Work, photography & getting new letters

Work is rough these days. Usually our census is pretty low during the summer. In fact, any time I think of when I got low census (when we're called off because we have too many nurses scheduled for the number of patients we have), it was always around a major winter holiday (Thanksgiving or Christmas) or during high summer. This summer is much different: it's so blasted hot. A lot of frequent flyers are in because they overheated.

That strikes me with a thought: I don't think I've ever defined "frequent flyer" here.

For an ER nurse, a frequent flier is someone who shows up at the ER a lot, & it's often used as a derisive term for someone who is seeking pain medication. I work on the floor where the ER sends those who come in truly sick in unstable ways, though, so you're not going to find otherwise physically healthy folks looking for a high. Don't get me wrong; some might like a high. :) They're just also legitimately sick.

For us, a "frequent flyer" is a person who has a chronic disease or condition that occasionally requires acute management. So, a type 1 diabetic who gets an unrelated illness might need an insulin drip to manage their glucose during that illness. Someone with COPD might get pneumonia & need a BiPAP to help them breathe off enough carbon dioxide. Someone with a heart condition might go into acute renal failure if they get too hot. These are our frequently flyers. In addition to being very legitimately sick, we get a little attached to them. In some cases, a LOT attached to them. While the ER definition of frequent flyer is the one most often used in pop culture, to a stepdown/PCU nurse it's often a term of endearment.

I have taken care of a couple of our frequent flyers this week; ones who would not normally be in during the high summer. It makes me sad. They certainly don't need more crap than they already deal with.
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Work really interferes with my ability to do the July photo assignments. I missed the 7th & 8th; I think I'll make them up today. Photo assignments relax me, & I think part of my problem on work days is that I feel I can't relax, or possibly shouldn't. Time is at a premium during my workday, & I feel like I can't spare the seconds to think about a photo when I'm trying to think about saving lives & improving customer service scores (& I have to think about that because part of the clinical care coordinator job is to think about it).

On my days off, though, I think about photography a lot. I'm really in the mood for it today.

Jeff coffin has evidently discovered he has a twitter account & has decided to use his iPhone accordingly. He tweeted a photo of a Dave Matthews Band concert...from the stage. :) I sorta love that. I wish he'd join instagram.
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So on Wednesday, I'm scheduled to rack up a few letters! I take the PCCN-A exam! When I pass that, I will officially be considered an expert in my field of nursing. I'll be qualified to instruct continuing education, I'll qualify automatically for coordinator/manager positions at other places than just my current hospital, & in general be considered excellent in my field. I'm sorta stoked about this. I love the idea of having acknowledgement that yes, I do love progressive care & that I can be considered advanced in that field. I don't get a raise or anything, but there's something about the prestige of new letters. Plus they get to go on my name badge. From a possibly jaded point of view...I can use the PCCN on my badge to increase customer service. If you think you're being cared for by a specialist, you're more likely to view your care as better.

So tomorrow we are going to Little Rock to the museum & all that, then we'll spend the night in a hotel & go someplace for breakfast & all that. Then at 13:30, I sit for the PCCN & we see how it goes from there! Eeeeee!

Right now it means I'm going to go check out the PCCN review modules & mainline information about renal failure physiology (I'm great at the nursing care part but I'm rusty in the physiological processes) & endocrine syndromes (thyroid storm, etc). Probably ought to bone up on SIRS & resolving sepsis while I'm at it.

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