Hi.

::Disclaimer:: This is HIPAA compliant...and it's a vent post.....hahaaa Beware!

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It feels like years since I've blogged.  We'll I'm back!  Theses past few weeks have been ridiculous.  Work has consumed me. 

And today I had a meltdown at work. I've work 40 hours in 3 days....and I was at my wits end.

I snapped.  I had tears streaming down my face. I was PISSED.

One thing that pisses me off more than anything is people with NO sense of work ethic. 

Well...all but one of my CNA's (Certified Nursing Assistant)  showed NO work ethic today. None.

For starters, we had 3 call outs in the whole facilty...which means that under state laws, we were understaffed, and could get NAILED by JCAHO ( healthcare police...google it).

Then NO ONE would come in to work to help out. If it wasn't their patient, they wouldn't help.  " Oh...that's not my patient".  

There was one CNA that was GOD SEND to me.  She was the reason I didn't have to be admitted to the mental ward.

The others did a half ass job at EVERYTHING.  They didn't turn in vital signs to me until like 5 minutes before they left.  They are supposed to be in a 10am....I got them at 2:45...which means I have to go back into 22 charts to fill them in.  So thats chart checking 44 charts not including the 4000 other times we look through the charts each day.

People sat in shit and pee way longer than they should have. People didn't teeth brushed today. People didn't showers today.  It was shitty care. So sad.  I feel ashamed to say that I work there.

I did way more work as a CNA today than I did as a nurse. 

I was behind on important meds. 

I had a patient that literally took up 2 hours of my time because she wanted a ''nerve pill..AKA Xanax" or a "somethin' for my pain", " or "I'm nauseas" . " Yea...ok....you only sucked down 3 juice cups and keep eatting Reese cups...no wonder you feel sick!. " Oh and she's pretty much addicted to her narcotics so its like throwing a BB at a tank!!  Literally every 5 minutes. Her call light was on all freakin day and I medicated her as much as I could legally.

Finally I ended up sticking my finger up her ass ( Phenergan suppository) and the Phenergan made her drowsy for about 3 hours.  And those were 3 sweet hours. 

Then because I can't get damn vitals from my CNA's who only have to get vitals for 9 patients, I get yelled at by the on-call doctor who said I was unorganized.

Kiss my ass.....try having 22 patients ALONE.

Oh...and I went 14 hours without food or drink.   And yes... ALL OF MY CNA's each had a 30 minutre lunch  break.

Found this online...and it's the honest to God truth.

Please think about this next time you are in the hospital or have family in a hospital or nursing facility

Come walk in our shoes for a 12-hour  (or greater ) shift. Come see the joy,then tragedy, the comedy, the 100 ways we are pulled and pushed AND THEN rate my "pleasant greeting", "answers call light in timely fashion", "states name of patient."

Use the bathroom now, because you might not get the chance againuntil your shift ends.

Wear comfortable shoes. Don't worry if they'reclean. They'll end up with blood and vomit on them.

We are the patient's advocate, the doctors' eyes and ears, and everyone's scapegoat.

We can page your doctor but we can't makethat doctor magically appear.

We check your stitches, wipe your blood, drain your pus and empty your bedpan.

Nursing is a tough job, but we're tougher. We've been yelled at by administrators, supervisors and doctors. We've been kicked, slapped, punched, spat on, and sexually harassed by patients in various states of delirium, mental illness, arrogance, and intoxication. We've even had chairs and food trays thrown at us.

We work mandatory overtime, weekends and holidays. We eat Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners with coworkers.

We deal with families who ignore visiting hours, bring food to patients on restricted diets, and insist on staying the night even though it's not a private room.

We deal with the Florida son whorders us around to show a parent he's neglected for years that hecares.

We cannot be at your side every waking minute. We have 10 ::insert::(or in my case 22)::insert:: other patients.

We cannot answer 5 call lights at once. Wecan't stop doing CPR on a patient because you ran out of tissues.

We are not maids, beauticians, or cocktail waitresses. We are professionals with college degrees.

We hate that we can't spend more bedside time with you, but swearing at us will not make us move faster.

Taking better careof your health would help. Quit smoking. Lose weight. Start exercising. Stop drinking.

How do we survive? We ignore the nasty comments, thedemanding relatives, the crazy staffing grids. We count to 10 before speaking. We pray every morning for strength andwisdom, patience and empathy. We drive home tired and

frustrated, telling ourselves over and over , "I'm not the nurse Iwant to be, but I'm the best nurse the hospital staffing allows meto be." We fall asleep praying for the ones who won't survive the night.

There is no finish line, ever. Nursing is demanding, fulfilling, and we can't imagine doing anything else. Nothing beats washing bloodand glass off a car crash survivor , stabilizing a broken neck,saving a diabetic's leg, keeping a cancer patient in remission.

The day we send a patient home we relish the unbelievable resilience of the human body and spirit.

We did not become nurses for the hours, the salary, or theglamour of it all. We became nurses to make a difference.

We don't ask for much. One sincere Thank You makes all the thankless hours worth it.

Ok... I feel better.