On my Own

My Hospital

Last night was my first shift without a preceptor!  Whoever made assignments was nice to me because I got all my same patients back from the night I worked before, except for one.  That meant I only had 5 patients to look out for instead of 6.  I felt really good!  It was a slow night, besides my labs in the morning, (No one's PICC would draw so we had to poke most of my patients and my phlebotomy skills were failing me!) so my paper work was done and I was ready for report.  I think I gave one of the best shift reports too.  It felt good to be free!

After being up all night...

However, to mix things up, I received a call this afternoon that a day shift spot is open.  It will mess up the classes that I planned to take this summer, but since I probably would have been crazy for taking classes anyway, I accepted the position.  I'm nervous because day shift can get really crazy--but on the bright side; no more messy sleep schedule, one less patient, more people available to help, doctors on staff, more experience, and free nights  to hang out. On the downside, I'll have to miss church sometimes and I was starting to like the staff/routine of nights.


So I went into my last room to finish my rounding on the patients this morning and one middle aged guy was awake and sitting in his bed.  I talked to him a little bit and explained how the next shift would be coming in a half an hour.  He asked me to come over to the side of the bed, so I did, and he gave me a hug and kissed me on my cheek to say thank you (he sort of missed and got my neck, but I appreciated the gesture).  Although you could focus on the potential for germs, patients are people too, and it was a perfect ending to my first independent nursing shift. 


It is so beautiful when I drive home at 6:30 in the morning-It's weird to have to go to bed!