Stirring up trouble

A family member, a week ago, gave me a newspaper article about bilingual nurses having their job threatened if they continue to speak their native language to each other when at work.

I took it to work to get the thoughts of some of my bilingual peers.

(Here’s a link to a news broadcast about it)

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/clinic-warns-florida-nurses-to-only-speak-english-or-be-fired

So…..the one paragraph news piece, I took it took work. Two people just shrugged their shoulders – had no opinion. One of them, she took it, said she’d read it later. The next day she took a moment to sit with me as I got my purse from the locker.

Her two comments:

” What does this mean?”

and

“What is this? You have a problem with us speaking Spanish?”

I quickly explained “No! I’m just not bilingual, so I don’t feel e

Nod to Amanda Seales

You’d never think that an actress, comedian/DJ would have words of wisdom applicable to nurses, but, ah, yes, this link below will capture your attention, and, if like me, will have you jotting down notes on post-its and slapping them up wherever they will stick.

 

Grace

Tact

Boundaries with peers

Being talked at versus being talked to…

__________________________

Her comment about tact – “…it’s the timing of honesty. It’s the difference between being caring and being a prick,” a winner comment in my book!

Then there is the superstar reference she make to a book written by Japanese philosopher Ichiro Kishimi, The Courage to Be Disliked. ( ordered my copy earlier today).

You want to put patients first.

This sounds like a good place to begin.

 

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One day a week

I took care of a patient this week that works for Disney World.

I learned that Jiminy Cricket only has to work on Thursday.

I have a new career goal : )

The best laid plans…

My two months off from blogging to work on rehabbing my right knee from a fall last October –

Ha!

Yep, the photo below…it’s my left knee. Sandals, kind of wet concrete, and Boom !

You know how the sprinters jump the hurdles, one leg stretched in front, the other tucked under…that was me…somehow on my back. But I stood, assisted by a sister and friendly passers by.

________________________

Xray negative – Yay!

Road rash taking weeks to heal…blah

Out for repair

Off for 2 months to try and finally get my bum knee back to baseline.

I’ll be back!

Competition

So, this is crazy, but when a patient last week came in with what  she described as an ’emotional support’ dog, I was a little jealous.

I’m familiar with guide dogs. There is an agency en route home from work that trains dogs for the physically impaired.  A neighbor has one.

I am a big  proponent of all of us, no matter what our lives hold for us, having emotional support. I also understand the exacerbation of stress and anxiety that occurs when entering a hospital, for any reason, for that matter. I would never underestimate PTSD and all the things that can trigger an event

It was my territory. My house.

I think that’s what it was.

This special family member came with all the necessary papers to be in the hospital.

I didn’t mind too much having to step over the dog to reach the IV dial and set the rate. I didn’t mind that the husband focused more on the dog than his wife in the stretcher.

My ego, my big giant ego minded that my care wasn’t enough to calm my patient’s nerves.

 

He was a cute dog.

Putting things where they ought to be

Every day, after clocking in, I walk past a three foot high by eight foot long banner that boasts the number of robotic surgeries our department has done in the last twelve months.

Every day when I clock out, I head in the opposite direction toward the side stairs and pass our Patient satisfaction survey scores (posted the same way they are received) on an 8 x 11.5 inch piece of paper. They are under a clear plastic plaque. Next to it are three additional sheets with the questions and coordinating score breakdown for each.

We have a history of high patient satisfaction scores.

The hallway toward the pre-op area, where the patients change, get IV’s, etc…That’s the Robotic surgery banner hallway.

When people get the randomly sent survey, I don’t think they care how many robotic surgeries we have done.

And the surveys, well really, the importance of quality patient care, in my opinion, far exceeds technology.

Maybe I’ll go in some evening, late in the evening, bring a step stool, some big tacks, and switch this up…

But then I like my job, so I’ll find something else to battle about.

 

 

 

 

Pleasant surprise at the end of a looooong day

So this is cool!

Below are the questions I was asked and my answers:

• Tell us about the last time you listened to what your inner voice has to say and the last time you didn’t?

My inner voice is always telling me to get to the gym. Half the time, I don’t listen.

• What do you care most about, outside of yourself? Tell us how does caring for this help you trust yourself more?

I care about caring. I fear apathy. As long as I am caring, I’m doing something to help me continue to evolve as a person.

• Tell us about the things you want yourself to want?

I’d like myself to want more friends. I’m not sure why, maybe because I have this idea that it would help insulate me from the harsh realities of the world.

• How do you approach non-fiction reading? Do you relate or make disagreements with what the author has to say? Do you try to have a conversation with the thing you are reading?

My nonfiction reading is either memoir or inspirational. I slow my breathing down and read carefully.

• What are your controversial opinions and why do you believe them? If it’s not worth talking about publicly, may you tell us why?

I’m Pro – Choice.

• If a man that is dear to you (dad, husband, boyfriend, brother), help someone that is viciously being attacked. Would you be proud of him for helping or be angry with them for putting himself in harm’s way?

I would be very proud.

• Which men’s style profile would you prefer, a classic gentleman, a lumbersexual or a rockstar?

They have to be lumbersexual. I won’t date anyone who weighs less than me!

• Which male pop icon you think is the epitome of manhood? Tell us the traits that he has that make you say so?

I don’t follow pop icons, so this is tough. I’m diggin’ the reemergence of Lionel Richie. To be able to write and sing ballads as well as he does and still have such a smooth personality, nice that’s very nice.

Who is sexier, a frugal man or a generous man?

Frugal! It means he cares about the future. O.k, wait, frugal unless it’s my birthday.

• As a man, what are your thoughts of me based on my writing and what you know about me?

I need to read more of your stuff. It takes me a long time to have an opinion about someone. It stifles the fun of getting to know them.

• Lastly, the “Mr. A being Mr. A” question – Does size matter? I mean you no disrespect, I won’t feel bad if you choose not to answer.

If I answered, it’d be more like an essay.

And now I get to have the fun of nominating some great bloggers!

http://rehabrn.blogspot.com/

http://atyourcervix.blogspot.com/search

Speak Your Truth: Keeping Calm During Upheavals and Chaos

Chapter 6.26: Dear Diary, a Time for Firsts

And the questions:

_________________

What was the last fiction piece you read?

Do you prefer stories written in 1st or 3rd person?

What is your response to the sight of blood?

Breakfast – hot or cold stuff?

That show Survivor …if you were invited on, would you go? Seriously.

Do you have a favorite parent or sibling?

What’s your bedtime? Or, do you have one?

 

 

I didn’t get called in yesterday ( Saturday ). I’m sitting here smiling in awe that my chances of having a three day weekend are increasing.

We all worked at a feverish pace last week. I put myself down to take call for surgery Saturday, then noticed mid last week that I am also on for Memorial Day. ( Each nurse has to take one major and one minor holiday.)

Yikes ! I’ll be totally fried by Tuesday! Is what I thought.

My precious precious  Lord always has my back, always knows when I need rest, even when I am stubbornly denying it.

Now, I’m on again tomorrow, and I’m ready. There might  be cases, maybe even all day. And I’m ready.

In the meantime, I’ll write. There is much of that to do.

 

 

“No coffee for you!”

So our Starbucks, yes, we have a Starbucks on the first floor of our quaint little 250 bed hospital, every day puts a different name on the chalkboard that sit in the front of the kiosk. Above it is written, If your name is ( name inserted), your drink is free.

I was down there the other day, being supportive of coffee bean growers everywhere, when I heard the guy in front of me,

“Hey, my name is Wilber, so I guess my drink will be free.”

Silly boy’s name tag was dangling right there on his shirt pocket – Miguel.

Miguel smiled wide at the barista.

The barista smiled and squinted his eyes at the nurse . ( I knew he was a nurse from the color of his scrubs)

“Your name tag says different.”

Miguel was feeling confident.

“My middle name is Wilber.”

Not to be outdone, the barista said in a neutral tone, “Show me your drivers license.”

Oh, the ever so confident coffee lover in front of me dropped his head, pulled out his wallet, but then at the last second, flipped it shut again, and paid for his drink.

We nurses do okay…he should have paid for it from the get go and not been so goofy.