A day in the ED and the Best Birthday gift for a NIGHT shift worker!

Yesterday was my second day in the ED. I am feeling much better about being there. As "things" would come up I would check with my preceptor on my thought process of why things were done and I am figuring out a few things specific to the charting.

So a typical day in the ED is what I had yesterday. We, (mainly my preceptor- but I did get some hands on time) admitted a pt for a fall and for placement, admitted a pt with psych & pseudo seizures, admitted a pt with documented hx of epilepsy with status epileptics, a pt /c hx of TIAs that had fallen and planned on going home and did, a pt /c hx documented GI issues who received pain meds and left with a steady gate, admitted a pt who couldn't remember what happened last night but woke up with literally a hematoma encompassing the R side buttock- this pt received Vitamin K and FFP. 4 traumas arrived at the same time around 1700- not our patients, but it just was a day at the ED for everyone working there. And after not starting an IV for over 2 months, I started one yesterday through scar tissue and saved it, drew blood from it, and got it on the first try!

Can you say confidence builder! The pt makes this statement as I am placing the needle to the skin..."They usually have to have a PICC placed"...Woo Hoo I got it on the first try with a peripheral IV!

The pace is amazing and not too overwhelming..yet!

So after 12 hours of working and observing I head home to a cleaned house and a hubby waiting for me to change into some "pretty clothes" so we can go out to dinner at one of my favorite places!

As I come down the stairs changed and ready to go Matt has a beautifully wrapped gift in his hand. I smiled and said, "What, I thought my shopping spree at the outlets was my birthday gift."

His reply, "You have to have something to open on your birthday,"

We have great conversation about our day on the drive. We arrived in the Houlihan's parking lot. And he asks me if I want to open my gift.

I do and it is this:

If you don't know what this is you are missing out! It is a sleep mate. Info about it is here

It is a white-noise producer! We don't live on a Inner City New York street; but our street does have some traffic. I enjoy the traffic sound as it gently wakes me up in the morning right now. And when I come home from working a night shift and want to get to sleep it is not going to be a welcomed sound. Our Borough also has a volunteer fire dept (which is very common in this area) so the siren that announces the need for volunteers can go off at anytime of day or night. This also means that the fire trucks who zoom by our house sometimes have their sirens on. The solution: the sleepmate!

We were first introduced to the sleepmate when we went to my cousin's wedding in Lawrence, KS at The Eldridge Hotel. It is a beautiful hotel that I would recommend to everyone. In our hotel room was this sleepmate machine. We tried it out and loved it!

I know for some of you this might sound silly to be given as a gift; but I was so excited! I even asked Matt to put it in the trunk so no one would want to steal my sleepmate out of the car while we were at dinner! You are reading a post from a women who was so excited to get a vacuum for her 5th anniversary! It was the newest Dyson and it still is one of my favorite gifts. It is awesome! Now, don't get me wrong. My hubby knows how to pamper me. He encourages me to go get mani's and pedi's often. He let me go on a crazy shopping spree at J.Crew Outlet where I got a complete outfit and an extra pair of pants along with 2 nightstands from Pottery Barn Outlet. The sleepmate was the icing on the cake!

Penn State Hershey Med Emergency Dept

So I stepped into the Penn State Hershey Medical Center Emergency Department today! We (myself and another new coworker) went over all the new charting- which seems to be user friendly! YEA!!!

We were also able to ask our director a few very important questions including the all important scheduling and vacation requests! An 80 hr position came available the first week of my orientation and I let my director know I was interested. Meeting her today she asked me when I wanted the position. I said the sooner the better! It will go into the computer Thursday!

I passed BLS without any difficulty this afternoon. YEA, again!

After getting back from BLS my coworker and I started our scavenger hunt negotiating the 65 bed emergency department. It's huge! I feel like I need a pocket map just to figure out the halls and pods. I am able to find my way around; but it takes a little bit!

Looking forward to more successful and learning days in the E.D.

A glance back and then facing forward...

For those of you in Manhattan, KS that were able to come to our Send off Party and signed our "guest book"- this is the final product! It is hanging in our living room right now and I smile at it every time I walk by and read a comment or two. We had so many fantastic memories with all of you!

Looking back at my first week of orientation at Penn State Hershey Med I have a rainbow of emotions. First, I am avoiding the scale because I ate salt & vinegar chips and chocolate as well as cheeseburgers/fries most of the week...ugh. I did find that the cafeteria has sushi...it's not fresh-fresh; but it does hit the spot when I need a sushi fix:).

Emotions of looking at the scale is one I don't want to deal with right now....Though I have been going to curves for the last few weeks and have made at least 3 visits/week!

I am super excited to get in the ER and meet the people I will be working with. There are 3 other ER nurses and one flight RN in orientation that I have met. One of the nurses was agency in the ER and is coming back as a Hershey nurse. She has given all of us and extra insight in what to expect in the ER. All of the nurses in our orientation are experienced; so we all have stories from our previous jobs and have had a lot of laughs together.

I have been off for over 1.5 months and I have truly enjoyed it; But I am so looking forward to working! Here's to getting back into a routine of balancing work, family, church, Curves, cooking, blogging, skype-ing, laundry, dishes, pets, and everything else!

Hope my brain is ready!

Any suggestions?

At the end of our basement stairs we have this...um light fixture? Not sure if there was any intention to ever make this a true fixture. Any ideas on how make this a little easier on the eyes?

Eat your veggies!

My garden is abundant and I still have more to pick today. I have been suppling my neighbors with fresh veggies because we are unable to eat all of them. I may look into canning some next year if we plant our own garden. We were so blessed that the previous owners had planted this garden. Matt has made pico on a regular basis as well as enjoying fresh green beans and tomatoes! Yum!

Oh Canada...

As promised the photo albums from our Canada trip!

There are also photos from Deah's visit and a few feathered friends who visit frequently.

Over Labor day weekend Matt and I drove up to Erie, PA to visit my great Uncle Richard and Aunt Gloria. Uncle Richard was our tour guide as Matt drove us up to the falls and to Canada. We had a wonderful time and can't wait to plan another trip up to Canada!

click here to view the albums.

I will never forget!

President Barack Hussein Obama wants to mark this as national service day...Service is a daily, hourly, every minute of my life experience...No, today is different it is a day of remembrance.

I will keep this day a day of remembrance and never forget what people do for our freedom...MY freedom.

I will never forget. I will never forget the horror of watching the planes dive into the twin towers over and over again as the new media covered the story. I will never forget hearing what had happened to flight 93. I will never forget seeing the footage of the Pentagon and realizing how big the building was and looking at the gaping hole in the side of it. I will never forget how my heart ached for the people and Americans on the planes, in the buildings and their families. I will never forget the chaos that occurred at all the airports. I will never forget how I wanted to believe it wasn't happening and that I was stuck in a nightmare or watching a movie. I will never forget having to tell myself over and over again that is was real and it was happening.

I worked the night shift on 9/10, so on 9/11/2001 I was driving home after 0730 (central time). I don't remember having the radio on as I usually would drive in silence to de-stress. Though I was probably thinking about my upcoming wedding and my wonderful fiance'.

The first tower was hit at 8:46 AM eastern time, so as I left work, drove home, walked into the house, ate a snack, took a shower, and went to sleep the world as I knew it would never be the same when I awoke. Around noon or so I re-entered the land of the living and for the rest of the day I sat watching the TV and was shocked and felt numb. I wondered if this was what others felt the day Pearl Harbor was attacked. I could not believe that our nation had been attacked on our own soil AGAIN!

I would be married almost 3 months to the day (12/15/01). I remember wondering what the country was going to be like in 3 months....

Life went on, yet in a different way. This day should never be forgotten!

The above photo was taken at Smithsonian American History Museum, Washington D.C. in July 2005. This was the flag that was on location at the Pentagon after 9/11/01. I didn't us a flash, and was so grateful the museum had such good lighting that the flag turned out so well on my camera. The exhibit documenting 9/11 was very respectful and awe inspiring.

Time for a change!

The air is slowly changing to a crisp, light, cool so comes a change to my background and font! A promised update of our recent trip to Canada and visiting with my great aunt and uncle soon!

A wrap up of the last week or so...

This about sums up my last month.....

Convocation- the opening of the school year was Tuesday and that meant Matt got to dress up in formal Regalia! This is a rental; but his own formal robes are on the way for commencement in December!

The final touches for now in the non-yellow bathroom. These candle holders used to be black, I spray painted them a metallic silverish/pewter. The candlelight bounces off the mirror and is a perfect atmosphere for a spa-like bubble bath evening! If there is one thing a night shift nurse or for that matter any nurse needs is a good room for relaxation!

The E-Town fair was last week. Our church was one of the many churches who provides nourishment to the fair goers each year. We had a wonderful time!

I am enjoying my time off; but I am looking forward to starting my new job soon!