Medical Mondays - What I Do.

My first husband's current wife (my children's stepmother) likes to refer to my occupation as "ass-wiper".
Charming, isn't she?  She's also going to school to be a NURSE.  Shudder.

Anyway.  I am a Nurse Tech, or Nursing Assistant, on the Med/Surg floor of a hospital.
When my husband told his nurse friend what I do for a living, his friend immediately said "She works HARD for her money." And I certainly do.

I have so many different duties and responsibilities in my job that neither of you nor I have time for me to list them all.  And no two nights are ever the same.  But I have never made a secret of the fact that one of my job duties is to help clean incontinent patients.  (I refuse to call it "wiping ass", that is SO disrespectful to my patients.)

I also take vital signs, making me the first line of defense to detect if a patient is having any issues.  I am an important link in a chain of health care professionals.
I perform blood glucose tests.  I hook up telemetry monitors.  I connect oxygen tubing.   I attach sequential compression devices.  I do portable bladder ultrasounds.
Last week I assisted a nurse with an enema and impaction removal.  Yep - that's a NURSE JOB.

Some nights I feel like a waitress.  Some nights I feel like a therapist.
Some nights I have zero incontinent patients.
Some nights I have three.
But when I think of the comments from ignorant, disrespectful people, it makes me angry.  Not for myself - certainly I couldn't care less what someone like that thinks of me.

But I picture my incontinent patients.  Usually frail, elderly people.  They are helpless and unable to clean themselves.  They are embarrassed and uncomfortable in every way.  They never asked to be in that position.  They deserve someone who respects them, and cares enough to clean them up immediately, quickly yet thoroughly, and in a professional manner, while allowing them to maintain their dignity.

A few weeks ago I had a sweet elderly lady as one of my patients.  She tried to make it to the bathroom to void her bladder, but she didn't make it in time.  She was so humiliated.  She said that was the first time in her life it had ever happened.  I helped her clean up, changed her sheets, all the while smiling and chatting with her.  She still kept apologizing and was so ashamed, she was literally in tears.  I finally took her by the hand and said, "Please, stop apologizing.  It happens.  If you were feeling well, you wouldn't be in the hospital.  I have cleaned up FAR worse than this.  It's part of my job.  I don't mind at all." And she said to me, "You are a wonderful person.  There is a special place in heaven for you."

And I hear that all the time.  "Thank you.  You are so sweet.  Thank you for taking such good care of me."   It makes it all worthwhile.

And anyone who refers to that as "ass-wiping" deserves NOT to have a compassionate person to take care of them when they find themselves in the unfortunate position of being helpless and incontinent.  They deserve to sit in it for a while.

Not everyone can handle my job - I get that.  But I can and I do, and I do it quite well.
Oh and one last thing - if you are a nurse and you have NEVER cleaned up an incontinent patient, PLEASE leave me a comment.  I would love to know how you managed to escape a job that every single nurse on the planet does.

Go visit Your Doctor's Wife for more Medical Monday posts.
P.S.  It's Nurse's Week!  Hug your favorite Nursing Professional!

Family Filled Weekend - Sundays in my City

Today we went to my parents' house for a visit.

Of course, Hayleigh was the Star Attraction.

Concentrating hard on that block.
Or, ignoring her crazy aunt.

She finally graced me with a look
AND an almost-smile.  

Hello, I'm just wearing my food.

She's growing up SO fast.

This is Dusty and Shelbie.

You may remember Dusty from previous posts.   He is the son of a good friend of my since high school. He and Shelbie dated, then broke up, and are now dating again. Dusty also has cancer.  The meds are the reason his cheeks are puffy. He is doing well; he has years of chemo ahead of him,  but he's young and strong and his prognosis is good. He did lose his hair,  but as you can see it's already grown back! He went to my parents' house with us today.   It was fun spending time with him again. Tomorrow, we are going to my Mother-in-Law's house to hang out with her!   I love these Family Filled Weekends.
Hope y'all are having a good weekend! I sure am!


Visit Unknown Mami for more Sundays in my City posts.

Happy Frag-Day

I am so happy that Mrs 4444 is using my button idea!  It came to me last Friday as I was composing my fragments and I just thought it was TOO cute.

Remember I told you that I stopped drinking soda?  I haven't fallen off the wagon yet - AND I have lost 3 lbs since quitting DIET soda.  Go me!

Last night there was a curriculum fair at Elayna's school and an art show at Shelbie's school.
The main draw of the curriculum fair (for the kids, at least) was a teacher/administrator dunking booth.  It was rainy and cool and I felt bad for the teachers!  But they were good sports.

Both Shelbie and my stepson, Tyler, had art in the show.  I am going to do a whole post featuring Shelbie's artwork (she had quite a few pieces, plus I have a framed piece of hers from last year that she gave me) because I am just SO proud of it!  But I will share Tyler's two pieces here:

The boy likes fish.

This is my yard right now.

It has rained, and rained, and rained, and RAINED.  I am OVER it.  Our road is darned near impassible; if we didn't have a four wheel drive, I really don't think we'd make it.  Enough already!  Mama needs SUNSHINE!

Had we not eloped, we'd have been getting married tomorrow.  Here on our property, the aforementioned wetlands.  I can't imagine how stressed I would be right now! I'm more happy than ever that we eloped.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Also linking up with Stacy's Friday Free for All!