!Rose award
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agk's phlog
27 Apr 2021 @ 1706
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written on OnePlus Two
with maybe a touch of sunstroke
while Evy naps
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My parents, brother, and nephew are here! I had much-
needed brother time last night after reading my nephew
a bedtime story. Made breakfast and went swimming in
the reservoir today with everyone and the dog, then
had barbecue sandwiches and milkshakes in Jackson
County at the Frostyette.
Yesterday coworkers gave me a Rose Award. It means a
LOT to me. I hold them in high regard. When I clocked
in, I got these notes.
> To Anna, from [recreation therapist] (4/11/2021)
> "You deserve a ROSE because after Bill got attacked
> on Unit 5 this morning and had to go to the hospital
> you stepped up and volunteered to go over to the boys'
> unit and do groups. You volunteered to step up and help
> out when others would have said 'don't put me on that
> unit.' Thanks for being a team player!"
> To Anna, from [program coordinator] (4/21/2021)
> "You deserve a ROSE because on Monday, 4/19, Anna
> responded to a code on Unit 4. It was a pretty intense
> situation, with the kids pretty wound up, acting out
> and violent. Within a few minutes of arriving, the kids
> were calmly sitting, talking therapeutically with Anna.
> She just performed exceptionally in this situation, and
> deserves recognition for it."
With the award I got an impossible assignment. The child
unit is staffed with two nurses (charge nurse, med nurse)
and three techs (one per group and one for the child with
an extra staff order). Any less is a serious safety issue.
So, instead of five staff we had one nurse and me. The
nurse made sure house supervisor knew our dire straits.
She sent a strongly worded email to everyone in senior
management. Then we handled it.
The kids got their groups, meals, meds, snacks, and even
time outside on the playground. I got another tech partway
through the 12-hour shift. Documentation got done and
filed. Admissions and discharges were completed. Even with
a kid stripping naked and running, we were a well-oiled
machine. We protected everyone, and kept other kids from
seeing his nakedness. Despite instigating kids and
reactive kids, we had no fisticuffs, no code yellows, no
property damage, no abuse reports, no head banging. What
could have been a disaster was a very labor intensive day
at the factory.
I heard this about Rose Awards. When management learns
you're a shock-worker (ударник) they hand down dangerous
and impossible tasks. Foot-dragging sometimes produces
better staffing, labor conditions, and patient safety than
excellence. None of this dulls my pride: My peers admire
my work!
At the end of the shift I whispered an out-of-control
admisson out of his hallway corner and into the exam room
for a skin assessment. Staff behind the nursing station
glass briefly stood and applauded. We do hard things. We
see each other. Feels good.
