My name is Amy (my husband calls me Aim; ergo the title of my blog) and this blog details my life as a travel nurse, wife and mom. I have two sons and two daughters and we love to travel. I hope you enjoy the stories and find the information, ideas, and tips helpful.
Travel Nurse: Change of Shift is Up at Codeblog
I just read the latest edition of Change of Shift at Codeblog and I must say some of the most creative blogs I've read are those written by nurses. A limerick for St. Patty's Day is a nice touch.
Travel Nurse: He Jumped Out of A Moving Car!?
This morning a 35 year old man with more head, neck and you-name-it injuries than I can count was moved to my floor from the E.R. The man had jumped out of a moving car going 75 miles per hour on the interstate. A Dare maybe? No. Something wrong with the car's brakes? No. Drunk perhaps? Well, that has something to do with it even though it was 7:00 in the morning when he jumped out of the car.
Apparently the man and his girlfriend had been drinking throughout the night. When dawn finally came they decided to climb into their car and drive home on the interstate while still intoxicated. During the course of the drive home the man and his girlfriend got into an argument and she told him she was through with him. This was the straw that broke my poor, alcoholic patient's back (literally). In a fit of passion (or stupidity) he flung open the passenger's side door and jumped. The man cracked his skull, broke his back and lost much of the skin on his body. He is likely not going to survive past the weekend.
Now you may think I am being a little flippant with my treatment of this patient's current medical state. But consider this: I found out from his relatives that this was the third time he had jumped out of a moving car (though not going quite so fast) after being dumped by the same girl. Combine that with the fact that he and his girlfriend were intoxicated while flying down the interstate and maybe my attitude in writing this post can be understood; though maybe still not justified.
Apparently the man and his girlfriend had been drinking throughout the night. When dawn finally came they decided to climb into their car and drive home on the interstate while still intoxicated. During the course of the drive home the man and his girlfriend got into an argument and she told him she was through with him. This was the straw that broke my poor, alcoholic patient's back (literally). In a fit of passion (or stupidity) he flung open the passenger's side door and jumped. The man cracked his skull, broke his back and lost much of the skin on his body. He is likely not going to survive past the weekend.
Now you may think I am being a little flippant with my treatment of this patient's current medical state. But consider this: I found out from his relatives that this was the third time he had jumped out of a moving car (though not going quite so fast) after being dumped by the same girl. Combine that with the fact that he and his girlfriend were intoxicated while flying down the interstate and maybe my attitude in writing this post can be understood; though maybe still not justified.
Travel Nurse: Thank Goodness I'm with an Agency
Yesterday the hospital administration decided to break the news to the nurses. I had just clocked in and was about to start my shift when the nurse manager asked the nurse on the shift before me if she could stay 30 minutes longer. She then told me that an "emergency meeting" had been called and that I was to report to the conference room immediately. When the nurse manager walked away the nurse on the shift before me said "It's your turn to hear the good news." I asked her what she meant by that, but she just said "Oh, you'll see." I have been at this assignment long enough to know that meetings in the conference room are rare, and often mean something drastic is going to happen.
When I walked into the conference room the nurse manager, several people in suits and ties and about a dozen other nurses and nurse techs were already seated around a long table. The nurse manager started the meeting by saying "Now PROMISE me you won't quit once you've heard what I have to say." An ominous way to start any meeting. She then went on to say that the hospital's patient census is higher than it has ever been at the hospital, but that the hospital does not intend to add any more nurse/nurse tech positions. She said that the cap of 7 patients maximum per nurse had been a cap set by the hospital and that the hospital was now changing it. There would no longer be a cap on patient load. Nurses immediately started mumbling under their breaths.
The meeting was short and I could tell the nurse manager had been forced to make the announcement by the suits and ties. She didn't seem any happier about the decision to remove the patient cap than anyone else.
So what does this mean to me as a travel nurse? Fortunately, I have a contract with my travel nurse agency that limits the number of patients I can be required to tend to 6. The problem I now face is enforcing that provision. I now have to deal with the nurse manager's reaction when I remind her of the patient load limitations in my contract. That will probably be something I do tomorrow. And then there are the other nurses' reactions when they find out about my contract. Just one of the things you have to deal with as a travel nurse I guess.
Oh, and by the way, as for the nurse manager's request not to quit. I saw two nurses thumbing through the employment section of the newspaper yesterday during our shift. This should get interesting.
When I walked into the conference room the nurse manager, several people in suits and ties and about a dozen other nurses and nurse techs were already seated around a long table. The nurse manager started the meeting by saying "Now PROMISE me you won't quit once you've heard what I have to say." An ominous way to start any meeting. She then went on to say that the hospital's patient census is higher than it has ever been at the hospital, but that the hospital does not intend to add any more nurse/nurse tech positions. She said that the cap of 7 patients maximum per nurse had been a cap set by the hospital and that the hospital was now changing it. There would no longer be a cap on patient load. Nurses immediately started mumbling under their breaths.
The meeting was short and I could tell the nurse manager had been forced to make the announcement by the suits and ties. She didn't seem any happier about the decision to remove the patient cap than anyone else.
So what does this mean to me as a travel nurse? Fortunately, I have a contract with my travel nurse agency that limits the number of patients I can be required to tend to 6. The problem I now face is enforcing that provision. I now have to deal with the nurse manager's reaction when I remind her of the patient load limitations in my contract. That will probably be something I do tomorrow. And then there are the other nurses' reactions when they find out about my contract. Just one of the things you have to deal with as a travel nurse I guess.
Oh, and by the way, as for the nurse manager's request not to quit. I saw two nurses thumbing through the employment section of the newspaper yesterday during our shift. This should get interesting.
Travel Nurse: Change of Shift
Change of Shift is up over at Emergiblog. Check it out and, as Kim says, bring your kleenex tissues.
Americus, Georgia: Another Tornado Disaster
The devastation is incredible. My husband went to Americus, Georgia with a group from our church today. For those of you who don't already know, Americus was devastated by the same system of tornadoes that hit Enterprise, Alabama. Around 17 tornadoes hit Americus and wiped out the hospital, several large businesses and hundreds of homes.
I have heard that as many as 8 people were killed in Americus, but I don't know for sure.
The crew said the pictures just don't do the magnitude of the destruction justice. The first picture is a picture of the first house my husband and his group worked on. The owners of the home were elderly. One of the problems with their situation is that they were told insurance will not pay for their yard to be cleaned. Not even if trees are completely blocking the entrance.
The man in the picture below is 74 years old. My husband said he worked harder than anyone and didn't slow up all day.
Below is a picture of my brother-in-law chainsawing away. He loves to use his chainsaw and I am told he is really good at it.
The crew at the end of the day. My husband is the one at the end on the right.
This is the first house after the crew had finished.
These elderly ladies live in the first house the crew cleaned. Smiling faces after the clean-up.
My husband said when they first rolled into town there were Army helicopters flying all over the place. He found out later that most of the helicopters were securing the air for President Bush and other dignitaries to view the destruction from the air. Later that day he was crossing one of the major streets on foot when he overheard one of the police radios say President Bush would soon be coming down the street. He asked the officer if he could stay there to take a picture of the entourage when it came by. The officer okayed it with the Secret Service, so the pictures of the black SUV's are of President Bush's entourage.
I have heard that as many as 8 people were killed in Americus, but I don't know for sure.
The crew said the pictures just don't do the magnitude of the destruction justice. The first picture is a picture of the first house my husband and his group worked on. The owners of the home were elderly. One of the problems with their situation is that they were told insurance will not pay for their yard to be cleaned. Not even if trees are completely blocking the entrance.
The man in the picture below is 74 years old. My husband said he worked harder than anyone and didn't slow up all day.
Below is a picture of my brother-in-law chainsawing away. He loves to use his chainsaw and I am told he is really good at it.
The crew at the end of the day. My husband is the one at the end on the right.
These elderly ladies live in the first house the crew cleaned. Smiling faces after the clean-up.
My husband said when they first rolled into town there were Army helicopters flying all over the place. He found out later that most of the helicopters were securing the air for President Bush and other dignitaries to view the destruction from the air. Later that day he was crossing one of the major streets on foot when he overheard one of the police radios say President Bush would soon be coming down the street. He asked the officer if he could stay there to take a picture of the entourage when it came by. The officer okayed it with the Secret Service, so the pictures of the black SUV's are of President Bush's entourage.
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