Am I Reading the Wrong Map?

I love reading Glennon Doyle Melton's books, blog and posts. She often speaks truths I feel but

1. am not sure I am daring enough to speak and
2. I wouldn't look half as good doing it.

She is funny, honest, kind and is using her superpowers for so much good. The other day she posted the following quote: "The place where you are right now, God circled on the map for you" - Hafiz. I loved the quote but was a little skeptical that Hafiz is a real person. What a name. So, I looked him up. Turns out he was a Perisian poet.

Authenticity now settled, I was thinking about that quote earlier today and wondering if God and I are reading the same map sometimes. Really....this, right now? Are you sure? What type of map are we looking at? Geographical? The food groups? Am I looking at what I am supposed to? Because SOMETIMES I'm not sure we are looking at the same thing.

I started this year strong - I know, it's only January 8 but how long can I keep this momentum up? I don't make resolutions generally. I feel like I am a continual work in progress and make commitments all through the year so making new ones on January 1 doesn't hold much significance for me. The first week of January was pretty good. I got some new wireless earbuds for Christmas that I LOVE. I'm not running faster or farther but I'm no longer getting tangled up in wires or having my earbuds fall out. So I am a happier runner. The kids are also back to school which may improve my mood on occasion. I love having them around but the lack of structure kills my type A personality at times.

I had all sorts of unexpected time this weekend thanks to the snow and ice. I was able to get Christmas all packed up and put away and I even finished cleaning out my desk that has been on my to do list for at least three years. This should make me extremely happy. I LOVE to check things off my list.

Instead I am all out of sorts. Unexpected time is not always my friend. For hyper feeling people such as myself this sometimes allows for extra time to dwell on the harsh word spoken, things I could be doing better, things I have left undone and my sweet friends I miss in India. It probably didn't help my mood that I was listening to John Legend singing about breaking my heart and came across letters that my Dad wrote me while he was alive. Phew. So, this is where I am supposed to be now? Are you sure Hawaii isn't where I am supposed to be now? That sounds much easier right at this moment.

So, I wrapped up my project, took a deep breath and texted my faithful friend Jenny who knew exactly what to say and had me laughing out loud within minutes. Where I am right now, my place on the map, feels hard at times. Parenting....really adulting in general, is HARD WORK. Sometimes we need a breather. Sometimes we need a friend like Jenny to remind us that we aren't alone and we are reading the right map - just maybe upside down. So, I am here now and tomorrow may be easier. Even if it's not, I am surrounded by love and that has to be enough.

Why Medical Surgical Nurses Rock

I have had a few interesting conversations lately about medical/surgical nurses. I work on a med/surg floor at Providence Newberg. Basically, that means we see a little bit of everything - gastrointestinal surgeries, hip and knee surgeries, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, altered mental status, alcohol withdrawal, etc. etc. The variety makes it interesting. Many of the larger hospitals might have one general med/surg floor but then they will have specialty floors - cardiac, neurology, renal. They are specialized and have more capabilities related to their specialty.

Medical/Surgical nurses can get a bad rap. I was talking to my friend the other day who is an Emergency Room physician. He joked about how after the emergency nurses bring a patient up to the med/surg floor they complain about the nurses. I have heard this before. I asked about the specific complaints. He wasn't quite sure but something along the lines of we ask too many questions, want too much information, etc. I have also heard a rumor that some intensive care nurses don't think too fondly of their med/surg counterparts. What ICU nurses do is more complex at times. I'm not sure what their beef is with us. We aren't as smart? We don't know the specific care for intubated patients? Intensive care nurses have more training but I believe there are several nurses on my floor who could become ICU nurses if that was our interest and we opted to do the training.

Here's the thing.... the medical/surgical nurses I work with are some of the smartest and strongest women I know (I'm not being sexist. We don't have any male day shift nurses). It's true, parts of our day are spent not doing complex tasks. A friend I was talking to about my job a few months back was really surprised that I take patients to the bathroom.... all the time. She assumed I could call someone else to do that. As a nurse, I am prepared to do anything to care for my patient. Guess what? That means taking them to the bathroom or cleaning them up if they can't get up and walk there themselves. I never said my job was glamorous. There is nothing that I won't do when it comes to patient care. It's the job of EVERYONE on the floor. One of the best things I did yesterday was folding clothes with a patient with mild dementia. He just wanted his room tidier.

Besides taking patients to the bathroom, medical/surgical nurses can give a med (when ordered) that can briefly stop and restart your heart, we can run an effective code, we can place nasogastric tubes, change ostomies, redress wounds, place an iv and troubleshoot with the best of them. We are resourceful, caring and funny sometimes. We can have totally inappropriate discussion over lunch and not even blink an eye. We aren't afraid to work hard, admit when we don't know the answer and look for opportunities to learn.

A few people I work with have left lately to go to other departments or hospitals - one to ICU, a couple to short stay. The great thing about nursing is if you get tired of one area, there is always something else to try. A coworker asked me if I was going to leave too. I am always open to new opportunities (year of yes and all) but I'm happy where I am right now. I get to work with wonderful people who I enjoy and respect. I get to learn new things every day. I may not have an amazing depth of knowledge of one specific condition but I am familiar with many different diagnoses and treatments. I am constantly learning and growing. I am proud to be on a medical surgical unit with some of the most amazing nurses around.