ICU nursing

I am back at work. Just came in from 6 days off. (that's the good thing about working 12 hour shifts... you get a lot of days off if you schedule them correctly)... So I get pulled to the stepdown unit again... Here we have 3 patients and basically, they are stable. They all sleep thru the night- which is a big plus!!!! I am going to say this- and it is according to my state of mind, hormones, etc- I do not like hospital nursing... I just don't like it.  I have always worked in long term care and I still miss it.  I am a totally different person in the hospital.  I don't have much confidence in my nursing skills, because of all of these problems are acute... I am used to dealing with chronic problems... My buddy is wanting me to go get certified for critical care and that will also give me a raise of $1... I just don't know if it is worth it... I don't know how long I will stay here... but I have been saying that for the last 10 months... and I am still here...hoping that I will find my niche... yes, it has been a learning experience... yes, I am still learning things-- yes, tomorrow, I might like it again... but for today, I just want to be home in the bed!!!! I have a cousin, who likes hospital work.  I cant find the like for it today... I am getting older and need to find a stress free, desk job... just sayin'

UPDATE on MY LiFe

Has been a very long time since I have even been in the mood to post.  Since I am at my new job, I hope to post more.  I quit the Director of Nursing job (on my bucket list) and moved to another job that was on my bucket list... I work in Trauma/Surgical ICU. I have been here since March- 10 months, and I will have to be honest, I don't like it like I thought I would.  I work night shift, so it is kinda slow and at times, absolutely boring.  I don't usually get excited about coming to work, like I did at the Assisted Living.  So, I love to get a new admit in who has been in a car wreck or other trauma... don't like the medical ICU as much yet, as I feel inadequate- it's a whole new world... Tonight I am pulled to the Medical stepdown unit due to staffing shortage.  I have 3 pts.
Have a little Alzheimer's Dementia lady... she's got some sundowning going on and is right now agitated and anxious/angry.. so cute cause she used the words- "what in the thunder"-- I hadn't heard that phrase in a long time.  She also had passed out and was brought to the hospital and now she can't remember it.. she keeps asking me why she didn't know about it-- I said, honey, you were sick... she said- in a very hateful voice- " I didn't know one THANG about it!!" So cute!!! Makes me miss my little dementia unit at the assisted living. 
Tom is pastoring at a church in Rogersville.  Bethel Baptist. We love it and love the people.  He has been there 2 years...
Morgan is in college at ETSU-
Luke is a Junior and is courting hot and heavy... well, he will tell you he isn't...
That's my boring life in a nut shell!!!

Hiking at Horse Creek

( Forgot to post on date this happened in the summer...)Today, after sleeping till 2pm, me, Helen, and the girls go hiking.   Parked at end of Horse Creek Rd in the parking area, got out of the car, walked straight in front of the car to the creek. I began to explain to the girls how to 'creek walk'. You know, like how to steady your foot, check the rock for stability before putting all your weight on it, etc. And within 2 min, I fell in slow motion, right into the creek!!!!! Got wet all the way to my shoulders😄😄😄😄😄... I literally die laughing at myself and forget my hipbag is still in the water with my phone in it😒 Took lots of pictures, the girls built a rock statue, had a picnic by the creek... so much fun!!!!!
Shelbie leaned over a log dam in the creek and fell into 4 foot water! By the time I turned around, she was coming up to the top! Freaked us out! Jaida had screamed was the reason I even turned around!!!!!!
 They were so excited to see all the different plants and things in nature.  It was so good to take them along.
In the fall, we took a trip to Cumberland Gap... that was an awesome trip also... Will post pictures... we were worn out after that trip- it was strenuous at times and we ended up walking quite a distance.  Was able to be in 3 states at once... Where TN, VA and KY come together... so cool!

Labor Day,2014

Today, is Monday- 2 days after Morgan turned 18 years old... so Mom decided to have a cookout... cause Morgan goes back to college tonight... She amazes me that she is so much like me.. She was mad today because I read her birthday cards from Tim and Helen and from Mom... My mother made the comment that I was the same way when I was her age... I guess she thinks she is "independent" now.. I probably thought the same thing.  She was very grouchy... I couldn't say anything to satisfy her... LOL But you know me, I am just me-- not trying to satisfy anyone...

So I was supposed to go to school tonight- but I didn't- when my family is visiting, those moments are so few, I will miss school for that... I hardly ever get time to spend with Lacey and Anthony and Tim and Helen and the girls, so I will miss school to spend time with them... Tim didn't act like he felt that great today- wasn't in his cheerful mood...

Me and Lacey and Lukas laughed so hard tonight, I literally am sore... we laughed at Mom and the things she told the kids when they were young... she said she felt like the kids need to know things, so she just told them... so Lukas says that when he was 6 years old, Mother told him be careful, because a {family friend} might try to screw him in the butt..!!!! For real?!?!?!?  Mother!!!!! She said, well, kids need to know! I told her to please not tell Jaida and Shelbie things of this nature!  Oh brother... so anyway, me and Lacey laughed and laughed at her- bless her-- so naïve...

Work is so stressful but I wonder sometime if it is even worth all the stress... I just don't know...

Been a long time---again

My life truly is so busy right now that I have no time to even think of enjoying writing on my blog.  I am in school to get my Bachelor's of Science in Nursing and will graduate in May of 2015.  I am a director of nursing at an assisted living and am in charge of scheduling 28 spots per day, I have 55 or so employees that I am responsible for and I have 100 residents at the moment.   My lovely daughter is going to college and my wonderful son is starting high school... this is a money sucker, that's for sure...
So what else is going on? That's it! I work, sleep, eat, and work...and it starts all over again.  I do try to fit in family and church.  It is kinda a pathetic life! But God has blessed me, so what can I complain about? Absolutely nothing!!

O M G... White water rafting!!!!

I accomplished something from my bucket list!! White water rafting on the Ocoee River in Cherokee National Forest near Chattanooga. I was scared to death the whole trip that I was gonna fall out of the boat... But overall, it was awesome!  I think I might have enjoyed it more if I hadn't known that the class IV rapids were near the end... But then again, I'd always been wondering what was worse to come. 

I did NOT fall out, which was a prayer answered!!! I know I would have drowned. (I hate water in my face...yes, I can swim, and I had on a life jacket,  but I  don't like swimming underwater...but that's another blog post). My boss fell off and went under & had time while she was under to think about what she was doing and how she could get out if it!! So yes, I would have drowned. The kids want to go... But if one of those flipped out, I'd have a heart attack!!!!

So I came thru rapids named Double Trouble, TableSaw, PowerHouse and Hells Hole. So yep, you'd be nervous too with these waiting on you down the river. 

Lukas being silly

We are at apple barn. He's dancing around on the sidewalk. So I made a funny comment about our little ballerina girl. So then when Morgan elaborated, he goes for her. She runs after him. He runs away, right into a patch if ROSÉ bushes. I crack up!!! Bless it!!! He had thorns all in his knees.

Dixie- the South

We (Tom, Me, Lukas & Morgan) were sitting in Dixie Stampede. Tom dared them to scream 'The South will Rise Again' for $10.... Mind you, we are sitting on the North side!!! She done it!!! And then took off to bathroom. !!! She said 'The South will Rise Again yee yee'. So funny!!!