minor rant before i go to work....

a few pictures to make my ranting more tolerable. en route back from seward i watched a few float planes take off from summit lake. i love float planes!!

i took this picture of the ducks as i returned to turnigan arm. it came out blurry, but sometimes blurry makes a cool look.

a few more beluga pictures from last week...

first night was perfect pleasant night, second night annoying. we have a new grad program and don't think i'm anti new grad or anything, i just think it's not always the best to have new grad nurses go right into the icu. it can work but it takes the right person, the right program and someone who has graduated from a good nursing program. i just don't think the icu with the sickest people in the hospital is the best place to learn basic nursing skills. there is something to be said for working on the floors first and getting that organizational skill that comes with floor work. i've seen these new nurses all anxious and worked up over stuff a floor nurse could do easily, like give a blood transfusion or change out a foley. when one works the floor you always have another place to transfer patients to if they get sicker. that isn't the case in the intensive care unit. our patients either die or get better. if they get sicker...you just have to cope with it.

there are critical thinking skills that are obtained through experience. much of nursing can't be taught in a book, i feel like i'm not the smartest nurse out there, but i have really good gut instinct and a good amount of common sense.

so a bit frustrating the last few nights following a very nice, but not the best new grad in the program. just feel like a clean up crew for a few hours after i arrive on shift. last night i was cleaning up stuff that should have been handled hours ago. i could tell the intensivist was annoyed that he was also cleaning up, i finally just explained the actions i had taken at 0700 to correct this issue that we were now dealing with at a time when resourses aren't as readily available to us. the issue is hopefully being corrected through the day. luckily today i was followed by another new grad who is a bit more on top of stuff, though i know the report i get tonight will be scattered and difficult to follow. oh well...off for another day of work...