2-2-2008

This day went pretty much the same as the day before except that I stayed at work from 23:00-03:00 to do one-on-one sitting with a patient. Normally, ward clerks aren't allowed, but since I've had nursing clinicals, am CPR certified, and the floor was understaffed, I was. It was the first time I've done anything of that sort. One-on-one with a problematic patient is quite a bit different from patient care in clinicals. This patient kept having to get on the bedpan and then get off again right away without being productive. The patient was also not sleeping and kept asking me to pull him up, by which he meant not being boosted toward the head of the bed but being physically pulled up into a sitting position. In order to do this, I had to lean over him and put my arms behind his back. Whenever I let go, he went back to a lying position. I was wondering what was going on until at one point, he said, "okay, just one more hug and I'll be ready to sleep." Eureka! Anyhow, that's pretty much how the whole half-night went: on and bedpan and off, change the HOB, sips of water, move the hands so the telemetry won't get pulled off... Not exactly fun. I'm glad they'll be aides to do one-on-ones after I graduate.