the week from...

This week was less than good. I made the stupid decision to go in early on Tuesday, they desperately needed help and I am trying to pick up extra hours. I seriously underestimated how different working 15 hours is as compared to 13 hours. I was beat by the end of the first night, and never recovered... and that was just the first night. I had three nights of irrigating bladders every hour, turning post-stroke patients, convincing a patient that the bed wasn't moving on it's own, calling doctors (4 times on one patient... by the last time she was like, yes corrie? of course, by then she didn't care what I had to say and didn't order anything... 5 minutes later the next doctor came in and wanted to know why we weren't giving the patient any blood. oh... and why we didn't have a continuous irrigation set up, which the doctor refused to order 6 hours before. *sigh* life would be easier if doctors would just listen to the nurses. just saying...).
On it went. The last night was by no means an easy night, but by that point it was so much better than the previous that I called it good... and at the end I came home. slept for 8 hours. was awake for 6 hours. slept for 12 more. I am starting to feel slightly more human. slightly.

I like my job, but there are weeks that wear me out. Weeks that I do everything I can, and then day shift comes in and criticizes the one thing I didn't get done. Weeks when I answer every call the patient makes, only to have them criticize me to the doctors. Weeks I come home feeling like an utter failure, and dream of iv's beeping in the background. Yet there were good parts... I got to sit a station with one of my favorite nurses, and we listened to Wilco. I had an aide who actually helped. and on the first night, which was by far the worst, I looked in my mailbox at work and found a letter:
Dear NurseCorrie,
I got compliments from the patient in 4** for your care. She thought you were wonderful and attentive.
Thanks for all you do for our floor... wound care, great patient care, helping other staff.
K**** (my boss)

I smiled. Stuck it on my desk next to my computer... and answered the next page.