The last three months in review

I thought that everyone was up to date with things that have happened since I moved here. That was untill i talked with Ron, Dad, and moses the other day that I figured I should right some stuff down....so here are a couple stories to update the family....

Story#1-
Last week Aldo and I went for a walk in the woods here in Florida with the three dogs. I was nervous because with all the wild animals they have here...and one would think about snakes and gators when hiking through the woods. I totally and completely got a little freaked when we walked up on a rotting shredded carcas of a deer that had been pulled into a lake....it was definately pulled in there by something big....looked to me and Aldo like it was a gator...so then i hear a rustle in the bushes and started thinking about running in that zig zag pattern if a gator is really chasing you and then aldo said "its just a armadillo". Anyways < i told dad about our hike and of course he told me to go buy a hand gun, file down a strong stick to a point and get a knife to carry on me while hiking in the woods...

Story #2-
I had gone beachside to wash my car and vacuum it out when i was about to leave and heard a loud scream. I turned around to see 2 people that had just been hit by a truck on the road and ran over....all traffic was stopped and here was an elderly couple that had been struck while trying to cross the street. I freaked out inside and didnt really know what to do so I tried to think clearly about the ACLS/basic CPR response that you initiate and it helped me get through the scenario...it was kinda weird to see something like this happen...it was a sunny day and then it turned horrific....somethin that you think youll only see in movies...i dont know how they did but as i walked away, looking down at my hands that had blood on them i knew that I had done all that I could do to help. Looking back I learned that being a nurse just doesnt stop when i walk out of the doors of the hospital.

Story #3-
Tacori is very annoying....and has been for the past 2 months. I think that it has been difficult for her to transistion here. She has gotten really really really fat because she was eating way to much food that didnt belong to her. Anyways, I think Aldo is about to strangle her because she keeps poopen and peeing on the kitchen floor. I keep on thinking anout sending her back to NY to live with joanna and the boys but I dont know if (tacori) will want to do that....anyways,She needs to be around a family and I cant provide her with all my attention all the time and she is very high maintenance...so now, i really dont know what to do about her. any suggestions?

Story #4-
I have learned a lot down here at this hospital that I am working for as a trauma nurse. I would never recommend seeking treatment in the state of florida because I think that they are not up to date with the lates technology and treatments. there systems are seriously lacking and healthcare of the PATIENT seems to be put on the back burner. With all the changes that medicare and medicaide are making in the requirements (of paying medical expenses for patients in the hospital setting) we as nurses are being rolled out thin. My ratio is 5:1 or can be up to 6:1 on a PCU or stepdown ICU floor. the acuity of the post surgical and Post trauma Pt is high and it seems to be overlooked. The issue that we are facing circles around the "Almighty Dollar" and we are beign forced to work with few staff. I think that the healthcare system needs to be viewed as a vital element in our society and that a standard of healthcare needs to be mt throughout all 50 states so that people can recieve the same standard of healthcare in FLorida that one can get in NY. There needs to be closer observation of those practising and infection rates of facilities and less focus on trying to "look good" on the outside for the community. There is Nothing Pretty about being a nurse....Its about safing LIVES and having doctors that CARE that Listen to you TO DO JUST THAT.

which leads me to story #4-

Last week was the first time that I have ever had 2 doctors tell me that they did not want to be bothered regaurding a systolic blood pressure which was in the 80's. I almost cried....this was at the end of my shift as I was about to leave. this patient was critical all day long and I did all i could to keep him in a stable condition. when he started to drop on his pressures- i knew there was a problem. Well, 10 minutes after the Doctors were rude on the phone and said dont bother me, the pt's systolic pressure dropped into the 70's.....that is not good enough to perfuse the kidneys so when the doctor walked down the hall I handed him the pt's vitals and said "well now he's in the 70's, you want his chart"...10 minutes later the pt was in the ICU. I have an even deeper appreciation for upstate after working here.