Decompression

I am coming to you live, never before have I done this until this evening, BLOGGED right after I volunteer ... I've come to realized that my blog is a mode for decompressing.

I am starting to see some mind changing things, wives sitting by a husbands side as he is being diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer, old men with dementia, screaming not knowing where they are, spit that looks like chewed peanuts, old women with their life savings in their wallet - seriously - cash people (no wonder robbers steal old women's handbags). It's REALLLY a lot to process and I've come to realize that this blog serves as a mode of decompressing. Some nurses do yoga, some get massages once a week, some nurses even go to the local massage parlor and get a massage during their break (this is good news for me, next time I want a massage, I'll just tell Brett that all the nurses are getting them, and did I mention ONCE A WEEK!).

Another surprising thing, is nurses sense of urgency. I would expect them to have a greater sense of this, but I guess, after all the years, I think they just come to be really good at telling who needs urgent immediate care and who doesn't - plain and simple. And what a double edge sword that is... you want care, but really don't need it or you need care and really don't want it. Also, I think that they tend to start seeing the same 20 problems and things really end up being task based. I'll tell you one thing, whatever the case maybe, it's exhausting - I am exhausted, and I was only there today for 4 hours, they run 10-12 hour shifts!

Something funny did happen today though. One of the nurses asked me to do a belongs list for a patient, so I eagerly grabbed a belongs list, stamped it with the patient card and grabbed my handy dandy clipboard and pen and waltz right into the patients room. Well - I guess when they are standing in their robed with their back to you, bare bum showing it means that they are having a private moment (he was taking a leak). He felt bad, I felt bad, we all felt bad but then we had a good laugh about it, or maybe they were all just laughing at me, the ever eager volunteer.