Ordinary Shift

Yesterday was a good day for overtime. I show up for an eight hour shift with my hair actually looking half way decent. Coming in at 11A gives me time to gussy up for the day, something that I never do when going in at 7A.

I start off floating, which is fun because I'm not really responsible for a group of patients, I just get to go around and triage ambulances and put out fires.

I just so happened to be standing by the ambulance triage when the EMT says to me, "Oh, hey, how are you doing? Remember that lady with the shoes the other day? Well, guess what? The shoes were in her room when we dropped her off." I commented that I didn't receive an apology call from that heinous daughter. Eye roll, sigh, gasp.

After a while, I get put in the halls which isn't too bad, except for the fact it's difficult to take vital signs because we have one, I said one rolling dinemap for all four halls, total 32 patients. Not to mention that maneuvering the COW is a challenge.

I'm typing up this guy who brings in a huge wad of MRI's and X-ray's and he tells me that he has run out of his pain meds since he lost his job and can't pay for the pain clinic, anymore. I'm thinking to myself does he think it's free to come here? I'm sure he was going to one of the pay as you go all cash pain clinics, of which we have 35 of them in my county. After the medical screening, he's told he has to make a co-pay for treatment or leave. I just love it when that happens. Drug addict number 15 of the day out the door without his precious Oxy.

Drug addicts aside, I get the cutest man who fell at his ALF and has a big boo-boo on the back of his head. He's alert but a little forgetful. After we patch him up, I tell him I'm sending him back home to which he tells me I'd better call his wife, she might not want him home. I guess he forgot he lives in the ALF. Seems that she put his 84 year old butt in the ALF because she's having an affair with a guy who is about 48. His wife is 60 he tells me and he thinks she only wants his money. Apparently he has a a huge house with a Mercedes in the drive. I feel bad for him, he was so sweet.

The lady in Hall 3 comes in with a headache x 3 days. She's got a shocking amount of unruly curly red hair, that seems to be all over the place. While typing her up, she tells me that she had fallen in the shower and thinks the bump on the back of her head might be the problem. So, I proceed to take a look when I notice bugs crawling through her frizzy mane. Geezus, bitch, do you know you have head lice?? Oh, she tells me, yeah, I have to wash it everyday and they just won't go away. Gawd, I just got the chills thinking about it, again.

All in all, not a bad day for an extra shift. Makes me think this job is okay, for now.