was of virtually no help, which I'm slightly annoyed about.
Sure, there were some math problems I just had to guess on, but for the most part I was pretty comforatable with it.
The problem? There was hardly any math.
There was a whole lot of "which word doesn't belong" & "what comes next in the series?"
Ok. I can handle this.
And then, this is where the problems started. There was a natural science section, which I had no warning of at all. This section had questions related to everything from earthquakes to diseases caused by eating undercooked pork.
I don't know about you, but I don't store that type of information in my brainin case I'm on Jeopardy for situations such as this.
While overall I'm feeling pretty good about the test, I've got a nagging feeling about the science section. Hopefully my educated guesses were enough (it was all multiple choice) & I won't have to take it again.
Because I just don't know if I can get up that early anymore...
As some of you probably know, I've been dreading the math for a while now.
Turns out, the math was the least of my concerns -even though the $25 book the school suggested I buy to study was of virtually no help, which I'm slightly annoyed about.
Sure, there were some math problems I just had to guess on, but for the most part I was pretty comforatable with it.
The problem? There was hardly any math.
There was a whole lot of "which word doesn't belong" & "what comes next in the series?"
Ok. I can handle this.
And then, this is where the problems started. There was a natural science section, which I had no warning of at all. This section had questions related to everything from earthquakes to diseases caused by eating undercooked pork.
I don't know about you, but I don't store that type of information in my brain
While overall I'm feeling pretty good about the test, I've got a nagging feeling about the science section. Hopefully my educated guesses were enough (it was all multiple choice) & I won't have to take it again.
Because I just don't know if I can get up that early anymore...
Monday, February 21, 2011
Happy freaking birthday.
We're having another party at work today to celebrate someone's birthday.
He's one of the alright people, & he turned 50, so it's a big deal.
Everyone takes turns making an entree for these parties, so I offered to bring barbeque this time. I'm fine with that. No story there.
But, I do have a funny story about the most awful lady ever!
After I started working on my current unit at the nursing home, the first party we had was for the most awful lady ever. I offered to make a cake, since no one else had. I specifically asked my co-workers if there was something particular that this woman liked (at the time I sort of cared because she hadn't shown her awful colors yet). Everyone told me it didn't matter & anything would be fine.
So, I made chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. See, the thing about me is I hate cake. I haven't eaten a piece of cake in literally years. I have no idea what kind of cake people like to eat. But, I do like chocolate & cream cheese, so that sounded good to me.
Everyone loved it too - except for the most awful lady ever. When I asked her if I had any cake she said, "I don't eat that." Not, "thanks for the gesture," or, "I can't eat it because I'm allergic to chocolate & it would kill me;" just, "I don't eat that."
I can't stand this bitch.
One of my other friendly, understanding co-workers told me that the most awful lady ever doesn't really eat sweet stuff in general. I can respect that, because I'm sort of the same way. I live for salty snacks. So, even though she was rude about it, I chalked it up to not being a cake fan.
Flash forward to a few months later when it was time for my birthday party & another co-worker made a different kind of cake. There I am in our break room listening to the most awful lady ever go on & on & on about "how good that cake looks," & how she's "going to eat some of that."
Now, if I were more adult I would have just let it go...but where's the fun in that? What would I do to amuse myself if I weren't annoying my co-workers?
So, the next time we had a party: chocolate cake with cream cheese icing.
I am a force to be reckoned with. It's best if you learn that early on.
Clearly my message was read loud & clear, because the most awful lady ever is bringing cake to this party today.
I think we can safely chalk this one up as a win for me.
He's one of the alright people, & he turned 50, so it's a big deal.
Everyone takes turns making an entree for these parties, so I offered to bring barbeque this time. I'm fine with that. No story there.
But, I do have a funny story about the most awful lady ever!
After I started working on my current unit at the nursing home, the first party we had was for the most awful lady ever. I offered to make a cake, since no one else had. I specifically asked my co-workers if there was something particular that this woman liked (at the time I sort of cared because she hadn't shown her awful colors yet). Everyone told me it didn't matter & anything would be fine.
So, I made chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. See, the thing about me is I hate cake. I haven't eaten a piece of cake in literally years. I have no idea what kind of cake people like to eat. But, I do like chocolate & cream cheese, so that sounded good to me.
Everyone loved it too - except for the most awful lady ever. When I asked her if I had any cake she said, "I don't eat that." Not, "thanks for the gesture," or, "I can't eat it because I'm allergic to chocolate & it would kill me;" just, "I don't eat that."
I can't stand this bitch.
One of my other friendly, understanding co-workers told me that the most awful lady ever doesn't really eat sweet stuff in general. I can respect that, because I'm sort of the same way. I live for salty snacks. So, even though she was rude about it, I chalked it up to not being a cake fan.
Flash forward to a few months later when it was time for my birthday party & another co-worker made a different kind of cake. There I am in our break room listening to the most awful lady ever go on & on & on about "how good that cake looks," & how she's "going to eat some of that."
Now, if I were more adult I would have just let it go...but where's the fun in that? What would I do to amuse myself if I weren't annoying my co-workers?
So, the next time we had a party: chocolate cake with cream cheese icing.
I am a force to be reckoned with. It's best if you learn that early on.
Clearly my message was read loud & clear, because the most awful lady ever is bringing cake to this party today.
I think we can safely chalk this one up as a win for me.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Day 2 - Oh, how I love thee! Let me count the ways...
I tend to not choose the subject matter of my blog. It usually chooses me. Something will happen that is either so funny, so sad or (most frequently) so annoying that I just have to get it out of my system. And that is how the subject of today's post came about.
There I was at work last night trying to think of a list for today. This challenge is all about promoting my blog, so I was trying to come up with an idea for listing the kinds of topics I usually write about. But, I wanted to do something different. Hmmm...
Then it hit me, or rather, it talked in my ear. Let me be clear that I blog about work a lot. If any of you have read my blog for any length of time, you know that I work in health care & my posts are sometimes graphic. I'd like to start by saying that this post is not about poop, although there's bound to be at least one as we work through this challenge. Today's post, is about a coworker - the worst co-worker ever.
This is a woman in her 50s who has been at this job for 10 years. Understandably so, she is tired, & doesn't have the same level of energy that she did when she started working. But, she's more than capabale of doing the job, even if at a slightly slower pace.
But her age & her energy is not what slows this woman down. What slows her down is constantly watching what everyone else is doing so she can write things down in her notebook (she actually does that!!!) & use it as ammunition later on.
Are you serious?!?!? Who has time for that?? Look, I know I'm blogging about this woman & it probably seems like the same thing, but I don't think it is. I'm venting my frustrations. And, I don't have a notebook dedicated to dirt on my co-workers.
Anyway, back to my story: there I am yesterday at the nurse's station waiting to get report from the charge nurse. I work with elderly residents & a lot of them are confused. Some wear alarms so they don't fall & hurt themselves. One such alarm was going off, & a co-worker that I love went to answer it.
Mean, horrible lady then whispered to another co-worker, "Oh look, she went for an alarm! I can't believe it." Then she went onto say, "Some people don't answer alarms, or take your residents to the bathroom while you're on break, & maybe that's something the supervisor needs to know that."
See, I know this is all very juvenile, but the thing about mean, horrible lady is that she's never going to say anything to any supervisor. She just likes to stir the pot. She likes to cause trouble & have an attitude. She believes that she will always get her way because we're scared of her, but in reality people go along with what she says because no one wants to listen to her.
This drove me crazy last night, but I refuse to get involved in work drama. I go, do my job & come home. It does not control my life or make me sad or angry after the fact, & I'd really like to keep it that way.
But today, I need to write a list, & I've been inspired by mean, horrible lady. If she thinks she's keeping tabs on everyone else, I hope she realizes we're keeping one on her - but not actually in a notebook, because that's just sad. Anyway, here goes...
All the things mean, horrible lady does wrong:
I just need to rise above it - but sometimes I just want to call her a stupid-face.
There I was at work last night trying to think of a list for today. This challenge is all about promoting my blog, so I was trying to come up with an idea for listing the kinds of topics I usually write about. But, I wanted to do something different. Hmmm...
Then it hit me, or rather, it talked in my ear. Let me be clear that I blog about work a lot. If any of you have read my blog for any length of time, you know that I work in health care & my posts are sometimes graphic. I'd like to start by saying that this post is not about poop, although there's bound to be at least one as we work through this challenge. Today's post, is about a coworker - the worst co-worker ever.
This is a woman in her 50s who has been at this job for 10 years. Understandably so, she is tired, & doesn't have the same level of energy that she did when she started working. But, she's more than capabale of doing the job, even if at a slightly slower pace.
But her age & her energy is not what slows this woman down. What slows her down is constantly watching what everyone else is doing so she can write things down in her notebook (she actually does that!!!) & use it as ammunition later on.
Are you serious?!?!? Who has time for that?? Look, I know I'm blogging about this woman & it probably seems like the same thing, but I don't think it is. I'm venting my frustrations. And, I don't have a notebook dedicated to dirt on my co-workers.
Anyway, back to my story: there I am yesterday at the nurse's station waiting to get report from the charge nurse. I work with elderly residents & a lot of them are confused. Some wear alarms so they don't fall & hurt themselves. One such alarm was going off, & a co-worker that I love went to answer it.
Mean, horrible lady then whispered to another co-worker, "Oh look, she went for an alarm! I can't believe it." Then she went onto say, "Some people don't answer alarms, or take your residents to the bathroom while you're on break, & maybe that's something the supervisor needs to know that."
See, I know this is all very juvenile, but the thing about mean, horrible lady is that she's never going to say anything to any supervisor. She just likes to stir the pot. She likes to cause trouble & have an attitude. She believes that she will always get her way because we're scared of her, but in reality people go along with what she says because no one wants to listen to her.
This drove me crazy last night, but I refuse to get involved in work drama. I go, do my job & come home. It does not control my life or make me sad or angry after the fact, & I'd really like to keep it that way.
But today, I need to write a list, & I've been inspired by mean, horrible lady. If she thinks she's keeping tabs on everyone else, I hope she realizes we're keeping one on her - but not actually in a notebook, because that's just sad. Anyway, here goes...
All the things mean, horrible lady does wrong:
- Accuses people of not helping other, even though she rarely helps anyone else. She's actually never helped me...ever.
- Changes peoples wet briefs or incontinent pads without acutally cleaning the person because "it's quicker & then they're dry."
- Lies about walking residents who are still able to do so in an attempt to look good for the nurse.
- Sits & watches while other CNAs (& sometimes people visiting residents!!) put clothing protectors on the residents before dinner. I FREAKING HATE THIS!!!!!!
- Doesn't feel bad about sticking someone who is does not regularly work on our floor with the most difficult group of residents, extra assignment or shower to give.
I just need to rise above it - but sometimes I just want to call her a stupid-face.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The next step.
Some of you may remember how much of a loser I am from my recent post.
Although I would like to just sit around eating ice cream & feeling sorry for myself, there is a Plan B.
Plan B is another nursing school I applied to, this one for an LPN instead of RN.
And while it's not what I really want to do, it's the option in front of me (& actually may be better in the long run).
The LPN program takes a year & a half, compared to the 3 years the RN program would have taken. So in a year & a half I'll be able to get a much better paying job, & money won't be so tight when I ultimately decide to go back for my RN later on. Plus, I'm hoping I can transition to working part time so I can spend more time at home with DJ, as he'll be needing more help as time goes on.
At the end of the day, as my MIL put it, "a nurse is a nurse is a nurse." And she would know, because she is one.
So, instead of sulking & eating ice cream, onward I go. Well, I'm sure there will still be lots of ice cream, but that's besides the point.
The point of this seemingly pointless post is to say that I'm scheduled for a placement test for the LPN program on February 2nd.
The test starts at 8:00 AM. I'll pause why you shudder.
Seriously? 8:00 AM? Don't they realize that some of us work until 11:00 the night before?
Guess not.
In any event, it starts at 8:00 & is scheduled to take 3 1/2 hours. This just keeps getting better, doesn't it?
So, at 8:00 AM after a long night of work I have to go take my first real test in almost a decade - a test that my future is actually depending on.
Can you tell how confident I'm feeling?
The school suggested a picking up a GED book to use as a study guide, so my co-worker/fellow applicant & I are headed to the bookstore tomorrow to pick it up.
I've never taken a GED test before, but I did graduate from high school. And, contrary to how I'm probably making myself sound right now, I am pretty smart.
I can do this, right?
I don't have a choice. I need to do this.
Although I would like to just sit around eating ice cream & feeling sorry for myself, there is a Plan B.
Plan B is another nursing school I applied to, this one for an LPN instead of RN.
And while it's not what I really want to do, it's the option in front of me (& actually may be better in the long run).
The LPN program takes a year & a half, compared to the 3 years the RN program would have taken. So in a year & a half I'll be able to get a much better paying job, & money won't be so tight when I ultimately decide to go back for my RN later on. Plus, I'm hoping I can transition to working part time so I can spend more time at home with DJ, as he'll be needing more help as time goes on.
At the end of the day, as my MIL put it, "a nurse is a nurse is a nurse." And she would know, because she is one.
So, instead of sulking & eating ice cream, onward I go. Well, I'm sure there will still be lots of ice cream, but that's besides the point.
The point of this seemingly pointless post is to say that I'm scheduled for a placement test for the LPN program on February 2nd.
The test starts at 8:00 AM. I'll pause why you shudder.
Seriously? 8:00 AM? Don't they realize that some of us work until 11:00 the night before?
Guess not.
In any event, it starts at 8:00 & is scheduled to take 3 1/2 hours. This just keeps getting better, doesn't it?
So, at 8:00 AM after a long night of work I have to go take my first real test in almost a decade - a test that my future is actually depending on.
Can you tell how confident I'm feeling?
The school suggested a picking up a GED book to use as a study guide, so my co-worker/fellow applicant & I are headed to the bookstore tomorrow to pick it up.
I've never taken a GED test before, but I did graduate from high school. And, contrary to how I'm probably making myself sound right now, I am pretty smart.
I can do this, right?
I don't have a choice. I need to do this.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Executions for everyone!
As I was reading the news this morning I stumbled across this little gem, courtesy of Tucker Carlson at Fox News.
In case you don't feel like reading it, Tucker says that NFL quaterback Michael Vick should have received the death penalty instead of time in jail for dog fighting charges from a few years ago.
Where, oh where, do I begin?
Let's say first & foremost, I am one of the biggest animal lovers you will ever meet in your life. I have a page on my blog dedicated to my pets. I have to change the channel when the sad SPCA commercials come on. I have to shield my eyes when I see an animal that's been hit by a car. And growing up with a dad who hunted constantly was a challenge for me.
I'll also cop to the fact that when the Eagles signed Michael Vick I wasn't all warm & fuzzy about him getting a second chance at being a millionaire. I said, on more than one occasion, that he should have had to work a 9-5 everyday like the rest of us instead of living a lavish life. However, as time has gone on, I've realized that he's paid his debt for his actions & 19 months of confinement from his family & his freedom was enough of a punishment.
But for as angry as I was (& trust me, I can get pretty angry), I never would have suggested that he deserved to die for that behavior - and that is because I am a rational person. What normal person would come to the conclusion that animal abuse warrants death, even when there's such debate about whether or not it's fair punishment for murdering a person? And even if you think it, who goes on TV & says it to the world?
Again, please understand that I am not excusing Michael Vick's actions at all. What he did was totally unacceptable, & there is no excuse for his behavior.
But let's call this what it is, Fox News. This is not about Michael Vick. This is one more reason to disagree with the president.
"I'm a Christian. I've made mistakes myself. I believe fervently in second chances," Carlson said. "But Michael Vick killed dogs, and he did in a heartless and cruel way. And I think, personally, he should've been executed for that. He wasn't, but the idea that the president of the United States would be getting behind someone who murdered dogs? Kind of beyond the pale."
It's hard for you to believe the president would stand behind someone who killed dogs? The president - the most powerful man in the free world, who at times has to make decisions that mean innocent people will be killed.
My question to Tucker is this: where do we draw the line on second chances? Who decides what is forgivable, & what is punishable by death? You? I surely hope not, because it's obvious that your judgement is somewhat lacking.
In case you don't feel like reading it, Tucker says that NFL quaterback Michael Vick should have received the death penalty instead of time in jail for dog fighting charges from a few years ago.
Where, oh where, do I begin?
Let's say first & foremost, I am one of the biggest animal lovers you will ever meet in your life. I have a page on my blog dedicated to my pets. I have to change the channel when the sad SPCA commercials come on. I have to shield my eyes when I see an animal that's been hit by a car. And growing up with a dad who hunted constantly was a challenge for me.
I'll also cop to the fact that when the Eagles signed Michael Vick I wasn't all warm & fuzzy about him getting a second chance at being a millionaire. I said, on more than one occasion, that he should have had to work a 9-5 everyday like the rest of us instead of living a lavish life. However, as time has gone on, I've realized that he's paid his debt for his actions & 19 months of confinement from his family & his freedom was enough of a punishment.
But for as angry as I was (& trust me, I can get pretty angry), I never would have suggested that he deserved to die for that behavior - and that is because I am a rational person. What normal person would come to the conclusion that animal abuse warrants death, even when there's such debate about whether or not it's fair punishment for murdering a person? And even if you think it, who goes on TV & says it to the world?
Again, please understand that I am not excusing Michael Vick's actions at all. What he did was totally unacceptable, & there is no excuse for his behavior.
But let's call this what it is, Fox News. This is not about Michael Vick. This is one more reason to disagree with the president.
"I'm a Christian. I've made mistakes myself. I believe fervently in second chances," Carlson said. "But Michael Vick killed dogs, and he did in a heartless and cruel way. And I think, personally, he should've been executed for that. He wasn't, but the idea that the president of the United States would be getting behind someone who murdered dogs? Kind of beyond the pale."
It's hard for you to believe the president would stand behind someone who killed dogs? The president - the most powerful man in the free world, who at times has to make decisions that mean innocent people will be killed.
My question to Tucker is this: where do we draw the line on second chances? Who decides what is forgivable, & what is punishable by death? You? I surely hope not, because it's obvious that your judgement is somewhat lacking.
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