New Hospital Happenings

So we've been in the new hospital for a week and a half now.  I have to say it is quite the culture shock.

The new PICU is SOOO different from our old one.  It's much, much larger even though we have the same number of beds.  There are inner and outer hallways that all take you to the same place, but it's almost like going through a corn maze just to get there.

People are constantly roaming around, just trying to figure out where they are.  Myself included!  I took 3 wrong turns yesterday trying to get to one of my patient's rooms.  A one minute walk turned into about 5 minutes.

Certainly our response time needs to improve.  A code was called over the weekend and it took 4 1/2 minutes for everyone to respond.  In our old unit, it would take max 1 minute for an entire team and then a bunch of others to be crowded in the room.

But not in the new building.  Apparently the team caring for the patient was rounding, and they all tried running through the various hallways trying to find their way to the patient.  The patient had a physician and APN caring for him when the code button went off and everything turned out ok, but still it was quite a long time to get an entire team of helpers there!

Just like anything new, there will be a period of adjustment.  Eventually, we will get used to the labyrinth that we call the PICU.  We will be able to spout off room numbers and know exactly how to get there...and which way is the fastest.

But for now, I'm trying to find the humor in the amount of times that I get lost each day.  Trying to laugh when there are 4 of us trying to get to a room and take 5 wrong turns.  It's the blind leading the blind...or I guess the lost leading the lost.

I am also trying to find the humor in the 6 minutes it takes to catch an elevator...and the 4 minutes it takes just to get down to the main floor.  Being used to a 9 floor building is quite different than a 23 story building!  And yet, waiting for the elevators that seem to never come, laughter is the last thing on my mind.

I will say there are some great things about the new hospital.  First off, everything is new!  Brand spankin', shiny, and new!  Second, the views from the 16th floor (that's the PICU) are amazing!  I can't get enough of the amount of windows that we have, and the gorgeous city I get to look out to.

And the biggest upgrade is my office!  I have an office with 4 other APNs and it's awesome! We all have our own desk with our own computer.  No more sharing.  The old hospital, it was 5 computers in one very small room for 10 APNs.  Yeah that was loads of fun!  


So I'm looking forward to making my desk mine.  Putting up pictures and little things that make me happy to look at when I have some time at my desk.  Once I get there, I'll post a picture.


But I wouldn't count on that happening that soon.  I'll be lucky if I can find my desk, my office, on a daily basis.  Right now, its a successful day if I've been able to make it to my desk and each of my patient's rooms.  Now there's something to certainly strive for!