Nurses

I’ve lost track but I think I’ve been in here a little over two and a half weeks.

I’m going to devote this one to medical professionals who deserve all of our praise and thanks but are human just like us.

Each has some angel in them but you know also the devil side they’d love to let put occasionally but mainly keep locked up. They like to prank each other like everyone else. The bed pan seems to be a favorite. A patient will be gotten on a bed pan then told they’ll be given some privacy and to hit the call light when you’re done. This person will fade back and see who wins the pot of gold. Especially if the patient is known for messy and smelly surprises.

Payback is usually coming.

There are a pair here who seem to gravitate together. They play jokes on each other and are a walking comedy act. When it’s time to be serious they’re all professional.

There is one nurse I think of as Wonder Woman or Mujer Maravella as she would say. She’s been nursing for 30 years but still attacks each problem at full speed while quietly singing or humming. She usually doesn’t wait for help and just gets it done. It was time for a bedbath and she took on the challenge. Pretty soon water and suds were flying like I was in a car wash. I was thinking no way the bedding wouldn’t be soaked. A few minutes later I was clean, dry, and powdered with dry bedding and she was on to her next mission.

They seem to know when to apply laughter in an embarrassing situation. The strong antibiotics I’ve been on along with the infection and back issues have caused me some stomach issues. I had a real young worker teamed with a more seasoned one who told the young one to place the pan. When I rolled onto it, the younger one said it was the best one she ever did. Let’s just say my stomach issues made me an overachiever. There was a terrible mess that embarrassed me but the older nurse told her younger helper “Good aim deadeye, wouldn’t want to see second best.” Hardly a drop was in the bed pan.

They transferred embarrassed from me to her. Other nurses were calling her deadeye days later.

I had one nurse several times who was close to my age group but had a reputation for being prickly. She was that way with me so I kept interaction to a minimum. I had her assigned to me a couple of days later and I just said " Kid you look tired." Turns out her husband is disabled and she’s doing double duty with him part time in a nursing facility and he can’t get around. I told her to take some time for herself and that it wouldn’t do her or her husband any good if she ran herself into the ground. I got a hug and a thank you for understanding from the ice lady.

I know we must bore them with stories of our families but I’ve got quite a few of their stories too. Remember that even though they seem to be superheros at times, they’re just other humans working too many hours for their families and along the way taking care of us.

A bad apple is a bad apple and should be reported. Otherwise, we all have bad days so let those slide sometimes. Remember to ask how they’re doing and say thank you.

Thank you for reading my ramblings and bye for now.