A Nurse's Tale

Thank You Windmill

2008-12-02T00:14:00.006Z

I did not expect that this blog of mine will be feature for a whole month in Windmill on The Hill blog. Yes my dear readers somebody like my blog :) I am so happy and very grateful to this man. Check this post to read what he wrote about this blog.

Thank you again Windmill.

That's Me

2008-11-27T23:31:00.009Z

It's my first time to attached a picture of myself here. Don't you worry I'm not scary, OK. I have two eyes, one nose, one mouth, two ears and so on. I'm afraid I'm not as sexy like the nurse design on my blog : D

The first picture was taken in the old building and the second one was taken June this year (our first night in the new ICU/Critical Care Unit).

Me A Weirdo

2008-11-27T23:14:00.003Z

I've been here in UK since August 2001. I started my pre registration in Trauma and Orthopedic Ward. During that time when I received my registration, there was no vacancy on the ward that I had training. I've been offered to work in Medical Ward and I tried for two weeks but it is not for me. So I applied to ICU and luckily I passed the interview. I started my ICU nursing career on April 2002. I was scared to death on my first month. But with all the trainings and learning that I had, I learned a lot. I like my job. I love all the complicated things that's happening to the patient, I love calculating and preparing drugs, I love all the machine that's connected to the patient, I love everything. Call me a weirdo :D

Meet Mr. Death

2008-11-26T09:52:00.003Z

We had another patient who's got a very unique surname. Which doesn't sound right. Not right especially if you are in the hospital and in very poorly condition. Guess what's his surname is? It is DEATH.

Warning

2008-11-26T09:30:00.002Z

This is a warning to everybody who are on medication for life threatening illnesses. My patient was admitted to ICU due to a very high blood pressure that if you do use a normal sphygmomanometer & cuff it won't record. Her blood pressure was above 300 mmhg systolic. For a normal person, blood pressure systolic is only 90-160 mmhg. The reason for her high blood pressure? She stopped her medication for her nephrotic syndrome and yes without consulting a doctor. She nearly died because of her stupidity. After taking it for almost all her life and to think she is a teacher, I don't know what come up to her mind to stop her medication without the doctor's consent.

Naughty Patient

2008-11-20T21:14:00.006Z

My patient was very confused last night. So I gave a lot of sedation because it not safe for him and for me. After few hours he was sound asleep. When I came from my break after one hour he was totally naked. And the nurse who kept an eye on him doesn't want to go near the patient. You know why? The patient said to her after undressing himself that "Come and hold my hand. It will be quick." Very very naughty! What do you think is he doing? :D

New Style at Zenni

2008-11-20T19:48:00.000Z

I wrote a post about Zenni Optical few days ago which is the popular online eyeglasses shop in the market right now. I haven't ordered any yet but I am going to do it soon especially that they have new stocks which is the Holiday Glass Frames From Zenni Optical. I like the one in the picture which only cost $15.95 But yo know what? You can get one at the price of $ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses. Check their site now for more style.

My Secrets

2008-11-18T01:13:00.003Z

Do you know what my secrets are? Which is very unusual because I am a nurse. I don't like staying as a patient in the hospital and I have a phobia of injections. Not when I am the one who's holding it but when it is injected to me :)

Pop His Clogs

2008-11-18T00:58:00.005Z

When we have a patient who die, as a staff, we will do our best to discrete to other patient what's been happening around them. So when we call the porters we have a secret word which is "Rose Cottage". I just learned as well when I was on night shift on Saturday that other English terms are " Pop his clogs", "Pushing the daisies" and "Kick the bucket". After few minutes the terms that I learned was tested because we had a patient who pop his clogs :(

Cydcor Food Drive

2008-11-18T00:43:00.002Z

It is nearly Christmas and not everybody can afford food. That is why Cydcor company encouraged their employees to volunteer their time on charities, helps families, seniors and the disabled during temporary financial crises. Not only in Christmas time but all year round. Kindly read the press release and let's help what Cydcor started.

Press Release:

Cydcor Employees Donate to Pre-Holiday Food Drive

Team members of leading global provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams give groceries and hygiene products during economy slump.

Westlake Village, CA (PRWEB) November 11, 2008 -- Employees of Cydcor, the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams, donated 26 bags of groceries and hygiene products to a Manna-sponsored food drive in October as part of the company's ongoing community philanthropy.

Amid an economic downturn that has contributed to rising need, many local food banks are seeing heavier demand during the non-holiday season. Cydcor Chief Executive Officer Gary Polson encouraged team members to get involved in Manna's food drive efforts after learning about the food banks' plight leading into the heavy-use holiday season. More than a dozen Cydcor employees immediately took action and purchased goods for the cause.

I'm thrilled that Cydcor team members are making an increasing difference in communities where we live, work and play through charitable efforts like this. This effort will benefit so many people at a time of increasing need," Polson said. "We hope to continue our donations in times when the collections hit a slump - before Thanksgiving, after Christmas and during the summer."

Cydcor puts a large emphasis on corporate philanthropy. In 2008, the company launched Cydcor Cares' Volunteer Day and Neighborhood Leaders Program, both of which are internal programs to encourage team members to become more involved in their local communities and volunteer their time to charity, occasionally during work hours. Since 2007, Cydcor has maintained a partnership with Casa Pacifica, a residential treatment facility in Camarillo for abused, neglected and emotionally disturbed children.

About Manna
Manna is an emergency food distribution center that helps families, seniors and the disabled during temporary financial crises. Manna volunteers have served the communities of Thousand Oaks, Newbury, Agoura Hills and Camarillo for the past 38 years. Manna receives no government funding, but continues to operate on the donations from area church groups and business organizations.
About Cydcor, Inc.

Cydcor, Inc., is the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams to a diverse client base of companies in a range of industries, including telecommunications, office products, retail energy and financial services. Cydcor works with a network of independently owned corporate licensee (ICL) sales offices providing clients with access to more than 2,700 sales professionals and 200+ offices in North America. The privately held company is based in Westlake Village, California.
For more information about Cydcor, log on to www.cydcor.com.

Good Luck Party

2008-11-15T00:45:00.006Z

I attended a leaving do party/ despedida of one of our ward manager this evening. This man is such an inspiration to me and all of us in the unit. He was the one who helped me throughout my practiced as a nurse in ICU. He is very good and knows everything. He is very calm and genuinely concerned to staff, patients and even relatives. This man will be surely missed. After serving 41 years in National Health Service he is retiring now. The unit will not be the same without this man. Everybody are sad but what can we do? All of us get old and want a change.

With some of my colleagues (party theme was 70's but not everybody dressed up)

A Suckling Pig

2008-11-11T00:40:00.002Z

One day we had a patient who's name is Peggy Suckling. I said to myself, what on earth is that type of name? You know what? I am imagining a suckling pig upon hearing her name...LOL.
Note: Peggy is only her pet name.

Eyeglasses For Less

2008-11-10T23:18:00.000Z

I mentioned before that I prefer wearing eyeglasses at work. It is because it protect my eyes with anything. Since we are wearing a blue scrub suit I would like to get a new blue eyeglasses. Getting one here in UK is very expensive so I opted for Great Eyeglasses For Less. Zenni offfers prescription eyeglasses with the price starts from $8. They have a very affordable with good quality eyeglasses that is why Zenni Optical was on FOX news! They have a lot to offer like Variable Dimension Frames From Zenni and many more. Check it out now and discover why Zenni on Fox is very popular.

Why Not Ask?

2008-11-01T09:57:00.005Z

This is a continuation about my post yesterday.

I don't have anything against new and deaf doctors. All I want is they can ask nurses because we are the one who knows our patient best. Practicing here in UK in Intensive care Unit, we only look after one level 3 patient (patient who is on breathing machine and patient who's got more than one organ failure) or we look after 2 patients who's level 2 and level 1. We are with our patient all shift (mostly all of us do 12.5 hours shift) that even consultants ask us regarding our patient. So to new doctors, why not ask us? There is no harm in asking instead we can learn by it.

Doctor Needs To Be Good

2008-10-31T11:48:00.005Z

Working in ICU environment, nurses learn a lot. That sometimes even new doctors will look stupid because they can't decide and need to ask from the nurse. Our House Officer/Junior Doctor right now don't ask from us, maybe she is pretending that she is good and we know she's not. So what does she do? If we need something she will disappear and sometimes she will answer us on loud voice (trying to scare us :) But maybe that's only her defence mechanism because she doesn't know a lot. Thankfully she is only with us for only 6 months and she is leaving next month. Anyway, this young doctor is deaf and wears hearing aid which is a bit odd when she uses stethoscope to assess patient :)
Note: I'm not that good but I'm not a doctor, I'm only a nurse.

Goodbye To Both of You

2008-10-30T09:52:00.004Z

I had 3 days off. Entering into the unit I did not noticed our long term patients, one who spent more than a month and one who was in the unit for two months. I asked and my colleagues said that they passed away just one day apart. It makes me sad for them and for their family. After fighting for their life for ages they failed. There was a time that both of them improved but still not enough to make them better. Wherever you are now my dear patients I hope that both of you found your resting place.

The Window Cleaner

2008-10-24T23:34:00.003+01:00

We had a patient who was admitted with multiple ribs fracture that caused a tension in his lung, also he had a fracture in his scapula and elbow. The reason? He fell down from a ladder. He works as a window cleaner and it's his 3rd time to have an accident with the same reason. He was a lucky man. But the thing is, when I I asked him, he will still continue with his job. What can you say?

If only...

2008-10-21T22:51:00.005+01:00

We had a patient that was re admitted yesterday after being discharged on the ward for less than 24 hours. She was re admitted worst than her first admission. If only she stayed in Critical Care her situition will not get worsened. But the problem is our unit only have 10 beds capacity, we have more rooms and beds for patient but there is no staff because of lack of funding. So the patient suffers, that even they are not ready to go to the ward we will send them because there is no bed. Yes dear readers, even health care system here in UK is in crisis.

Nurse Acupuncturist

2008-10-21T21:00:00.000+01:00

I was shocked when I knew that one of my colleague submitted her resignation letter. She resigned to study as an acupuncturist. No offend to those who do this job. But I thought this job doesn't need a 3 years in University. And with our economy crisis, I think it is not a good moved because she have 2 daughters to support. Anyway, it's her life. But what I think is she is just tired and fed up will all the hassle and new policies at work right now that is why she resigned and I don't blame her.

Vey Depressing

2008-10-17T23:59:00.005+01:00

It's been a long time that I did not do any post. All I can say is that it very depressing on the unit right now. For a span of just a week a lot of our patient died. Almost everyday if not one, two patient died. I was on a long day today and again another one died and one waiting to die...it really makes me sad. It's not the medical and nursing fault. It's the patient that not improving and not responding to treatment. If only I have a magic wand to get the remaining patient better...

Another Day at Work

2008-10-11T00:27:00.002+01:00

When I was at work on Thursday afternoon doing some overtime (after my 3 days off from work). I noticed that the bed area where we had a patient with long term weaning problem wasn't there. She died. After almost a month of suffering and fighting for her life she failed. I was sad but it's not beyond our control. May her soul rest in peace.

Poor Patient :(

2008-10-07T01:00:00.005+01:00

We had a patient who was in a very critical condition last week. First time we had a case like that. A very unfortunate man who was trapped into a bad relationship that ended up ending his life. More unfortunate is that he is still alive and will suffer forever and may end up in jail. We transferred him to another hospital few days ago which specialized in cosmetic surgery but I think the damage is unrepairable. Poor man :(

OT

2008-10-06T00:10:00.000+01:00

I was on overtime today and I am very tired. My patient went to Theatre with a very unstable observation that includes breathing, blood pressure, heart rate and so on. My day went by very quick because of this. A hard earned money! Never mind it is Sunday, so for 11.5 hours work the pay will be 18.5 hours. Yes! (More money for shopping :)

I'm Affected

2008-10-04T02:13:00.004+01:00

I am sad and affected by my patient's situition that until now I'm still thinking if he is already gone. If he is, may he rest in peace. Read the story here...

To My Friend

2008-10-02T21:28:00.000+01:00

I have a friend who just lost her father. When she was on night shift she was assigned to a patient who's blood pressure is 30/10. Right there and then she knew that the patient will die soon. And she was right, in less than an hour the patient died. My friend almost had a nervous breakdown. She haven't recovered from the lost of her father and seeing a person who's dying is so hard on her part. I just hope that she is OK. Remember my dear friend, I'm just here if you need me and want to talk about it. Me and all our other friends care about you...always.