Other than to go to work twice last week at HSC, I had not been back to Winnipeg since I moved to Steinbach. However, I had several things that needed doing, and Mom needed stuff at Walmart so we ventured into the big city of Winnipeg today, just me and Mom.
Our first stop was at Mom's accountant where she dropped off her tax papers; apparently she and Dad had been going there for the last 30 years or so. What shocked me about this accountant was that he mentioned Dad and how he would drop by every now and then and tell stories and chit chat. But guess what?! He didn't have Dad's book! Unheard of! So now we have to get a book to him somehow.
Second stop was HSC where I took Mom up to visit D2 and to introduce her to my former co-workers. Only gone for a week and already it felt strange to be there. Mom has been there to visit only once before and that was about five years ago when I was still a student. She doesn't remember that visit.
Third stop was the parking office, where I turned in my transponder for the Tecumseh Parkade. I was so proud of that thing! It stuck to my windshield and gave me unlimited access to the Parkade for $75 a month. Not a bad deal when you consider that one full day of parking in the William Avenue Parkade costs $15.
Fourth stop was Roger's near the stadium, not the Rogers in the mall. I've long since given up on going in to the mall. The employees at this location are so much more friendly and helpful. However, I'm not entirely sure they helped me today. I was overcharged $200 for my iPhone due to a "glitch in the system" at the time of purchase.
Fifth stop was A&W right across from Polo Park where Mom had an Uncle Burger and she ate every bite of it.
Sixth stop was my doctor's appointment; I was there half an hour early and was out of the building 15 minutes before my appointment was even scheduled. It was just a change of prescription appointment, the business portion of the appointment took a mere minute or two and we spent some time discussing the stupidity of some patients that we've met in our various positions in the health care profession. My favorite is the man who was triaged at approximately 2330 on one of my orientation shifts. His entrance complaint was "swollen foot." When asked how long his foot had been swollen his reply was "for a few months." The question that immediately popped into my head was "and why is it suddenly such an emergency tonight that it could not wait till a walk-in tomorrow or even wait a week or two for a scheduled appointment?" My doctor's favorite story of needlessly seeking health care is of a mother who called at 0200 complaining of her infant being constipated on that particular day. Apparently the constipation could not wait till the following morning.
And the seventh and last stop (by this time I was just dying to get home to Steinbach) was Walmart @ St. Vital. Mom needed hearing aid batteries, panty hose and her favorite brand of cereal. I needed a shower curtain rod and a shower curtain and am quite happy cuz I haven't been able to shower in a few weeks. Of course I had to have someone else come and put up the curtain rod cuz I was completely incapable of doing it myself!
Finally we were done and it was time to leave the bustle of the city. Traffic and traffic lights have never irritated me as much as they did today. I wanted out of the city in the worst way and that was an interesting feeling for me, as I don't remember ever feeling that way before.
Mom had a good day and was pleased with what we accomplished. She got to assist me in dropping off Kev at Auntie Pam's and then again when picking Kev up on the way home. She always asks me where Kev stays when I'm working; hopefully now she will have something to remember when I tell her where he is.
So it seems that I won't be going to the city any more than is absolutely necessary. There are so many people there, the stores are so full, the streets are full and everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere. I love my new life in "the country" where my drive across town takes mere minutes instead of an hour or hours.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Life in a Small Town
(This was written in March 2010)
Steinbach is technically known as a city, but to me its a small town after having lived in Winnipeg for almost half my life. I spent years trying to leave the small-town girl and the small town behind, so its a huge surprise to me that I am happy here. The move was made for practical reasons and for Kev's benefit, not for my enjoyment, so its an added bonus to genuinely like it here.
Thus far, I've had a few experiences that make this lifestyle differ greatly from that of city living. Let me tell you about them:
A week ago I helped a friend make a delivery something to a small town (even smaller than Steinbach) and took roads other than the main highway, aka the scenic route, to get there. It was almost dusk when we finally left, so the scenery didn't make much difference. What does matter is that the vehicle in front of us began to tap on their brakes and gradually slow to a stop in the middle of the road. Of course I also stopped, curious to see what the issue was and wanting to avoid having an accident driving someone else's vehicle. Wow, I could not believe my eyes! We were waiting for a small herd of cows to cross the road; approximately 10-20 (I was too busy laughing and pointing to actually count) sauntered across the road, impervious to the honking from the driver of the vehicle in front of me. My official initiation into country life.
The very first weekend that we lived here, I heard a knock on my door. Obviously I was shocked because I wasn't expecting anyone and I had long since grown accustomed to people calling or texting prior to their arrival at my door. I checked the front door, the obvious choice. No one there. I checked the door to the patio, the other alternative. Still no one. Then, remembering that I had a door from the house to the garage, I ran quickly and opened the door. There were very friendly looking strangers at my door. This caused me only momentary concern, but only momentary, until they introduced themselves. Their last names were Reimer and Penner; how harmful could they be? It turns out they were friends of friends and were welcoming me to the neighborhood. Second inititation to the country.
A big city hospital such as HSC in Winniepg has specialized everything; X-ray. Phlebotomy. IV team. Housekeeping. And so on. Not quite so in a rural hospital. I discovered this first hand just last night as I played the role of IV Nurse and Housekeeping. A patient required an IV start and I was ecstatic because the first try yielded success!! Flashback appeared instantly. This patient was on blood thinners and there was more blood present than just "flashback." I was moderately concerned for my pants and shoes but was able to subtly move them out of the way without the patient noticing. Completing the IV start, I glanced down at the floor and noticed a puddle about 3 inches in diameter. Hmmmmm.....this called for a call to housekeeping. Alas, I WAS the housekeeping department and had to go get the mop and mopbucket, mop the floor, then rinse out the mop bucket and refill it with water and soap. I would have expected to be upset by mopping, after all I bitched and complained at HSC when I had to do filing and cleaning. But I just giggled through the experience, thoroughly enjoying the situation. After all, it gave me more time to talk with the patient and try to decide whether or not we were related and who our common acquaintances were.
Small town life is agreeing with me and Kev. Kev is much much happier here, if such a thing were even possible and I am so much more relaxed and laid back and content. When a person makes a bad choice in life, there are usually cues and indicators. I have had no such indicators about my move from Winnipeg to Steinbach.
Steinbach is technically known as a city, but to me its a small town after having lived in Winnipeg for almost half my life. I spent years trying to leave the small-town girl and the small town behind, so its a huge surprise to me that I am happy here. The move was made for practical reasons and for Kev's benefit, not for my enjoyment, so its an added bonus to genuinely like it here.
Thus far, I've had a few experiences that make this lifestyle differ greatly from that of city living. Let me tell you about them:
A week ago I helped a friend make a delivery something to a small town (even smaller than Steinbach) and took roads other than the main highway, aka the scenic route, to get there. It was almost dusk when we finally left, so the scenery didn't make much difference. What does matter is that the vehicle in front of us began to tap on their brakes and gradually slow to a stop in the middle of the road. Of course I also stopped, curious to see what the issue was and wanting to avoid having an accident driving someone else's vehicle. Wow, I could not believe my eyes! We were waiting for a small herd of cows to cross the road; approximately 10-20 (I was too busy laughing and pointing to actually count) sauntered across the road, impervious to the honking from the driver of the vehicle in front of me. My official initiation into country life.
The very first weekend that we lived here, I heard a knock on my door. Obviously I was shocked because I wasn't expecting anyone and I had long since grown accustomed to people calling or texting prior to their arrival at my door. I checked the front door, the obvious choice. No one there. I checked the door to the patio, the other alternative. Still no one. Then, remembering that I had a door from the house to the garage, I ran quickly and opened the door. There were very friendly looking strangers at my door. This caused me only momentary concern, but only momentary, until they introduced themselves. Their last names were Reimer and Penner; how harmful could they be? It turns out they were friends of friends and were welcoming me to the neighborhood. Second inititation to the country.
A big city hospital such as HSC in Winniepg has specialized everything; X-ray. Phlebotomy. IV team. Housekeeping. And so on. Not quite so in a rural hospital. I discovered this first hand just last night as I played the role of IV Nurse and Housekeeping. A patient required an IV start and I was ecstatic because the first try yielded success!! Flashback appeared instantly. This patient was on blood thinners and there was more blood present than just "flashback." I was moderately concerned for my pants and shoes but was able to subtly move them out of the way without the patient noticing. Completing the IV start, I glanced down at the floor and noticed a puddle about 3 inches in diameter. Hmmmmm.....this called for a call to housekeeping. Alas, I WAS the housekeeping department and had to go get the mop and mopbucket, mop the floor, then rinse out the mop bucket and refill it with water and soap. I would have expected to be upset by mopping, after all I bitched and complained at HSC when I had to do filing and cleaning. But I just giggled through the experience, thoroughly enjoying the situation. After all, it gave me more time to talk with the patient and try to decide whether or not we were related and who our common acquaintances were.
Small town life is agreeing with me and Kev. Kev is much much happier here, if such a thing were even possible and I am so much more relaxed and laid back and content. When a person makes a bad choice in life, there are usually cues and indicators. I have had no such indicators about my move from Winnipeg to Steinbach.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Last Night Shift on GD2 - Orthopedics
So here I am, just past the midpoint of my very last shift at HSC. I'm happy and nostalgic and a little sad at the thought of leaving this place. Though it's far from perfect, this ward has taken an eager idealistic student and molded me into a highly capable not-so-idealistic nurse. The experiences here have been filled with learning and opportunity. Not a shift has gone by without me saying "hmmm, I did not know that." There are so many things to learn, it seems overwheing at first.
Let me explain a general principle of nursing students; as a student I knew lots! At least as much as some of the "real" nurses. The very first day that I was on my own without a preceptor to guide my actions and answer my questions, I realized within about five minutes that I knew absolutely nothing. Nothing. Without my preceptor by my side to answer each and every question I was forced to think for myself. Making decisions regarding patient care was suddenly much more difficult when I was the one really responsible. But I bumbled my way through shift after shift with a constant stream of questions.
Somewhere along the way my questions decreased and I became the one that new staff or new students came to with their questions. It was a gradual and subtle change. When I work with new staff now, I remember where I was several years ago and explain things the way I would have liked to have them explained to me back when I was a student.
As a new nurse, everything takes longer. Getting each patients meds, vital signs, and doing patient assessments takes virtually hours at first. Time passes and you become more and more speedy with your routine work, until finally you can keep up with the veterans on the job.
Idealism seems to go hand in hand with being a student nurse. As students we listened in horror to some of the things we heard in report. Gravol being given to a patient to help them sleep rather than for nausea, it's intended purpose?! Oh horrors! As students we vowed we would never become like the nurses we were learning from. We would never ignore a call for help, we would never say anything crude or rude about a patient. We would never lose our patience with a difficult patient. And, speaking of patients, we also vowed we would always refer to the patient as "client." We vowed we would never make jokes about death or make light of it in any way.
As a practicing nurse for 4.5 years, I'm telling you I've broken every one of my ideals. Some of them many times, and some more than others. I have yet to meet one of my fellow grads who has maintained their idealism.
Nursing is hard work. Nursing is dirty work. Nursing is highly unglamorous. And, I can only speak for myself, nursing is the best thing I've done with my life. I enjoy it immensely and have never been sorry I'm doing it.
Let me explain a general principle of nursing students; as a student I knew lots! At least as much as some of the "real" nurses. The very first day that I was on my own without a preceptor to guide my actions and answer my questions, I realized within about five minutes that I knew absolutely nothing. Nothing. Without my preceptor by my side to answer each and every question I was forced to think for myself. Making decisions regarding patient care was suddenly much more difficult when I was the one really responsible. But I bumbled my way through shift after shift with a constant stream of questions.
Somewhere along the way my questions decreased and I became the one that new staff or new students came to with their questions. It was a gradual and subtle change. When I work with new staff now, I remember where I was several years ago and explain things the way I would have liked to have them explained to me back when I was a student.
As a new nurse, everything takes longer. Getting each patients meds, vital signs, and doing patient assessments takes virtually hours at first. Time passes and you become more and more speedy with your routine work, until finally you can keep up with the veterans on the job.
Idealism seems to go hand in hand with being a student nurse. As students we listened in horror to some of the things we heard in report. Gravol being given to a patient to help them sleep rather than for nausea, it's intended purpose?! Oh horrors! As students we vowed we would never become like the nurses we were learning from. We would never ignore a call for help, we would never say anything crude or rude about a patient. We would never lose our patience with a difficult patient. And, speaking of patients, we also vowed we would always refer to the patient as "client." We vowed we would never make jokes about death or make light of it in any way.
As a practicing nurse for 4.5 years, I'm telling you I've broken every one of my ideals. Some of them many times, and some more than others. I have yet to meet one of my fellow grads who has maintained their idealism.
Nursing is hard work. Nursing is dirty work. Nursing is highly unglamorous. And, I can only speak for myself, nursing is the best thing I've done with my life. I enjoy it immensely and have never been sorry I'm doing it.
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