Dimple's Discoveries

I have been volunteering at a local shelter for victims of domestic violence, doing some slightly different work than I have ever done before. One of my new tasks is to admit victims into the shelter by determining eligibility, and then assisting them in "checking in" by finding out more about their situation and helping them settle in for that first day or night at the shelter.This is by far my favorite part of my responsibilities, because I can't wait to sit across from them as they tell their story, and tell them how proud I am of their courage to leave. Several have spoken of pretending to go to the grocery store, picking up their children and their purse and coming straight to the shelter. It has moved me more than I can say, but I would love to share a realization I had a couple of weeks ago while checking in a resident. This resident came in with her young child, and was attempting to cuddle the sleeping toddler around her very pregnant stomach as she quietly ...

http://www.rainymood.com/ (Open this website in another tab while you read this story) I have always loved rain: the raging thunder, the foreshadowing heavenly smell, the cool drizzle on my face, the refreshing wind. The rainstorm that started on July 15th started out no different for me. It had been a hot and muggy day, but dark clouds hinted at rainfall, and I was content as I changed my outfit to go to a dinner meeting with my coworkers. I decided to change into long sleeves, long pants and knee-high boots as the rain started to fall. Our windows were open, and I could hear my neighbors run through the rain singing, laughing and dancing in puddles.This was nothing unusual, and while waiting for my ride I went out and stood on the porch and watched the spectacle, smiling faintly as I enjoyed the quiet moment. It was the week before finals, I had been working full time and going to school full time, so a peaceful second to relax was rare and appreciated. As the rain fell harder, I ...

Today's post is something I have strong feelings about, so this one might be a little more passionate, but I feel like it's an important thing to address, and I would like to make a stand to anyone who reads this blog, in the hopes that I can help diffuse some prejudices (and yes, I mean prejudice) about LDRs (long distance relationships). We learned in my Family Relations class a few weeks ago that communication is broken down as follows: Words=14% Tone=35% Non-verbal=51% We will be forced at times, no matter our relationship, to use alternative forms of communication, and they cut out 86% of our communication ability, but does that mean that we can't make this work? Does this mean that a military man or woman has no hope of ever finding and retaining love? Does it mean that we can never maintain a healthy relationship with someone who we don't see every day? Absolutely not! It just means that your communication skills have to be better than the average c...

This week has been busy with work at both jobs, and I have done something this week that I have never done before-stand up for myself. I have two patients, one at each facility, that have been extremely rude this week to our staff, screaming at the employees, refusing to let us do our job until they have things done in the order and at what particular time they want it, regardless of the other patients in the building or what time we are supposed to leave work. This can be exasperating for caregivers, and is unfair to us as we try to do our job to be treated in this manner. In all the years I've been working, I've never had the guts to stand up for myself, and I've stood in the room and allowed patients to yell at me and chew me out, to the point that I leave their rooms crying and can't go back in any more that shift as a result. I recognized this week as I heard one particular patient screaming at the nurse who was trying to give him insulin to manage his diabetes, ...

I have worked with dementia patients for several years now, so much that it has almost become routine. I never think anything of it anymore. Because of that, I sometimes forget what a hard trial it can be on the family members of those who suffer this degenerative disease. At one of my facilities I have been working with a patient who not only has dementia but has recently suffered a stroke, so her speech has been very impaired. She has, over the time she has spent at our facility, been improving in her communicating, and we can now understand a lot more of what she says, although she still doesn't finish sentences and we sometimes have to fill in the holes. I saw her daughter in her bedroom with her last night, and I slipped in to greet her and check on my patient. Her daughter has been so dedicated in coming to visit and caring for her mom, but as is often the case, her mom cannot remember that they are related, and as a result her daughter often leaves crying. I have talked ...

This blog post is an original post written by Christopher Berry, whose mom has been an RN for almost twelve years. This is his perspective of the work his mother does, and how it has affected his life.  "It was a lot of poop" my mother said as we all sat around the dinner table eating chicken and dumplings. "It took me a lot longer than usual to clean him up, but I was able to get him showered and back in bed without much problem." We smiled and laughed a little, but continued eating our dumpling-filled soup as if all was normal. Because it was normal. While most would find this kind of conversation at the dinner table rude, disgusting, and outright horrid, this was normal for my family. And it's probably normal for any children whose mother is an RN. I remember when she was still in nursing school, my mother would have her study group friends come over to our house to study. None of us kids minded that, 'cause they were some of the nicest pe...

"A nurses’ aide (Certified Nurses Aid – CNA) is the unsung hero of the nursing world. When someone asks what you do, never simply say “I’m just the aide”. When we speak of bedside care and we refer to the ‘team effort’ this part of the team is probably the most under-appreciated, yet most needed team member. They are the silent majority. When they are doing what they do best, you sometimes (more often than we like to admit) forget they are there. But, when they are absent it turns your whole world upside down."-Scrubs Magazine

As CNAs, we give up a lot of things for the people we serve. Our job is physically and emotionally taxing, and not many people see how much it is. In a given eight hour shift, this is a typical schedule: 2pm-Receive report on how the day has gone, any falls that have occurred, etc. 2:30pm-Start vitals on your team (group of patients), as well as answer any call lights, Q2 checks (changing briefs of patients who are incontinent or rotating position of patients who have bed sores, etc.), and handling any emergencies that could arise 5pm ish- Dinner (you are taking note of how much patients eat and recording it for your charting later) 6pm-start rotating breaks for staff members while maintaining sanity on the floor 8pm-snack time. Your showers should be done or getting done by this point, help tag team any patient who is an Extensive 2 or more lift (meaning they cannot be transferred or done without at least two aides) 9pm-Your I&Os need to get to the nurse, (measuring h...