DNR Status on New Admissions

I'm starting to love this blogging thing because I don't have to reference it in APA format. Anyway... listen to my YouTube video that I uploaded on DNR status. It is a little inappropriate, however, people don't realize why having a DNR code status is important on people who are frail, weak, have failure to thrive and are over 90 years old. In my hospital, I have many patients admitted who are over 90 years old and quite ready to die, but the family feels that they are playing God if they sign an order not to resuscitate. I'll tell you what playing God is like. Having a little old lady finally succumb to her renal failure or her weak, old heart finally being used up, and then in comes the crash cart. I jump on her chest and crack every rib while the doctor shoves a not-so flexible tube down her throat. We then inject her with epinephrine and other drugs hoping the heart starts on it's own but when it doesn't we will send an electrical shock through her until we hear a faint pulse and get a bp that perhaps will only continue for 2 days. Talk about it with your loved ones. Ideally, it's the patient who should decide.

The DNR Song

The days over 10C are becoming fewer and fewer. I can't believe that time is passing so quickly. It seems like just yesterday we were going through our course outlines on our first day. Everyone was a stranger. Nobody quite understood what we were getting ourselves into. Now the faces have names that are remembered. Everyone is feeling the stress of deadlines and oral presentations. We only have 25 more days until classes are done for Christmas break. We will survive. I'm finding that I work too much to do well in this program. I will not work on Wednesday nights anymore. Bad idea. I'm surprised that I haven't become sick yet. I want to finish strong and look forward to returning-not dread the idea of starting another term. Just think.....in 2 years and 8 months, we get to write the mother of all tests and become RN's.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

I continue to work hard at school, and my jobs. School is going well. I am looking forward to reading books from Chapters instead of books from the school store over the holidays. I'm working a night shift tonight and I have school tomorrow. Since I live an hour away, I find it easier to just sleep in my van in the school parking lot than waste 2 hours commuting home and then back again. It was difficult to not become medium-well in the car during the indian summer days, but now it's a comfortable temperature (with a blanket). All my school work is done for tomorrow. We're handing in a medical research paper critique that was prepared by 3 of us and I'm worried about it. We all individually did our parts but I think that it will make the paper seem choppy. We'll see how it turns out. I have to trust in my fellow students, and hopefully, not let them down as well.
Both my RPN nursing jobs are frustrating me lately. As a part-time staff I have been used by both facilities to fill RN lines. This has created bad relations between staff and management. Not only am I preventing the RN's to get premium pay... I am working in an environment that is not in my scope. This is an unfair practice of management that seems to be happening more frequently. I'll be sure to clarify what line I am being hired for when they call.

All Day At School

I am a very busy lady now that I have returned to school in the RPN bridging program. I have two part-time jobs, one at Whitby Psych and also on a medical floor in a small country hospital. My blog will be set up as journal entries. I will document the struggles and successes of trying to raise a family while working two jobs and going to school full-time. I know that something will be sacrificed, however, at this time, I'm not willing to choose which one.

I welcome any advice from colleagues that are trying to accomplish similar goals. I'm hoping that this blog becomes my inspiration, my venting arena, and my documented success.

test, test, test

This is a test for my assignment that is to be done in the classroom.