April 4, 2008

"I'm a model, you know what I mean"

"And I do my little turn on the cat walk". Sorry, I got distracted. Nothing too exciting going on here. Just tired of working short-staffed. But, we're in the middle of a nursing shortage so I've come to accept it, not like it, but accept it reluctantly. But it still sucks. This past weekend was bad. I worked 3 12 hour shifts in a row, something I don't like to do, two of those nights I was charge nurse and both of those nights, I ended up taking care of the whole post-partum floor while trying to do charge nurse duties, like finding staff for the next shift. It was a good time. My husband might disagree, but I really don't like being in charge. At least at work anyway. It brings with it a lot of extra stress I don't really need, plus I'd rather take care of labor patients. Plus, it usually ends up that I'm in charge on the nights we're short handed because there isn't a charge nurse and instead of filling my slot as a labor nurse, I get to do double duty. Cuz I'm that good. Ha ha!
I agreed (and my husband agreed) to be in a fashion show for charity this May. The dayshift labor charge nurse asked if I was brave enough to have my whole family involved in this. I talked to husband, and he actually agreed. So in May, all 5 of us will get to strut our stuff down a runway at a country club to raise money for charity. A lot of the docs around town and other nurses are participating. It should be interesting to see if we can get all 3 kids to cooperate! I'm not really very good at posing for pictures, let alone walking a runway. So we'll see how this goes.

3 comments:

Jennifer (Niffer) said...

I know what you mean about being a "fill-in charge" I'm a new charge myself and I often get asked to work as charge when we're already short staffed. Plus I seem to be under a cloud of a "rule of 4"! 4 admits when I'm charge, not all keepers, but as charge(unless we're really slow) I triage/ quick admit the walk-ins, and let's just say I'm really tired of admitting people. and on a different note, what's with every friggin' pt I admit taking hydros or oxys?
what's with our docs? "oh my back hurts" " here are some drugs that you can sell, or take, then you baby will be withdrawing for a month after it's born"--- is that how the office visit goes? UGH! just my latest frustration! Sorry for the rant. Love your blog!

AwkwardMoments said...

i am sorry you are wotrked way too hard lately!

Oh how fun is a fashion show!!!

Jaimie said...

I hate having to cover charge as well. For me it means you have to run the surgery schedule for that day, handle all the add ons, take the crap from surgeons who think they should get two rooms or listen to them vent about what is wrong with the room they have, put up with whining staff, and handle all the calls from everywhere. I believe every doctor should be implanted with a GPS device so then their offices and every other unit in the hospital doesn't have to call the OR to ask if they are there. I think that is funny because when you are in the room with the surgeon you are busy trying to do your job as well as answer their cell, pager, and their over head pages. Anyway, I get a stomach ache whenever I have to be charge.