Thankful Thursday | I’m going to bed

Hello!

As this publishes, I will be finishing up my last night shift. Woohooo!!

And then the first order of business is at least a small nap to get me through until bedtime.

Soooo, I will make a thankful list once I wake up and have some more functional brain cells.

I didn’t want to leave you guys high and dry, though, so here is a post where you can at least share your thankful lists while I snooze.

I’ll be back. 😉 

____________________

I’m back! I slept for a few hours and now I’m just going to take it easy the rest of the day. I’m so behind on sleep at this point, I don’t think it’ll be hard to go to bed at a normal time tonight.

what I look like heading to my bed after a night shift

This week, I am thankful:

that my night shifts are behind me

I got through it and I learned a lot, but my goodness, that is not the life for me. 

I really dislike being awake at night! There is only one place I want to be at 2:00 am, and that is in my bed with my eyes shut. 😉 

that my upcoming shifts are spread out better

I worked over 72 hours in the last eight days, doing night shifts (3 on, 2 off, 3 on).

And before that, I worked 72 hours in 7 days, doing day shifts (3 on, 1 off, 3 on).

(I did not make this schedule!)

But for the next two weeks, I have day shifts Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and that gives me a lovely four days off in between sets of shifts.

WHEW. 

for my snuggle buddy

Chiquita is pretty happy to see me after my string of hospital shifts. 🙂 

that I did a bang-up job of prepping before my shifts

I got all of my non-hospital-life stuff knocked out before this set of overnight shifts, and that helped a lot! I was grateful to have almost no other responsibilities during my stint as a zombie nurse. 😉 

that I’m getting faster at my nurse tasks

On my last night shift, I took care of all five patients almost entirely on my own, and I got all my assessments done and medications given with time to spare. 

This was even with needing to use the interpreter tablet with one patient (which takes extra time), and I also had a patient whose meds had to be all crushed and sent through a Dobhoff tube (a type of tube that goes in the nose and down into the stomach). That takes extra time too.

So, I’m feeling more and more confident in my skills as I approach the end of my orientation. 

that there are other people who DO like working nights

I do not understand these humans (!!) but I am so grateful they exist. I am not a creature of the night, so I’m grateful other people are!

What are you thankful for this week?