Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Mythbusted!!!!

Well....as you can see by the name of my blog is..."I don't do mornings!" Well...the myth has been busted...I did a morning shift yesterday at work. Yes..I woke every hour throughout the night worried I would sleep through the alarm I had set on my phone...set at 5:45 a.m.
To top it off, I did an a.m. shift after having worked a p.m. shift the previous night. I haven't done a.m. after p.m. in about 10yrs. I never realy liked them because you feel that you no sooner left the hospital car park than you have returned to begin your a.m. shift.
I got home about 10:30p.m. Sunday night, went in for an a.m. shift to begin at 7a.m.
The "drawcard" is that it was public holliday rates for the a.m. shift. (Though I imagine that the tax office will be getting a chunk of it!) I had a psych special for my shift, this is no easy task, it is emotionaly draining especialy as it if it is a suicide watch. This is when your listening skills are the more important of any skill you have obtained in your career. Having a nurse in your face is not the picture I like to see when I come on shift and the patient is distraught enough without that. I have seen this before..it was a long time ago I gotta say. I love the team I work with.
Certainly having a 4 patient load is easier by far for me. I have to say, I don't take my work lightly. I always go to lengths to make sure my patient's are advocated for and that they are comfortable when I leave my shift. I guess it comes down to treating others as you would want to be treated yourself. Also, not loosing sight of what your job actualy is.
Throughout my career I guess I may have just about seen it all. I am a pretty reserved person but with time I have to say that I don't mind telling someone when it seems to be time for them to pick up the pace or even change their vocation because they have lost sight of what it means to be a professional.
Today the kids have another holliday day off it is Easter Tuesday I guess you would say... but, the teachers call it "PD day" Professional Development Day (Pissup Day I say!!!), just another day added to days they have already had off. I am sure we didnt have the amount of hollidays the kids have today. Did we? It is a lovely day...think I will recharge the batteries and take the kids to the park. They love going on the UFO dizzy wizzy thingy..thats what they call it anyhow. I get sick just looking at it!
Ciao for now, Cheers Cazzie!!!

9 comments:

LanternLight said...

I had a psych special for my shift

Just curious, was concrete therapy still being used when you started in nursing?

Cazzie!!! said...

When I was in high school from the early 1980's I took Psyhology as one of my major subjects. Concrete therapy was one of the main tools that I grasped early on. I also, before this, read alot about phenomenology and counselling which combined..are the basis of concrete therapy.
The unbiased readiness to accept whatever presents itself before you and without prejudice.
I have said to a patient in years gone by, "I believe that you believe you are seeing an aquarium of fish over there"(pointing to the wall where the patient claimed to be seeing an acquarium tank). To this day I do believe he saw it there, even if I didnt.
Sorry, won't go on anymore....I just think that basicaly, with any patient be they psych or not, everyone has their own thoughts, feelings, perceptions and indeed their own life experiences that we just cannot tap sometimes. So being open, honest and able to receive what the patient says and does in the course of their care is important to the linkage (for want of a better word) of maintaining health.
Cazzie!!!

Rebecca said...

Hi Cazzie,
Concrete Therapy works. If it didn't, they wouldn't have built a bigger Parliment House.
HooRoo,
Rebecca

Cazzie!!! said...

LOL Becc, and the Mafia would agree with you there..from the stories and movies I have seen....concrete boots are fashionable!
Cazzie!!!

LanternLight said...

Which boils down to, some people just need a good thumping to improve their behaviour.

Cazzie!!! said...

Nah, although that can "seem to happen" even now, when a code grey is called and security have to jump to the rescue to prevent harm coming to the patient and the people surrounding them.
Harmful behaviour + extreme emotional pain + cognitive confusion (whether it be from not keeping regimin with antipsychotics int eh 1st place or combining them with alcohol or some other illicit drug) = the need for intervention. This is where we find patients coming into the emergency department, usualy involuntarily by then.
Nuff said..Cazzie!!!

Deadman said...

Shit, I owe you an apology, Cazzie - I thought I had you blogrolled. I will do it in the AM!

Jenny Wynter said...

Cool to meet you and thanks for the link! I'll get you on me ole blog-roll as soon as the caffeine kicks in and my eyes stop hurting. ;-)

Cazzie!!! said...

Heya Mark...np :)
Comic Mummy, welcome aboard...I am onto my second Gloria Jean's "Mudslide" daily grind!!! Hehehe...don't tell Rebecca!!!
Rebecca, I did have an apple this morning, and I bought me a pink grapefruit too, supposed to be nice and sweet, will let you know.
Cheers Everyone, Cazzie!!!