First of Four

When making out the schedule, working a 4-day stretch doesn't sound bad...until the time arrives when you actually have to do it. It's even worse when you have just had a big block of time off. Sheesh...what was I thinking? Oh yeah...I was thinking about a new dining room table to match my oak china hutch that is missing the shelves.

Incidentally, I went to Crowley Furniture to see about ordering new glass shelves and the salesperson sort of berating me for buying a hutch without glass shelves. Gee...maybe because $500 sounded a lot better than $2K. Turd...go sell someone an ottoman or something.

My place of employment is all in a lather about attaining Magnet Status. Magnet status is essentially an award bestowed upon hospitals who kiss butt the best the bragging rights "our nurses are better than your nurses". It's a 3 year process (could be 2, might be 4...not really certain) and its all about the nurses and there is certain criteria we have to meet. Are we happy? Is our turnover really low? Do we offer this? Do we do that?? If we get this coveted status, the nurses get a pin and a glass award which will be displayed in an award case that no one pays attention to as they are booking it to the cafeteria for a $10 baked potato. In a nutshell, its an award the hospital can use for marketing so people will want to come here when they are sick.

Some nights are so bad, I wish I had the number to the Magnet committee so I can tell them where to take their little glass award. I don't regret being a nurse, and on the whole, I like (not love) my job. Sometimes, though, I feel emotionally drained when I go home. It's hard to feel as though you have made a difference when you see the same faces come in with the same problem which would be solved if people simply did what their doctor's told them to do. If you are diabetic...quit eating the damn Snickers!!! People who have big time liver problems because they like the Captain a little too much. The crack addicts who just don't understand why simple pain meds don't work to treat their pain. Throw in a couple people who tip the scales of 500+lbs, and you have a standard day on my unit. This is not what I want to retire doing.