Thankful Thursday | First, a complaint
I am going to get to gratefulness, but I'm going to share a complaint, to give some context. I currently find myself in the midst of clinical certification requirements for the class next semester that requires 45 clinical hours.
This has been a supremely frustrating process (OF COURSE), and my attitude about it is uncharacteristically bad. It is a lot of expensive hoop-jumping requirements for a mere 45 (!!!!) hours of clinicals.
I had to do something similar at my community college, but that felt more reasonable because I was getting certified for four semesters. Sigh.
Also, I think I am just burnt out and low on tolerance for this. Between RN school, getting a CNA license, getting an RN license, and getting hired at the hospital, I am on at least my fifth round of getting thoroughly checked.
Thankfully (ha!), this should be my last round for a nice long time.
Ok, enough complaining! This week, I am thankful:
that I already happened to have scheduled a doctor appointment/blood draw
I needed a follow-up appointment and blood draw to check my iron levels, and I happened to have scheduled it for this week.
Even more luckily, I got the blood draw requirements the day before my appointment. It would have been very frustrating to get them the day after my appointment!
that my NP was willing to fill out my physical form
She didn't mind the last-minute notice, and she was so nice to fill out the physical form and also add all the titers to my lab orders.
PHEW.
that I am very caught up on vaccinations
I had to get some extras before I started nursing school (like a three-shot series for HepB), so at least the shots are done. All I had to do this time was get titers drawn.
(Titers are a blood test that checks if you have antibodies. Very handy for things like proving you have chickenpox immunity; I have varicella antibodies, not from a vaccine, but from actually having chickenpox as a kid, so a titer is the only way to prove it.)
that drug tests are unstressful for me
They are annoying, yes. But I never have to worry that I will not pass (as long as I don't eat poppy seed bagels prior.)
that two clinical sites got back to me
We have to find our own outpatient clinical location for this class, so I reached out to the outpatient wound/ostomy clinic at my hospital and also to an outpatient hospice service. Both of them responded to me promptly, so now I have two options to submit to my BSN school for approval.
I picked wound/ostomy because that would help me get better at those two skills (which I use regularly at my hospital job), and I chose hospice because I have considered doing hospice work down the road.
So, either clinical site should be interesting and useful.
that maybe my Spring 2027 class will be practical
I am cautiously hopeful that, since it involves clinical hours, it might be a slightly practical class.
Crossing fingers!
that it feels so nice to be in a community college class
My ethics class started this week, and even though it's all online (no campus time), it feels like coming home. I'm back on Canvas, not Blackboard! The class is organized! The syllabus has been updated in the last year!
Amazing.
I think my community college will always feel like my alma mater, no matter how many four-year schools I go to in my lifetime. If I could have gotten a BSN at the community college, I would have.
that my current BSN class is now half done
This week is 4/8, so that's a tidy 50%.
That also means my BSN semester is 25% complete.
(And yes, I will probably be calculating percentages all semester. I gotta do what I gotta do to encourage myself.)
What are you thankful for this week?
(If you want to lodge a complaint first, feel free!)
Thankful:
- For my good breakfast.
- For being able to drink mushroom coffee (has real coffee in it) a few days this week without feeling jittery or stressed.
- For supportive coworkers and admin.
- That next week contains a teacher workday.
- For my front porch.
I am thankful
- that although it is still so hot here (in the 90s - my mini complaint), that means I can still use my above-ground pool for exercise. Walking in water is much kinder to my joints and more fun than regular walking.
- that although my youngest son got a speeding ticket yesterday, it wasn't a superspeeder ticket (he wasn't slowing down fast enough for the changing speed limit going into town), he handled it responsibly, and it will not affect our insurance.
- that although I had to have my windshield replaced due to a crack, we were able to support a young man in our church who just started his own glass repair business. He did a great job, and it was nice to see someone I have watched grow up being successful.
- that although I still have a lot of weight to lose, the scale is moving in the right direction, and I feel better.
- that although we no longer have our own chickens, I have a friend from whom I can get fresh eggs.
I think you would make for an excellent hospice nurse. That is such a specific and uniquely challenging form of nursing and I think you have the perfect skill set for it-compassion, cheerfulness, but also steady competence. Plus you’re not afraid of the big emotions.
Kristen, I firmly agree with Becca about you having the qualities needed for a hospice nurse. Your personality reminds me of my Dad’s hospice nurse from 4 years ago. Caring, wiling to listen and joyful in the face of death, which is hard to do.
Very thankful that I have a son who can legally drive. This means that when he and his younger brother had to leave at 4 a.m. to meet the school vehicle for the drive to the state fair in Albuquerque so their FFA chapter could staff the education barn (they handle small animals like rabbits and baby goats and tell people about them), I did not have to drive them to the school. I also will not have to worry about when they're coming home and go pick them up, because he left the van there and he can drive them home. FREEDOM.
I never considered how often waking up early would be required living here, although it makes sense given how far of a drive everything is if we leave our county. It has certainly conditioned my children to waking up early. The boys set their own alarms for 3:30 a.m. and got themselves ready to go. I didn't even need to get up. I mean, I did, because I can't sleep if there is light and movement in the house in the morning, but I didn't HAVE to get up.
There are many things about having older kids that are much more difficult than having little ones, but I do appreciate having another driver in the house.
My wise grandmother used to say "Little children, little problems; big children, big problems."
Hurrah for the freedom!
I think you should have some kind of celebration when you finish the course, maybe by taking a trip (either solo or with a friend!).
My complaint is dropping my key near my apartment last week and although someone found it...they found it just as the locksmith showed up and I still had to pay a fee. I was 'helpfully' reminded that it was cheaper than if he'd have needed to put it in a new cylinder. And yesterday I had the kind of workday where everything goes wrong!
Thankfuls:
- Despite the above being so frustrating, I'm thankful to the people who helped me when I got locked out, and to my friends at work who were sympathetic to the workday stress. I also felt less overwhelmed than I think I would have a year or so ago.
- I'm thankful to my friend who went to the cinema with me. No one I knew wanted to see the film (even my friend who loves going to the cinema), but he agreed to go and we both had fun. It was the new Insidious movie and, while it won't win any Oscars, we both had a great time! I am also thankful that I didn't scream and embarrass myself (the same can't be said for other horror films in the past 😉 ).
- I'm doing Sugar-free September. The first week or so was awful but now I feel really good! I still get cravings but I'm no longer tired, and my energy levels in general are actually higher and I feel more balanced.
- Autumn is not my favourite time of year, but I'm enjoying seeing the leaves change and the spookiness in the air! Some friends and I are planning to go to a haunted house event.
- I am reading several different books and I am thankful to have access through the library, and also that I could buy one on ebay. It's so amazing to have such a wealth of resources.
- I baked Kristen's whole wheat bread yesterday and it turned out well! I am feeling more confident with new recipes and particularly with baking (which is more exact than other cooking).
I am thankful that after this weekend I won’t have to travel very far for the rest of the year.
I am thankful that I found a frosted cookie from a cookie cake
I am thankful I mowed the backyard yesterday and it should be good for a few weeks
I am thankful I get to walk the dog in the mornings and see beautiful sunrises
I am thankful for my husband who brings me treats when he thinks I am upset
Ooh, I love your DH's habit for making you feel better. My DH does this too and it really does make my day every time.
Praise for wonderful hubby! For the flowers he keeps on my bed tray..for keeping my favorite snacks , and cheering me up when the "black dog" feels his duty to present itself to me!
Thankful for:
-- Crackfilling and sealcoating on our asphalt driveway that really spiffed the place up
-- Another year around the sun. I don't take any day for granted at this stage of the game.
-- Free fitness classes at our Community Center. One of the few benefits of being old!
Happy Birthday, MB!
MB, Happy Birthday!
MB! Happy Birthday. You've had such a busy past year, here's to a peaceful year!
Hope your next trip around the sun is all you wish for! Happy Birthday.
Thank you, all, for the birthday wishes!
Gosh, I was sure you had finished all the grueling requirements and yet they keep on coming! I'm sure there is wonderful celebration ahead of you whenever it all is finished!
I am so grateful to those who responded to my internet server dilemma.
With your added input, I decided to make the change my loathsome task for the week. I researched the plans, decided which was best for us and landed at the T-Mobile store with another thousand customers. They saw to me efficiently, gave me my box, and my son plugged it in for me. It works! Perfectly! Oh, my relief. I am so happy you can't even imagine. Thanks everyone for the pat on the back to get me started. Bonus: Oddly, I called my next door neighbor who was also on the fence about T-Mobile, and she was actively looking at plans. I told her about my experience and she immediately signed up as well. Her Comcast had been making her crazy for 2 years and yet she was paying a huge amount. Win-Win!
I volunteeded at the Historic Preservation Gargage Sale Prep and it went so well.
I was worried that the heat might melt me but it was all inside. I also took my donations at the same time so it saved gas.
I'm glad I learned that sometimes when I want something sweet, I really just need protein. I don't keep sweets around because I have no discipline, but yesterday I was craving. Instead, I saw some tuna and made it with a little sweet relish and served on crackers. Well, imagine that, my sugar cravings disappeared for the remainder of the day.
I'm grateful that I seem to have gotten out of a glump. I am normally a very happy and optomistic person by nature, and this little slump had me stumped. I was afraid it would last forever, and had no diagnosis to be able to fix it. I did start back on my vitamin D and somehow I have gotten back on the happy bus. Whew, that was close!
Everyone, have a lovely weekend XO
Complaint first:
I’m frustrated when the patient families we work with don’t understand a hospital teams good intentions and instead jump to “I have to fight for my kid mode” when in reality you’ve been bending over backward to help them!!
Okay, sorry. Rant over. I didn’t have anywhere else to process that. I’m thankful for my insanely cute children. Nursing my baby now and spent the morning playing pretend puppies and uno with my 4 yo.
YES I FEEL THAT IN MY BONES. Like, I am already giving 100% of my effort here. A human could not try harder than I'm trying. But for some people, that's not good enough.
Sometimes I wonder if that attitude is exacerbated by the media. Storylines involving loved ones in the hospital often include the main characters 'fighting' for them or standing up to 'useless/uncaring' doctors. The same goes for storylines about education in schools. To be clear, I don't think we should blame it on the movies, so to speak, but films and television often show a reflection of cultural attitudes.
I wonder that too. I mean, I get that sometimes, you do need to advocate. Heck, I advocate for my patients all the time as a nurse.
But a demanding, entitled attitude where the patient or the family is directing the doctors and nurses how to care for the patient is very frustrating. With all due respect to families, sometimes they do not know as much as the doctors do, and sometimes the thing they are advocating for is not reasonable or in the best interest of the patient.
Yes. It's why I hate the phrase 'the customer is always right'. I don't think patients are the same as customers, but it's the same idea.
Education in media often portrays teachers or professors as either being overwhelmed, lazy or stupid, which I find pretty offensive, and is partly to blame for the disrespect teachers receive, IMO.
Yes. Sometimes patients are right, but they are not ALWAYS right. And saying yes to unnecessary requests and procedures is not a responsible use of limited medical resources. The same goes for a demand to consult a specialist when there is no reason for the consult.
Exactly! And, from having worked in retail, the customer is not always right (in fact, they are often wrong about stuff but you're not allowed to correct them).
Your bones are right. The general public has been misled in a lot of ways, and can be very difficult to deal with. Negative attitudes about professional people—doctors, nurses, teachers, dentists—come from frustration and anger, maybe uncomfortable vulnerability. I live in a rural area where a surprising number of adults are suspicious of conventional medicine. They prefer herbalists, who listen to them, . but they don’t seem to connect poor results with the herbalists.
I was waiting for a somewhat scary medical test to get done, and thankfully it was negative!!
It seems supremely silly to have you do clinical hours. I mean, you are working as a nurse? Is this because some people in this 4 year program might not have had much clinical time yet? Sheesh, how annoying!
My first thought was maybe it would have benefited you to have taken a year off after you got your RN. Then again, probably better to have just ripped the bandaid off and go straight through, like you did.
Just think- the end is in sight!!
If you decide to get a Masters, I highly recommend a break before doing so 😉
So thankful that the medical test came back negative! That's wonderful.
Thanks, PD. I was trying to be calm and positive, but I was stressed!
I hear you on the certification process! I had a physical and titers drawn and a background check all so I could take the required nurse aide training class (which had, I kid you not, just 10 hours of clinicals! Two days! That was it!). I was hoping those would count for my nursing classes coming up, but nope...the background check has to be done less than a year prior, and it turned out I needed to get the Hep B vaccine, which is two doses and I started it a little late, and I needed extra titers that the nurse aide program hadn't required. I also need to do a drug test, which wasn't required, and that has a specific window in which I need to get it done. Ugh.
Anyway. On to some thankfuls.
I AM thankful that the nursing department was very understanding when I informed them I would be getting the second Hep B shot a few days after the forms are all due...they said to just let them know when I get the second shot. Whew. That could have seriously derailed our plans for me to start in January.
I'm thankful that DH has just a couple of weeks to go until retirement from government service. It's time and he is very much looking forward to it.
Thankful that DS#2 is doing a good job--from what I see--managing his time in nursing school.
Thankful that the forecast is showing an end of the hot, muggy weather we've been having. Fall is going to feel so good!
Karen A.,
That is so cool, how you and your son studied together toward your nursing careers. If I was still a newspaper reporter, and if you lived in my town, this would be the sort of feel-good feature story I would love to write!
So glad to hear your son is doing well in nursing school.
Also, congrats to your DH on his upcoming retirement!
Ha, it will be a feel-good story for sure if I manage to make it through the program! 😉 Staring down my first exam in pharmacology has me quite anxious.
UGHHHH, I feel you on all of those titers and such!
I am so thankful to finally have the bandwidth (after years of caregiving) to tackle a lot of small, tedious, necessary household projects. I feel like I am slowly accomplishing quite a bit the last few months. I am so grateful to have the luxury of self-directed time - for as long as that lasts. I am grateful that my husband has also had the sustained bandwidth to tackle a couple of big projects that were delayed by our caregiving responsibilities.
I am sad to have lost a dear friend unexpectedly this summer - but grateful to have had our friendship for decades. The loss, of someone so otherwise healthy, to an aggressive brain tumor, so quickly has really shook my foundation and sense of security. It has changed, in practical ways, the way I am viewing the future. I am constantly reminded of the Winnie the Pooh quote “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
I am grateful to be able to support a couple friends who are in the thick of difficult caregiving chapters and to provide them with encouragement and compassion. I am disappointed that they receive judgement from people who are not in the trenches about how they are navigating this chapter. Having “been there, done that” I know they are doing the best they can - but at times at great personal sacrifice.
I am glad to have the time to write postcards encouraging people to vote in the mid-terms. So much is at stake in these precarious and often disappointing political times.
Jean, IMHO, **anyone** who has never been a caregiver and sits in judgment on anyone who is a caregiver should just try it for 48 hours and see how quick they are to judge after that. Your caregiving friends have my entire sympathy. And I'm sorry about your friend who died.
Jean,
I second everything A. Marie has written.
When I took care of Daddy for those few short weeks prior to his death, it felt like the longest 20 years of my life.
Sending you a hug! I lost my dearest friend a few years ago to an aggressive brain tumor, so heart wrenching. She was my firecracker, I miss her daily.
Care giving isn't for sissies. If those lollipops would hold their tongues, the world would be happier. Give them the 48 hour shift where you get to clean up every few hours, get no sleep and have unexpected "guests". Bless their hearts.
I am SO thankful that my husband did not delay getting medical attention to chest pains he was having intermittently. It prevented a heart attack and all the damage it would have caused. He is now recovering from a successful triple bypass surgery. It’s a slow process but every day brings improvement.
Yikes! I'm glad he's recovering well.
That's a huge thankful!! Glad he is recovering well!
wishing your husband a full and speedy recovery,
Elaine, I add my best wishes for your husband's recovery. (And see my TT below about not ignoring symptoms! Your husband acted wisely.)
Elaine, I'm so happy your husband took action & got the care he needs. Sending good thoughts for a speedy recovery!
So happy Elaine, that your DH took the right measures and is happily at home with you.
So happy for early interventions for your hubby. My dad was fortunate to get the second pacemaker at Duke Hospital in NC. He lived 17 years after that.
So glad to hear about this positive outcome. Sending you both healing thoughts and patience.
I am so thankful we are having a lovely family vacation at the beach. We at enjoying the first September in 21 years that that is completely divorced from back to school-- my mom retired last year from working for a school, and my daughter won't start school for a few years. The beach in September is a pro move I think!!
My clinical depression ( the black dog) seems to be lingering longer than normal. It is a combination of factors: midway through out patient eating disorder program; more contact than usual with my family of origin due to aging parents; and having to clean out mom's condo entailing curating dozens of boxes with painful photos and memorabilia documenting the last time I was 200 pounds and clinically depressed
(That was when I spent sometime in a pysch ward for suicide attempts in my 20s.)
SO . . . . yeah. In the middle of all this, I remain grateful. Yes, struggle and gratitude can exist together.
Thankful for:
My Team: I always have an emergency plan for when the black dog comes to visit. No, it is not something I dust off and set in motion. I have to continually maintain my support group of shrink, counselor, nuclear family, strong friends, like minded community, health team and my relationship with God. Thankfully my team was ready in a moment's notice. God bless them all.
Honesty: I have a very strong muscle to tell my truth and I use it all the time. Working with alcoholics for 38 years, I have seen so many wonderful women die of the disease because they were seemingly consciously incapable of being honest with themselves, their high power and one other person. I hate telling people I am down. It does not stop me.
Financial Resources: I have health insurance. I have a pension. I have an emergency fund. I have it from a combination of the discipline I have practiced for years, hard work and plain old good luck. I do not take it for granted. I hit a real low and started driving to the coast where I am staying till my next counselor appointment. The Northern California coastline works wonders for me. It is magic.
Nota Bena: Kristen, in your honor, I am going to the Charles M Shultz museum today. A little Snoopy is a much better dog than the black one currently in residence.
Mary Ann, I have been wanting to get over to Napa to the Snoopy Museum. I missed it last time I was there. Tell me how it goes. Also. I love the coast too, and we stayed at Inn at the Tides last year when we went to spread some of my husband's ashes at Bodega. If you don't have a place already, I'd recommend that highly.
Mary Ann, that is a lot to deal with. You have some good self-awareness there, and it sounds like you're doing the right things.
wow so much on your plate. so good that you are surrounded with good people to help you cope. virtual hugs sent to you by me.
Mary Ann,
I'm saying a prayer for you and for everyone who is fighting depression. For everyone else on the Commentariat, if you are a praying person, please join me in praying for Mary Ann. And we can all send her loving thoughts.
Hang in there, Mary Ann! It sounds like you are doing a lot of good things to meet this head on, and I hope and pray the depression dissipates very soon. Know that God is walking with you every step of your journey, no matter what.
Sending you a hug. You sound like a strong person to be dealing with all those challenges, and still taking steps to deal with the "black dog" in a positive way.
I memorized John 14: 2 which chases black dog very well. I send hugs and love to you with your problem which you seem to handle well.
I wish you all the best, Mary Ann. DH fought the "black dog" for many years, so I have a secondhand idea of what that's like. Hang in there, and be as brave and strong as we know you are.
My complaint first: I work in a very disorganized company, from people to processes & most especially HR. I've been leading through some complicated team stuff, and not having organized & qualified folks helping across three countries with three different labor laws has been a nightmare.
Things I'm thankful for:
1) This is my last Thursday of full time work, and my last week of full time work! I go to part time when I'm back from vacation.
2) We are going on vacation on Saturday! First up a hiking trip in Utah, and then Las Vegas.
3) Grateful for my friend, who is letting us stay at her vacation condo.
4) We had dinner with DS20, and he asked such fun & interesting questions & we had a fabulous conversation.
5) This week is better than last week, on the work front.
Good luck with all the work stuff. Yay for part time! Enjoy your trip and hiking in Utah! I got to hike a bit there for the first time this summer (favorite was Fiery Furnace at Arches)... Other-worldly!!
Thank you! We are based out of St. George vs Moab, so no Arches on this trip, but have been there before & loved it! We are doing Bryce, Zion & Snow Canyon. Looks like the weather may even cool off a bit!
I love that you are taking an ethics course back at your beloved school. More so since our DS1teaches ethics at a university it Boston, where it is required for all business students. He loves the discussions it elicits.
I’m thankful now and all summer long for a porch with windows that have screens. I’m a mosquito magnet big time and this lovely room lets me sit outside without bites. And also when it rains, I can stay outside.
I’m thankful for this space and your excellent management of it. Such a bright spot as I am dealing with some heavy ongoing health issues. Thank you!
Strength and peace to you as you deal with the health issues <3
I'm a major mosquito magnet, too.
Thank you so much, PD.
Erika, I'm glad you have a screened porch to hang out on. It's the one feature I wish I had on my otherwise perfect house. And best of luck with the health issues.
Many thanks, A.Marie.
Honestly, I'm still struggling pretty hard here. I'm working through it myself and even wrote a whole four page letter that I have no intention of mailing to try and understand what is going on in my community.
Some better things:
Really doing a deep dive into the Beatles again after not listening to them for a long time.
Going to a new church. It's a long drive but even the pastor admitted that where we live is a spiritual desert.
Thinking about some future trips and events I might take.
Sending you good thoughts & hope things improve for you.
This week, I'm primarily thankful that the vitreous detachment in my right eye on Sunday was not a full-fledged detached retina, and that I was able to get prompt medical attention and reassurance. As noted earlier, I don't mess around if my vision may be at stake. (The doc on call, in describing the possible symptoms of actual retina detachment to me, said, "Too many people get this and say, 'Oh, it's Friday, I'll wait to call till Monday,' and then lose vision." I replied, "I'm trying not to be one of those people.")
I’m so glad you took good care of yourself. Ever since this happened to my sister in law who also got prompt medical care) it’s been on my mind that it can occur at any time and it’s very unsettling!
Yes ,glad you took care of it quickly.
A friend just went through the same thing, and was successful!
Hope you recover soon, A. Marie
Thankfuls:
-- for help from our children (catsitting, DIY)
-- for our kids getting along so well and planning outings just for them
-- for colleagues taking over my tasks while I am gone
-- that I have no food allergies and aside from general wear and tear I am in good health
-- that I am generally an optimistic person
-- that I have become myself, over the years. Earlier this week I was thinking back to growing up in our small village where I felt much of an outsider through my different tastes and interests. Throughout childhood and adolescence I had dreams in which I had to make myself invisible to be safe. Nightmares stopped when I moved out and went to college and broadened my horizon. Looking back, it took me decades to gain self confidence. Small communities and their (unvoiced) expectations of people can be very oppressive, even if the individuals are kind and mean no harm. I am sending out a hug to anyone who has felt an outsider in their community, ever, with a wish that they find themselves if they haven't already.
I hear ya about the duplicative requirements! The stories I accumulated over the years... There was the time I had to take the exact same annual training twice, because that was easier than getting the group I was loaned to, to accept the certificate from the group I worked for. Even so, I think the best (worst?) example was having to take a training that I usually taught. Bloody waste of time that was.
Right now I'm thankful
- that my dog let me sleep in;
- for 9 hrs of sleep last night;
- that the summer's crazy travel and obligations are over;
- for lunch with my friend; and
- that my father, brother, and I can talk openly about my father's end of life plans. I found a problem with them, raised it, and now we're working on adapting the plan, calmly, rationally, and long before it's necessary.
Yes, it is extremely irritating to have to repeat training that you already did! Such a waste of time and money.
And good for you about being open with end of life plans.
I loved the community college where I did my first two years of college. It was run so well and really fostered learning.
Your hard work and perseverance never fail to inspire me. You are doing a lot of hard things. Go Kristen!
Today is the half way mark of our month-long camping trip. I'm grateful for the great weather we've had-- very little rain.
Meanwhile back at my house, there has been a lot of rain, which we really needed.
The trip is going smoothly which is always a good thing.
I hear you on that poppy seed thing! For 20 years at my first newspaper job, I never touched poppy seed dressing, lest I be called in for one of their random drug tests. (I never was.) All employees at this paper were told that random drug tests would be conducted, and if you were selected to get one and refused, then they would fire you just like they would if you tested positive. I had heard that poppy seed dressing would make a false positive for opium, so I never ate it, not even on vacation. (And I loved it over fruit salads!)
Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy the ethics class and can keep on slogging through the others.
My thankfuls:
1. That I was able to buy that riding lawnmower. And that the guys at the charity will come fix it if anything happens. I love speeding around the backyard on riding lawnmowers! It's fun, and I'm cutting the grass at the same time. Wheee!!!! (I'm slower and more careful about the front lawn.)
2. Having such nice coworkers at my PT job. There was one -- only one --who acted very surly toward me, and I've noticed that we are no longer being scheduled on the same shift. Did she complain about me? I did not say anything about her to the bosses, but whatever caused this, I am grateful. (I also was always pleasant toward Mean [first name], as the teenage workers call her, regardless of how surly/sarcastic she was toward me.) The rest of my coworkers are good friends, even though I don't see them outside of work hours.
3. The St. Augustine grass is growing and filling in the formerly bare spaces around the front part of my front yard. This is an unexpectedly good result from that horrible incident last spring when the moving truck pulled down half the giant oak tree. More sunshine => more grass growing. My next-door neighbor brought this to my attention when he complimented me on how nice it was looking. Meanwhile, the tree seems to have survived its "amputation" OK.
4. I've set up my smart TV and am learning to use it more and more each day. Still haven't figured out how to get Channel 6, but I'm working on that.
5. I can vote in the upcoming midterm elections.
Kristen, cheering you on in this education marathon! You got this!
thankful for you. thanks for explaining titers. had no clue what that was and then you explained it. i volunteered at a hospice for ten years. one of the est experiences of my whole life. i was able to tell my dad it was ok to go and he went the next day. none of my in-laws 4 kids were able to that for their parents. i didn't visit much toward the end of either of them as it was sad to see them suffer so.
the end is in sight. you have come so far. and as i always say look at what you created from NOTHING. the commentariat salutes and appreciates you so much.
Where did this week go? Kristen, you would make such a great Hospice nurse! I trained at a burn center and taught wound clinics at my last two hospitals. Such an important skill set.
A dear mentor just bought a very nice home with a back deck that overlooks a large creek. She and her NP husband and BSN daughter remodeled it for a 6 bedroom hospice home.
Thankfuls: The rose garden is in their fall finale bloom. My happy purple asters. Sunflowers.
Crisp, cool nights.
The heavy scent of grapes ripening on the vine.
Mint compost.
I’m thankful that there are people willing to jump through the hoops necessary to become a nurse!
I'm a long-time reader, but very infrequent commenter. I am a meeting planner and one of my clients is the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Wound Ostomy Continence Nurses Society. We are actually meeting near Dulles Airport next weekend for their annual conference. I probably know the WOC Nurses in that clinic at your hospital. Small world!
I'm having a fairly tough week/month/summer with work with big change hanging over us. So I'm incredibly done with that speculation/planning which is very draining. Sigh.
Complaining over!
I am thankful that currently it is not cuts. It may be making it more complicated but realistically that is amazing.
I am also thankful for my colleagues who are in the know and we are all supporting each other.
I am also thankful that soon we can tell everyone about the plans, as keeping it all separate is exhausting.
I am also thankful that after buying about 8 pairs of expensive barefoot shoes (not at all frugal in the short term, I've had to use my car repair fund temporarily!) I have managed to find one brand that actually fit my wierd feet! Now I can send most of them back for refunds and just actually have some quality shoes and hopefully less physiotherapy. More frugally, I spent a long time checking t&C's to make sure I could send them back for free/low cost (a previous attempt ended up with me giving away a pair to my SiL after it turned out that returning them would require a costly set of fees to China that were almost as much as the shoes had been). I've been wearing very cheap shoes that keep falling apart immediately so aiming for more expensive but less pairs. I've only been shopping in their sale so they are about 40-50% off.
I am thankful for my family. It's my Mum's 80th next week and it will be great to see them all.
It also took me a while to find a good pair of barefoot shoes! I'm wearing them in short bursts to get used to them, but now that I've found this brand, I'm going to see if I can find other kinds of barefoot shoes by them (such as trainers).
I am very thankful that a sweetheart like you are considering hospice as a future choice...they are 😇.
I am thankful I can still read without a magnifying glass. Though, I will admit the hypermiling comment caught me off guard, as I thought there were two l's in that, and I could not figure it out for the life of me😆 I kept envisioning somebody milling flour at a hyper rate.
I lost a friend this week, and I am so grateful to have known her. She was 97, still driving, still had her own teeth, could read without a magnifying glass and had a wicked sense of humor. She was part of my book club.
I'm grateful to hear that you are doing work at a wound clinic. I have had to attend one twice this year for various injuries and the people that work there perform miracles, and every single one of them have a set of wings. Absolutely incredible folks. And I'm sure you will fit right in.
I'm grateful that I am retraining my mind to not pick up things every time I'm at the grocery store when I really don't need it. I'm there every day getting my walking in. Because it is still over 90 degrees in the state of Florida, and that's the most wonderful air conditioned place to walk.
I am grateful for the love of a 22 pound cat that, even though he drives me crazy on a daily basis, still sleeps with me at night, and I frequently wake up with his head on my shoulder.
Blessings to all of you.
I am thankful that I finished my round of antibiotics yesterday, so I am officially on the mend. And I do feel better, because the meds were hard on my stomach.
I am thankful that my car is my own again -- my grandson is returning to college today. Of course I am not thankful that he will be so far away, but it's great to have my car parked right in front again. And he cleaned and vacuumed the car and left .15 in the change tray!
I am thankful that I felt good enough to grocery shop and go to the library today. Little things mean so much now!
I am thankful that I got all straightened out with my health insurance provider, so they won't leave me messages anymore.
I am thankful for all the support and good wishes of friends and family while I was sick. Being isolated with Covid, I was especially grateful for texts and calls, and for errand-running on my behalf.
I am grateful for the lovely temperatures lately. Such an improvement.
Curious as to why Heb A/B Twinrix shot wasn't required? Still 3 doses - one after 1st then 6 months.
I don't know; I just know that the HepB titers are a very consistent requirement.
Thankful for my washer & dryer, and that my electricity is free from 8pm to 8am to use them. I am not an early riser, so laundry gets done in the evening.
Thankful that I live close to my mom and could pick her up when her car wouldn't start, and help her with AAA and other logistics.
Thankful that I know my limits and that I need to be quiet for the next 2 days after having a very busy past 4 days, and that I am ABLE to do that-I do not take being retired for granted!
Thankful for library books and a few finds at the Friends of the Library bookshop today-5 trade paperbacks=$5.
And-so very proud of you, Kristen!!!
Thank you! 🙂
Ah yes, I remember the days of ridiculous requirements for working in different clinical sites. And, I hesitate to say Kristen, but I also graduated with a bachelors degree in nursing after earning an associates degree in nursing first. The bachelor's felt like so much writing! I was discouraged to find we had more clinical hours in community college than the bsn ones! I have only needed the bsn for precepting bsn students during their capstones, and not that often as I'm a career long floor nurse. I've never had the desire to move into management. It will feel like an accomplishment once its done though!
Yup...just writing, writing, and more writing, with almost no learning that actually impacts bedside care. Sigh.
And yeah, I had four semesters of clinicals in nursing school. In the BSN program, I have 45 hours total. 45 hours!!
I also do not ever want to be management. But my hospital requires a BSN within five years so here we are.