I don't know where the days have gone - it's Thursday! I'll try to recap the best I can:
My first patient was discharged yesterday. What a bittersweet moment! 2 days following her hip replacement, she aced the PT stairs like a pro and was officially released from our care. Although we couldn't verbally communicate, I felt a bond with her, and I think she felt the same. When her family came to escort her home, they iniated the picture taking! I think a certain ''celebrity status'' is given to those who recover from our team care.
A second patient of mine was discharged today. She is a young woman, single mom, and unbelievably determined to recover - 1 day post-op she climbed the PT stairs and was discharged with a clean bill of health! Being sent home one day post-op from a hip recplament is a rarity in Canada... we are a bunch of wimps! She was surrounded by family her entire stay, and again, at discharge, it became a mass mob of photo-taking with team and family members.
I am still loving my ward team. It's great gettingto know other nurses personally - I am endlessly asking an ER nurse about her patients and stories. I also work with a pediatric nurse, so her take on patient care is unique.
The ''feel'' here is something else. Although traffic is insane during rush hour, the culture is laidback and friendly. Beautiful music, spicy food, rainy days - my cup of tea! I have lost track of the number of times I've been addressed as a Spanish-speaking person... I think I found my 'real' ethnicity!
Tomorrow, Friday, is our final full day of surgeries - Saturday is a 1/2 day and believe Sunday is free! A bunch of us are headed to the equator one of those days, and rumours of seeing a soccer (footbol!) game are also floating around.
That's all for now - Adios!
My first patient was discharged yesterday. What a bittersweet moment! 2 days following her hip replacement, she aced the PT stairs like a pro and was officially released from our care. Although we couldn't verbally communicate, I felt a bond with her, and I think she felt the same. When her family came to escort her home, they iniated the picture taking! I think a certain ''celebrity status'' is given to those who recover from our team care.
A second patient of mine was discharged today. She is a young woman, single mom, and unbelievably determined to recover - 1 day post-op she climbed the PT stairs and was discharged with a clean bill of health! Being sent home one day post-op from a hip recplament is a rarity in Canada... we are a bunch of wimps! She was surrounded by family her entire stay, and again, at discharge, it became a mass mob of photo-taking with team and family members.
I am still loving my ward team. It's great gettingto know other nurses personally - I am endlessly asking an ER nurse about her patients and stories. I also work with a pediatric nurse, so her take on patient care is unique.
The ''feel'' here is something else. Although traffic is insane during rush hour, the culture is laidback and friendly. Beautiful music, spicy food, rainy days - my cup of tea! I have lost track of the number of times I've been addressed as a Spanish-speaking person... I think I found my 'real' ethnicity!
Tomorrow, Friday, is our final full day of surgeries - Saturday is a 1/2 day and believe Sunday is free! A bunch of us are headed to the equator one of those days, and rumours of seeing a soccer (footbol!) game are also floating around.
That's all for now - Adios!
love reading your blog Danielle, what an amazing experience, its obvious that you love what your doing , your kindness to you patient's is such a huge part of their healing...good for you, very proud of you!
ReplyDeleteAuntie Ann