!Long shift
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agk's diary
5 September 2023 @ 05:47 UTC
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written on GPD Win 1
on garage couch before sleep
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I left for work at 0620 this morning, got home at
0115. In between I worked 17 hours with no lunch
break, a 10 minute break to step outside to kiss
Evy and first daughter who were in the area on
their way home from Evy's parents' house, and I
peed twice.
It was my third day of what we call 12-hour shifts,
but never end up being less than 13. When I'm
charge nurse I have to stay til my required paper-
work is done.
I've never had to stay this late, but I was fixing
a big mess. I discovered the key role the previous
day's nurse had likely played in instigating and
escalating a patient's behavior til the patient
caused a serious injury that could have been life-
altering to one of our best nurses, who is my
friend.
I worked with the techs throughout the 12 hours to
restore the unit's patients' trust and feelings of
safety. I worked with the doctor and therapist to
address the needs of the patient who was provoked
by the nurse, and another she was allegedly simil-
arly rude and cruel to. I addressed it with manage-
ment to prevent it from happening again.
And I did the normal stuff. Nursing assessments,
med passes, teaching and counseling patients, order
changes, supervision, safety checks, shift report,
controlled substance count, progress notes, an
admission, etc.
Now I'm off. Up in 5 hours to take daughter to day-
care, then off caving with old friends a few hours
later. Back to the chill damp, stooped walking and
rubble crawling.
