I'm on a Hydrocodone high

and I don't like it one bit!

My roommate had a few tablets of Vicodin from her previous oral surgery and since my back would not get enough relief from plain Ibuprofen, I decided it was time for the Vicodin. I took 1 pill, and now I wish I didn't.

It was the weirdest feeling. I felt my body relax but it wasn't the kind that was comforting nor comfortable, it was uneasy. I felt my head balloon and then came the dizzinness, the nausea and culminated with my head in the toilet bowl.

My head still feels like a damn bobblehead. And I swear, I'm never taking anything with Hydrocodone again. Well, at least if I can help it.

just anotehr day

I saw his face and it was as white as paper. I knew at once something was wrong. He tried to deny it as I thought he would but the distress in his face gave him away. I proceeded to check him out and his numbers were all out of whack, I had to do something. I need to do something right away or it will be too late. I made the call....."Angel, get in here!" Before I could mutter another word the team was there and everyone sprang into action. We were calm but we knew every single action could spell life or death. As Dayna and Chloe wheeled him towards the elevator, I was saying a silent prayer. Please God, let him live. It was a weird calm and chaotic when we got there. It did not take alot of time before things started settling down. I asked him again how he's feeling and he said "lousy" in that tone I remember so well. And I thought to myself "he's back".

Mr. S got himself a temporary pacemaker, and we saved yet another life. Thank you God.

I love my job, I love my job, I love my JOB!

I love my job, I love my job, I love my job!!!

Every once in a while, I feel it....the satisfaction of what I do.

I am a nurse, but lately nursing care has been at the very bottom of my priority list. There's always too much that needs to be done, trivial things that when totalled amounts to more hours than performing real "patient care". Cleaning the commode, stripping the bed, wiping the spills before calling housekeeping to mop the floors....???? There's something wrong here, no? Add to that a support system that acts more of a nuisance rather than support like pca's who don't answer calls, unit clerks who spends time chattering rather than helping make your job easier you'd rather do things yourself than be frustrated and disappointed. And how about MD's who think they own you??? Do you really need me to feed you info when you can easily find them yourself, in the computer and in the chart? Such delusions of grandeur!

Then there are days when you are just too happy to do your job, when the atmosphere is just right for you to be able to do your job witout thinking about time managment. Shower patients, change the sheets, set up their tray. To be able to look at the H&P, progress notes labs, and other reports without having to worry about the 8 hours not being enough. To be able to listen to your patients without thinking about all the other things you need to do, without cutting them short just because you can't spare any more time. Every now and then, you get that bliss....

Every once in a while should come more often.

Starting Over

I passed my BCD !!!!! Grabe na ito!!!!!

Let me explain.....As I've said on my previous post, I've never really liked cardiac....more so trying to figure out the lines, curves and spikes of an ECG strip. Since I moved to the Telemetry floor, there's no way in the world that I can get away without having that competency. I was scared, I wasn't sure I'll figure it out. But really, once I started, I found myself enjoying it! So there, I surprised myself yet again.....

Moving on.....since I came from the Ortho floor, I can only bring about less that 10% of my Ortho competency to my new unit. Thus this conversation with my educator

Educator (E): Did you do the riverwalk when you started in ortho?
Mikee (M): I did not have an educator.
E: Rolls his eyes

E: Do you hve any experience in chest tubes?
M: Not here, maybe once in the Philippines (I forgot to mention that this "once" was during my student days pa!!!!!)

E: Do you know how to listen to heart sounds?
M: Impakta 'to a, ano palagay mo sakin?????
E: Do you know how to differentiate murmurs from ______ and_____?
M: hehehe....NO! (in theory po).

E: Did you do the diabetes competency?
M: I know I'm competent.
E: But did you have your competency checked off?
M: Wala nga akong educator nun e. Sariling sikap lang po.
M: Nope!

E: Lead placement?
M: LAst time I did it was about 8-9 years ago.
E: So, no?
M: Ganun na nga.

E: PAcemaker?
M: No

And a litany of more No's.

Sa madaling salita....wala akong alam!!!!!!!!

my Nike Shox

Sixteen hour shifts are a killer. Even my Nike Shox could notsave me from the perils of running around like a headless chicken in the jungle called....you guessed it, six south. Every now and then I stop and scold myself - what were you thinking?

And then I get my answer.

Doing sixteen hour shifts has several rewards.

First, I only have to work 3 or 4 days and get additional days off, unlike working 8 hours, 5 days a week. That means having more time to see shows I haven't seen for a long time like Amazing Race, Rockstar, CSI, etc. Because working 8 hours meant being at work 5 days a week, it also meant missing the shows that I love. Now I even have more time to go to Barnes and Noble or just be lazy.

Having additional days off also meant I can work extra because I have more days to spare. It used to be that to work exta meant to give up one of my 2 precious days off. And believe me, they are PRECIOUS!

Doing 16 hour shifts also meant having more time to pacify things in such a way that when I go home, I feel content that I have done my job and did it well. That I did not leave things for the next shift to do.

If only my feet can feel good as well!

If you haven't figured out by now, there is no "quiet time" in 6S. When I work 16 hours, I'm on my feet 15.5 hours. Every now and then I get the "chubby girl" assignment, that is I have patients from end to end. That means I have to run, run run to get from one patient to another. Imagine them calling at the same time, or even one after another. Instant workout!

I should get new shoes. I thought my Shox and I can transition through this together. Unfortunately, it's starting to fail me. Gotta get something that can carry me through constant running and being on my feet. Coz I plan to do this craziness for a long time.

Nurse Essentials

for an after shower scent


a hint of color for the lips and powder to start the day


hand care for constant handwashing


an extra coffee fix after a toxic day


soft slippers to cuddle your tired feet


and an iPOD to sing you lullaby

hay buhay Nars

hindi ako pagod......sobra, sobra, sobrang pagod. konti na lang mamamatay nako!!!

Kung bakit ba naman kasi, naisipan ko pang mag Nar-s ulit e and sarap sarap ng buhay ko sa pag memed-rep. Walang doctor na masungit pag tinatawagan, walang ka endorse na akala mo hindi marunong magkamali, at walang ka endorse na nag iiwan nag lahat ng trabaho. Kung pwede lang mamitik ng tenga!

Eto naman ksing si amo e, ilang buwan pa lang na pangalawang pinuno, akala mo nakalimutan na nya kung gano katoxic ang floor. Pagtrabahuhin ba ako ng limang sunod-sunod na araw! As if naman nakaupo lang ako plagi at naghihintay lang ng uwian. Akala mo di nya alam na after 2 days e halos ayaw mo nang bumalik sa jungle na tinatawag na 6 south! Utang na loob!

Kaya ko namang intindihin na me mga trabahong maiiwan sa sobra ngang kaguluhan sa gubat. Pero ang sabihin mo sakin na hindi mo trabaho yan, na bhala na ang doktor kung kelan nya makita...hello???? Baka bumangon si Florence Nightingale at bigla kang batukan! E di i-write up nga kita habang tumutulo ang luha ko sa sobrang frustration. Kakainis e.

so heto ko, after 5 days na straight na trabaho, kailangan ko namang maglaba ng 2 weeks worth na damit, maglinis ng banyo at magpalit ng bedsheet. Susmaryosep, walang katapusan! Makanuod na nga lang ng Brokeback Mountain