Only make sure you say the title of this post thinkin about the end of the world.
We've got just over a year before that happens.
Way to go, Mayans.
So!
It's been a long time.
I handed in my last (I still have a self evaluation and an exam) assignment yesterday and I'm nearing the end of my ICU placement.
Last week I did two back to back night shifts and boy was I smart to not do that at the beginning of the semester. Last Monday night almost killed me because our patient was transfered to another unit and after preparing the room for the next patient we waited upwards of 4 hours before finding out the patient had died in the OR. It was a weird feeling knowing no one was going to be wheeled into our unit from surgery.
Then on Tuesday we got a fresh post-op patient at around 1 or 2 in the morning and it's kind of chaotic for the first few hours. Vitals need to be recorded every 15 minutes for the first hour, every 30 mins for the second, then every hour after that.
Then at around 6:30 am I measured his chest tube drainage and we realized he was hemorrhaging. Then more chaos ensued. The fellow came in, the attending came in, the surgeon came, the respiratory therapist was there, there were about 3 RNs in the room pushing meds, bolusing fluids....I was happy to stand back in a corner out of the way and observe.
It was really the first time I'd had a seriously unstable patient in the ICU (which is crazy considering the vast majority are IN the ICU because they're not stable enough to be on another floor). I was exhausted after that.
I did a day shift yesterday and d/c'd a radial art line (I say that only to soud like I'm on ER) - basically I pulled a short line out of the patients artery in her wrist. And of course after a minute of putting pressure on the area I looked down and saw the gauze soaked with blood so I'd been putting pressure just slightly off from where I should have been. Terrible. She was fine though, don't worry.
So.
That's that!
I have 3 more shifts in the ICU and then I'm done for the semester.
And only a few more weeks until I can celebrate Christmas in the apartment.
But you better believe I'm already well into the Christmas spirit what with all the commercials and songs and decor I've been seeing and hearing lately.
I'm trying to make corndogs today (don't ask, weird craving) but I just looked through Martha's thanksgiving deserts and I want to include the following into my 25 baked goods of Christmas:
Maple Cheesecake with Roasted Pears
Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Dulce de Leche
Rustic Apple Tart (I might make this today)
Apple Crumb Pie (or this one today)
Pear Charlotte
As for today's venture I've talked one of my work friends into doing a theme dinner with me tonight at work so we're doing a "USA A-OK" meal and everything sort of fits at a State fair.
I've got hamburger buns on the go (making sliders) and I'm going to run out in a few to grab cornmeal for the corndog batter!
I'll put up the recipe and pictures tomorrow!
December 1st, the official start of the apartment Christmas season.
So soon.
December 5th I'm done the semester!
Good to see you're back to blogging. Although, you could have been inventing every single thing you said about your work in the ICU and I wouldn't know the difference.
ReplyDeleteY'know, it's never occurred to me to make corndogs from scratch. I'm interested to see how they come out. Do you need a fryer for that?
So glad to see that Martha is back. Good luck with exams and planning for Christmas. :)
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