acting is a big part of what i do...

 

if you make your patients happy, they will be easier to deal with.  that means be nice.  that is not always easy...when i get impatient or short, it really just makes things worse for all. so i act...

i try to show respect to all. you just never really know the impact you have on any one in this life.  

like i said, it can be difficult with certain personalities. some people are just more annoying, difficult, trying, boring...than others. 

even those that are more interesting or relatable...quite frankly as a nurse you often do not have the time to just sit and listen.  when i do i try to though.  my drug addict this week was one of those. but i had her laughing and happy, which made life better. i carried another patients covid swab to the lab, in the meantime someone else dealt with her disconnecting herself from her IV and getting her to the bathroom.  nothing is simple or fast with some folks and so the other nurse was clearly impatient with her.  she basically said she was out and left her to me....now the girl was tearful and ramping up. 

i get it...but i also see the effects of taking the time of acting, of trying your hardest to be patient.  it benefits you in the end often times.  now sometimes it just doesn't matter what you do or say, some will just spiral out of control no matter what. 

always seems worth a shot though i guess.

this week i spent my first night in the main ICU.  the next night i worked ER until about 2am and then i was shifted to Covid ICU to pick up a patient who was spiraling on the floor and needed to be intubated.

so strange to work in that unit.  as an ICU nurse i'm so used to controlling my little world.  with this your pumps are outside the room and you are stuck inside the room. you have to depend on your other co-workers to titrate your drips.  i tweak my drips, others are more reactive i think.  big swings, but to me with big changes in your drips you can also cause big changes in your vitals...which happened. so a bit frustrating. 

appreciated our resource nurse...we have one nurse who just helps you out inside or outside rooms.  my patient was waking and reaching for her breathing tube.  she reminded me to not skip steps in prepping to go in the room. if they extubate themselves we just have to deal with it once it's done....we can't risk exposing ourselves. 

we are used to risking ourselves for our patients and we do it often...but with this...we do need to be extra careful. so thanks J!! 

my last night i was back in the ER all night. so no home early this week.  i think the house supes thought they may be calling me back somewhere so didn't want me to leave.

the covid numbers just keep going up. i guess our hospital requested a portable morgue. i know the hospital doesn't have a very big morgue, maybe 4 bodies can fit...so we will need more as this continues to escalate. 

in a way, lucky us, as we live in Alaska so the entire outside is a portable morgue.

our idiotic state rep, Young, has tested positive i guess. if he has to get admitted you know the hospital administrators will bend over backwards breaking rules for him. 

i think these are all from August? big camera. 

today i made it out to the University Lake dog park.  got there in time to enjoy a really beautiful sunset. ran into some dog park friends so walked with them.  always good to catch up.  i met some of these folks over 15 years ago. 

we have all been through a few dogs since then. 

young swan above...below the white dots are all mountain goats or sheep? 

and this is Denali as seen from Anchorage.

reflection lake. 

yesterday the dogs and i did a loop in Baxter Bog.  always great to have that park so close to home.  one moose spotted but it was a ways off.

below is a beaver swimming around. 

today i saw either river otters or musk rats...the online comments seem to lean towards musk rats but i still think they may be smaller...what do i know?  no desire to get into a heated discussion about the id...haha. 

i think many are on edge, between the "rona" and the election. 

the iitoo has still refused to concede.  his followers are jumping through hoops to find some way to justify this.  the media...the fraud...blah, blah, blah.  always excuses and blaming for his followers.  

he got in front of the camera today i guess, we had a week of peace....hoping for more peace soon.  i'd be happy to never see his ugly mug again or hear him attempt to speak in full sentences. 

his surrogates are still out there acting like it still could be him. he will never concede seems to be the understanding at this point.  it's not up to him though. 

his surrogate Bannon has been inciting his followers to violence and made comments about Wray and Fauci having their heads removed and put on stakes as a warning to others...is this the US?  the GOP are fast reaching beyond plain crazy conspiracy crack heads to barbarians.  they scream about their patriotism and the constitution but then twist it to fit their narrative. 

i will admit i am not feeling very forgiving.  at this point they have allowed themselves to be conned. bought in hook, line and sinker and continue to hold that narrative no matter what facts or truths are presented to them.  

Trump was always who he was, he showed them who he was.  he showed us all.  there are videos of him showing us all who he really is...there are court cases where he shows who he is.  there are hundreds of nda's which no doubt show who he is.  blaming others for your willful ignorance just can't work. 

do enjoy Biden's calmness.  he does have years of experience and knowledge so it seems his time to rise.  not many could pull us out of the mess that will no doubt be left behind when trump and his surrogates are finally extinguished from the government buildings. there are thankfully, many who held those positions recently who can step in and start to put humpty dumpty trumpty's  mess back in order again. 

he only ever cared about himself.  i'm still hoping Cohens remarks end up being closer to the truth.. that trump will head to Florida for the holidays and just disappear until after inauguration to save face.  of course, if his sycophants continue to stroke his ego and tell him he's won and refuse to stand up to him...and we all know they won't...we may still be in for some rough days ahead. 

every day he is out golfing or in hiding is less damage he can do during the lame duck period. he's been asking since 2017 if he can pardon himself, if he can pardon family members, if he can pardon for things not yet discovered. why would one ask these questions if one didn't know that they had some legal battles ahead.

he is zero for 13 on his election cases so far.  i think some lawyers are starting to back off of these silly suits. trumps entire adult life he has turned to lawyers for all of his problems.  personal and professional.  he just creates havoc and then walks away, tossing money and lawyers at any and all issues.

these are back at the Matanuska Glacier

fall coming to an end but still some color

we are in a sea of white now.

Ivy swims in a kettle pond.

tusker walks across the muddy silt. 

that is the back side of Lions head. 

got a message that our pool time is cancelled for tomorrow..covid.  the owner has the sniffles.  doubtful that is covid, but they are getting tested and won't know until early next week so closed for the moment.  bummer as i was very excited to a swim session and bath.  they dogs really need a good soaking.

the death rates and positive rates just keep climbing across the nation. in this lame duck time i can assure you absolutely zip is being done by Trump and friends. he was mad that information about the potential vaccine came out right after the election since he kept promising a quick fix...as he has all along.  so many lies and misdirections about covid...and his followers just keep switching to the new line...it will end in the summer, it will be over on Nov 3 since it's some Dem plot meant to try to prevent re-election which will just go away after the election. herd stupidity, and the vaccine.  the vaccine is great but it's a two shot vaccine and the trials so far are super short so there is really no idea how long it will protect people.  it also can't be produced fast enough or distributed fast enough to bring us to an end of this quite yet even if it does turn out to be really effective.  

things take time, science takes time.  i am hopeful but i am also realistic.  many more will get sick and/or die before any of the GOP promised miracles happen.  the secret service is taking a hit post all his rallies leading up to the election. 

he's never actually cared about his followers except that they keep fawning over him...that is all they are to him.  faceless fools who make him feel superior. 

i made some chicken noodle soup last night.  comfort food. 

hopefully, more in the GOP start to speak up, find their balls to stand up to trump.  he owns the GOP now though. it is forever the Trumpublicans....a band of conspiracy theory crack heads 

it's not all trump, it's been happening for decades now.  the religious right led to the tea party fools which led to the conspiracy crazed Trumpublicans. the qanon quacks. 

i guess i will head down and eat some more soup.  

then crash early....work is exhausting.  wearing the n95 mask all night is exhausting.  fighting the fools is exhausting. 

thankful for A. excellent co-workers...i have met so many amazing people through nursing. it's one of those jobs where you are in it together so it's pretty bonding in many ways.  only those in the medical field can really relate i think. B. for every stretch that ends and for every day off.  C. beautiful scenery and amazing critters that help me get through all the madness.