Exploding Heads are Messy

This last week has been somewhat hellacious, hellerific, and hellified.  Doesn't matter why, really... it might have something to do with the Ranch, or not.  I'm not sayin' either way. o_O


But I discovered that sometimes you can't make everyone happy.  In fact, sometimes you can't make anyone happy... no matter how hard you try.  And the harder you try, the higher your blood pressure gets.  Until your head finally explodes.  Then there's this whole mess to clean up.  And it's like when the family dog poops on the carpet, no one wants to clean it up... yeah, same thing following a brain explosion.  No one wants to scrape the brains and gore off the walls, and there are all these nasty stains on the carpet.  Then everyone is even more cheezed at you because you made the mess, but being brainless now, you are in no condition to clean it up.


See what I mean? You just can't please everyone.




(This guy obviously works with ppl who are considerate enough to clean up the brain leavings...)


Other little maxims that apply:

• you can't be in two places at once
• you can't have your cake and eat it too
• to thine own self be true

Ok, that last one was a reach.  Big deal.  I'm brainless, remember? My head exploded.... duh!!

Obvious Is As Oblivious Does

So, sometimes I'm dense.  Other times, I'm pretty freakin' perceptive.  It really depends on how much sleep I've had  I care about the subject matter.  That's why it really shouldn't surprise any one who knows me that there are things I fail to notice until some time passes.  How much time?  I have no clue.  Didn't I just say I really haven't been paying attention?  I've had stuff going on, people.

Here's the part where the daring reader *pauses* gives me the *blank stare* o_o and asks what the he77 I been smokin'! (Newports, for the record...duh.)

In this particular situation, what I failed to notice is that I have been unfriended on the Facebook by some people with whom I work.  I'm pretty sure I know the reason for my unfriending, too.  I'm a "them" now.

In January, I transitioned from the role of a nurse doing direct patient care to the role of patient care coordinator, also known as a charge nurse.  In essence, what that does is puts me on the other side of the "us and them line" in a lot of folks' eyes.  I'm not really management, but I'm not really not management, either.  Yeah, it confuses me too.  What I do is a lot of educating, some problem solving, some helping, some fixing patient/family issues, a lot of meetings for projects, a truck load of stuff I'm still trynna figure out, and (here's the fly in the ointment) supervision.  And, yes, I share the office with my managers (yep, I work for two managers) and the clinical educator.  So, I guess maybe I am a "them" and just haven't fully accepted it yet *Kanye shrug* who knows.

But seriously, back to the FB thing...

Recently, the corporate level management/administration came to the conclusion that people needed some guidance as to what was okay to post or not post on a social networking site.  And let's face it, once something hits the interwebs, for better or worse, it's there.  For better or worse, good, bad, ugly or indifferent... the cyberverse has it on lock.  And here's a fact, we work with flesh and blood human beings who are going through some kinda something or they wouldn't be in the hospital.  Said human beings have feelings and so do their families.  Said feelings are probably being experienced acutely and with raw nerve endings because of the some kinda something to which I alluded previously.  Another fact to face is that these patients and their families have a right, ethically and legally to expect their privacy to be respected.  And yet another fact is that we are allegedly grown-a$$ people who understand that there is something to be said for the concepts of professionalism and respect for ourselves, our peers and our facility.  But I guess I assume that common sense is common... which, alas, it only ain't!

But new policy + new role = Amy gets unfriended.


(Which apparently had such an impact on me that I'm not sure exactly when it happened, so you know I lost sleep over it.) 

And I said all of that in order to say this...

What is it that is so compelling to post that one would feel the need to make sure one of the "thems" doesn't see it?  I mean, really?  I guess that I've never felt a burning desire to put a patient's business out there like that.  What if, even unintentionally, I caused a patient or a patient's family stress, embarassment or pain because I was trynna be the cool kid on Facebook?  What kinda jackass would I have to be to use someone else's misfortune as fodder for my status update?  (Okay, obviously this doesn't apply to ex-'s, hoes, pimps and scallawags... as long as they aren't patients in the hospital that employs you!)


So, if that's the kinda twisted crap that keeps you warm at night, well, that's on you.  And if it makes you feel more secure that we aren't Farmville Neighbors any more, fine.  But for the record, I've got better sh!t to do than police folks' Facebook walls.  Just whatever happens, remember, when you post a status about that "Crazy lady on 8 medical," and her son, the cage fighting redneck, meets you in the parking lot after your shift (coz he saw your status on his cousin's girlfriend's news feed and recognized you as Mama's nurse).... you brought that mess on yourself!

I survived week one!!

Ok, so I started a "new" job at my job... huh?? Basically, I'm doing different stuff at the same place.  So Monday at the Ranch was a blur.  Tuesday was spent in a seminar.  So by Tuesday evening, I had started to panic.  Yeah, I know, ME? Panic??  Unheard of!!! At work, anyway...

The thing that kicked off the panic was the thought "Oh, lawd... I think I made a mistake!!"  I was forseeing a world where I was stuck in meetings, seminars and bureaucracy, devoid of contact with actual patients!
And I thought, "Wait a minute... fixin' sick people is what I'm good at...really good at...Why did I leave that?"

Yep... I was in full "Worst Case Scenario" mode!!  I mean, not to hype myself up or be arrogant or anything, but I'm pretty good at the whole bedside nursing thing.  Nursing is what I'm meant to do.

And then it occurred to me... It wasn't just that I was feeling like I was going to miss taking care of a team of patients on a daily basis, though that was part of it.  It was the idea of giving up control.  It was the concept of trusting the care of "my" team of patients to another nurse.  It was the thought that "No one will do this the way I would."

And I realized I really need to just get the hell over myself!!  I mean, it's not like I'm Florence Nightengale or Clara freakin' Barton!!  And the job I've moved into is important, too.  Hopefully I can do the job justice.  And I will be at the bedside as often as I can, coz I love it!

So we'll see what next week brings!

And Now for Something Completely Different...

This is a pic of my family from 1989... Trust me, none of us look like that anymore. But I love that pic of my Mom laughing her a$$ off! I miss her most about this time of year, but I sure am thankful to have been raised by such a fantastic lady!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Most of you will be spending the day stuffing your gob with decadent deliciousness, watching football and either enjoying or enduring family and friends. Some will be cooking themselves into a frenzy. Some will be burning up the highway making the rounds of different dinners and holiday obligations.

And some of you will, like me, be at work.

Now, before you say it, no "awwww's." This is not going in the whiney, self-pitying direction that sentence implies, because I'm a nurse. People don't stop being sick or injured or in need of care just because it's a holiday.

In fact, Thanksgiving being about.... well, being thankful, I find Thanksgiving at the Ranch to be gratitude inducing.

First is the obvious...I'm healthy enough to be at work and not in one of the beds.

Second, my family is healthy enough that I'm not sitting a vigil in the ICU waiting room, pacing the floor while someone I love is in surgery, or impatiently waiting for a doctor to see my family member in the Emergency Department.

Third, I am in a unique position to make a difference. I can make a craptastic situation a little less feces filled for my patients and their families. A smile, a kind word, an extra orange jello and lemonlime shasta... it's little, but when you feel like ass, it's a lot.

And finally, I get to cook on the weekend rather than Thursday, which means, of course I get the turkey after they go on sale!! Usually about half price. So I'm frugal... don't judge me.

So that's what I'm grateful for in working on Thanksgiving.

In general, I'm thankful for my family, my home, my friends and both of my loyal readers! I'm thankful for the opportunity to express myself freely and be accepted for who and what I am. Y'all rock my socks!

This year, I am especially grateful for some new friends in my life, both people I have met on these intrawebs and in-real-life. My life is richer for them.

Soooooo......

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope the food is fantastic, the football team you root for wins and drunk Uncle Joe doesn't tell any embarrassing stories to your new significant other about the time you.... well, fill in the blank with your most mortifying childhood memory.

Oh, yeah.... don't forget, friends don't let friends drive with the itis... take that nap before you hit the road for home!

Random morning stuff...

So, here's a random thought....

I stayed up late last night. No good reason, just did. Mostly just messing around online. Then, this morning, at about 8 am, my phone rings. Wakes me up. It was the Ranch, needing to fill a hole in the schedule (like that's anything new). As I am on vaca, however, I had no intention of answering. But I felt the call of nature, so I got up and stumbled into the loo. Then, having every intention of going back to sleep, I laid back down. Lo and Behold... can't get back to sleep.

Leading me to these random musings....

If the phone hadn't rung, how long would it have been before my bladder forced me out of bed?

Why is it on days when you are free to sleep in, some jackass (sorry Jason) will inevitably call you?

How is it that the man who makes the schedule can forget who is on vaca?

Why will my brain not let me go back to sleep when it knows darn good n well that we got all day to chill?

Well, I'm up now. Might as well take the kiddo to the pool.

Just can't hang tonite, folks

I need to write a real post... and one is forthcoming chronicalling my boo's sister's wedding.  But it's not fixin' to be tonite.  I promise, it will be worth waiting for... However, tonight, I'm just jotting a quick hello to the blogosphere!  Like my eFriend, Awesomely Luvvie, I'm tahd!

The Ranch was a NUTHOUSE today. It was a no lunch, one drink of water, two pee breaks kinda crazy day, and I am physically, emotionally and mentally drained!! 

So, please be patient with me, and I will dazzle you with my limited literary brilliance! Very soon!