Extra shifts

Our unit has been understaffed lately, and I got called for an extra shift today... I thought about it, but really didn't want to. Then I realized I didn't have any insulin syringes left for my cat, and chose to stay home so I could go get more.

Had some really great patients last week. I was switched back to the 3rd floor after being on the 5th floor for a couple of weeks. Whenever I get switched to the other floor, I always wonder how my patients are doing on the previous floor. There was a rapid response so another nurse and I ran upstairs to see if they needed help. They didn't but we stayed around for a few minutes just in case. It was actually on a patient that I had the previous week so that was surprising. I stopped and talked to his wife, and boy was she scared. I would be too! He turned out to be okay, thank goodness. I was also able to stop and talk to a previous patient's husband for a few minutes - he's so nice! I actually ran into his daughter and grandson at Chick Fil-A a few days before so I wanted to relate that to him. :) They are just a supremely nice family of a very radiate patient. She had a stroke, and cannot say much, but you can tell that she is still in there understanding what's going on. She and her family are an inspiration.

It's also a bit sad when patients go home after being on the unit for a month or two (or three). It just doesn't feel the same without them there... but then you move on, and get more patients, and feel connected to them. :)