Busy, Busy, Busy!!

This week has been super busy! Tuesday was my first day back at work after almost a week off....those aren't always the easiest shifts! BUT- my guy got his trach (no GT...what would the PICU be without a little bit of drama!?). That morning his dad and several other nurses said he had been very depressed, wanting to sit in the dark, not talking with people etc. since he got his trach last Wed.

Well let me tell you, I took care of a very different patient! I woke him up to do his first assessment and he opened his eyes and SMILED!! Hey-O...go me!! The entire day he was in a great mood....super smiley....laughing....wanting lights on! What a joy it is to be able to make such a difference for kids!!

We played Bingo on TV and though we didn't win he still had a great time...for those of you that don't know, every Mon and Tues there is Bingo on one of the floors. BUT, for the patients that can't leave their room (most PICU pts), you can tune in on the TV and play. When you win, you call the number, and there are tons of great prizes to choose from each week!! Such a great idea!!

That being said, he smelled FUNKY....and was slightly crusty under his arms! I asked him if he'd been refusing his baths, and again, he got a HUGE smile and shook his head yes!!! Nurses- you can't ask teenaged boys if they WANT a bath!! OF COURSE they will say no every time....as he did! So he got a good scrub down, several applications of his Old Spice deodorant, and his teeth brushed twice that day!!

As for Wed and today...TONS and TONS of schoolwork, reading, assignments, and video watching for Physical Assessment!!! Jon is going to LOVE being my model patient for the upcoming video on head to toe assessments with complete history/physicals! BUT- I did sit out in the sun (with SPF on of course!) both days which was amazing...I am such a sun/hot weather kinda nurse : )

I think all this busyness is just a preview of what's to come over the next year. BUT- as long as it's stepping forward towards graduation, I'll deal with it one day at a time. Lesson learned this week: sometimes adventures are not always exciting or even fun...sometimes they manifest themselves as busy busy days...or weeks. But that's ok, b/c they are still a part of the journey...and adventure...of this PICU nurse!