Happy New Year
Happy New Year to you all.
It's been pretty hectic - I had to work over Xmas and New Year. That's without overtime, bonues or anything like that. We get paid a fixed amount for the year and it's broken up into monthly wages. That means you can have a really crap rota and get paid as much as someone who has an easy rota. Indeed some of my colleagues are so underwhelmed by the minimal amount of work they have, they alternate on who has days off! Compare this to me who has to work like a dog.
I sat and watched a patient die. No I wasn't being negligent or cruel - he was a patient who had metastatic cancer. The only reason he came in was to have an operation to make his life that little bit more tolerable for that little bit longer. He stopped breathing and the nurses called me. I went and had a look in the notes, taking in the fact that the patient was not for resuscitation. Which means you don't do anything except let the patient die and try to make their going as painless and as dignified as possible. As I sat with him, I started to feel not only twinges of guilt but also of the past.
After verifying him, I went to write in the notes. The family came and I watched as they were taken into the nurse's office and given the bad news. I remember them coming out in ones and twos, crying. Some stayed and others went home instead. Poor chap didn't make it to see 2008.
I've finally managed to get a stable internet connection. Whilst it isn't super-duper broadband, it'll do. Bought a new widescreen HD LCD TV. Brilliant present for me! From me! Smallville's on....gotta run.
It's been pretty hectic - I had to work over Xmas and New Year. That's without overtime, bonues or anything like that. We get paid a fixed amount for the year and it's broken up into monthly wages. That means you can have a really crap rota and get paid as much as someone who has an easy rota. Indeed some of my colleagues are so underwhelmed by the minimal amount of work they have, they alternate on who has days off! Compare this to me who has to work like a dog.
I sat and watched a patient die. No I wasn't being negligent or cruel - he was a patient who had metastatic cancer. The only reason he came in was to have an operation to make his life that little bit more tolerable for that little bit longer. He stopped breathing and the nurses called me. I went and had a look in the notes, taking in the fact that the patient was not for resuscitation. Which means you don't do anything except let the patient die and try to make their going as painless and as dignified as possible. As I sat with him, I started to feel not only twinges of guilt but also of the past.
After verifying him, I went to write in the notes. The family came and I watched as they were taken into the nurse's office and given the bad news. I remember them coming out in ones and twos, crying. Some stayed and others went home instead. Poor chap didn't make it to see 2008.
I've finally managed to get a stable internet connection. Whilst it isn't super-duper broadband, it'll do. Bought a new widescreen HD LCD TV. Brilliant present for me! From me! Smallville's on....gotta run.