Sleepy...and info on my job!

I am so tired! I worked 9a-9p today in the Out Patient Surgery Department (OPDS).

About my Job:

I am fairly certain that all my readers (probably 4 total, lol) know I am nurse.

OPDS is where you get ready for surgery--get your IV, sign paperwork, etc. It is also where you get ready to go home from day surgery--drink sprite/eat crackers, make sure you can pee, learn how to change your bandage or walk on crutches, etc. Overall, not a bad place to work but it can be busy sometimes. It is usually 1 nurse:2 patients. The good thing is that the patients are always stable. However, sometimes I get bored there!

I was hired to basically "float" between there and the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU aka the "Recovery Room").

PACU is where everyone (back surgery, cesarean, lung surgery, whatever...) comes after surgery. You stay in PACU until you are stable (breathing well, waking up, heart rate and blood pressure good, etc.) and pain is under control. We give tons and tons of IV pain medication in the PACU, obviously. Normally, patients are there about 1 hour. Often, they don't even remember being there at all! I really enjoy working there. It is a more controlled environment in one sense (usually 1:1 nursing care, patients on monitors and in bed, open unit, etc.), but at the same time you have to be on your toes because anything can go wrong at any time. In PACU, you literally sit next to your patient on your computer charting while monitoring vital signs continuously (unless you are standing by your patient making them breathe or giving medications or whatever else they need). It is also busy, but the kind of "busy" I prefer.

I love PACU (it is much closer to my ICU beginning), but I guess OPDS isn't awful. I usually work 10 hours shifts, but today I worked 12 hours. I almost always work in PACU, but occasionally (about once every 4-5 weeks) there will be a need in OPDS so I am "rerouted" over there!

When you only work 2 days/week, you can't complain, so I won't!

OK, back to the rest of the blog:

I got home and put Rosalyn to bed, ate two bean burritos with red salsa (only 10 points!), and now I am about to take a long, hot bath and go to sleep! I hope my sweet girl decides to sleep late in the morning :)

I will post again tomorrow. Not sure about what since we don't have any exciting weekend plans!