2018-01-01T21:12:05+00:00

#JusJotJan 2018. January 1st Drama

January 1, 2018February 12, 2019/Judy E Martin/14 Comments

I love that Linda has the Just Jot it January Challenge to start off the year. This is the 3rd year that I have taken part and it is one of those challenges that I actually look forward to. It is not only because it gives us all to kick-start our writing, but because it is something of a community effort, with regards to all of us being given the opportunity of suggesting the prompt words. Poor old Linda still does the hard work though of posting the prompts daily and keeping us in order!

Anyway without further ado, here is today’s prompt word.

Your prompt for January 1st, 2018, brought to you by the lovely Ritu, is “Drama.” Use it any way you’d like in your post. And make sure you visit Ritu at her blog, “But I Smile Anyway…” to read her post and say hi! Here’s her link: https://butismileanyway.com/

I would say that drama features pretty heavily in my life, in one way or the other. Being one of six children, there is always something going on with at least one of us. Throw in nephews, nieces, partners, parents, step-relatives, and in-laws and you have one hell of a drama waiting to happen!

I suppose that it is no surprise then that my chosen career is in nursing! There is definitely plenty of drama going on, even if it is not always of the running around trying to get everything done in not enough time, variety. Sometimes the drama is the slow unfolding of a situation that can suddenly escalate unexpectedly.

I always considered myself to be the type of woman who just wanted a quiet life.

Who am I kidding?

I’m Not Good At Goodbyes!

October 27, 2015/Judy E Martin/38 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “If You Leave.”

I was going to write a little update about my new job this week, but when I saw this prompt about leaving, I thought I would tie it in as it fits perfectly.

I am not a person who likes change very much. As you may have gathered, I am very routine oriented, set in my ways, and I suppose, a bit of an old stick-in-the-mud really. however I knew that i was going to have to bite the bullet and make a change in my life, or shut up moaning about it!

Without going into details, work at the hospital had changed since I had started there some five and a half years earlier. I used to love going in to work every morning and was always upbeat about it. A year later, I ,moved wards as part of some training I was doing and stayed there for the remainder of the time.

The camaraderie amongst the staff was what kept me there for so long; they are a wonderful team and coped with numerous changes without a lowering the quality of care they gave to the patients. Then slowly, but surely, and for various reasons. staff started leaving, and the dynamics were changing, as was the atmosphere. Morale was pretty low by the time the 20th person in a year had left, and I must admit, this was when I decided it was time to go.

Nothing stays the same of course, and sometimes change is for the better, but it did not make me feel better at all.When the job came up in the community, I decided to go for it. As you know, much to my surprise and delight, I got the job!

I then panicked for a bit as it meant change, and although I wanted it, I was worried about starting again. After all, I knew everyone at work, and they all knew me, Not only that but I was confident in my job and knew what was expected of me. In my new job, I would be learning a totally different way of using my skills with a whole new group of people who I didn’t know.

Well, I made the decision to take it. I knew that it was the right thing for me to do. I was not happy at the hospital anymore, and I would be a miserable influence on others which isn’t fair.So here i am, three weeks in and on a week off already! (I had already booked this week off for half term)!

I have been welcomed by the team who all seem to be very friendly. I have learned lots of new techniques, new ways of doing things, and have made friends with Mr SatNav who is going to be a constant companion to me due to my useless sense of direction!

It is going to take me a little while to get re-acquainted with full-time hours, but I know I can do it, (After working for 18 hours per day in a kebab shop 6 days a week in the past, I am sure I can hack a 37.5 hour week)!

My only regret is not saying goodbye properly to the staff at the hospital. I did not want a leaving do as it is not my thing really, and I ended up going very quickly in the end, once the paperwork was sorted this end, so there were some staff I hadn’t seen at all! Mind you, I am not good at goodbyes and bawled my head off on my last day at the hospital!

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An Open Letter to Patient’s Relatives.

September 20, 2015/Judy E Martin/38 Comments

Dear Patients’ Relatives

We are pretty flexible when it comes to visiting hours; 3pm until 8pm every day is pretty generous, especially as we also allow visiting outside of these hours for many other circumstances. This enables most of you time to spend with your loved ones.

We do ask you to remember however, that we appreciate how special your relative is to you, but so is every other patient on the ward. Sometimes we have to prioritize, and yes, we will plump your mum’s pillow up for her, but please, just let us deal with this patient first who is hemorrhaging.

We know your father might have told you that he hasn’t eaten today, but before you berate us loudly in front of everyone, let me show you his food chart, where you can see that he ate all of his porridge for breakfast and had a roast beef dinner for lunch, not to mention rhubarb crumble for pudding! You know he has short-term memory problems and often forgets, so please just check with us.

Oh, I know your nan has just had an ‘accident.’ I am just going to get some of our toiletries and a hospital gown as it seems that no-one has brought any in for her. Yes, we do have a small supply, but we tend to save these for those that don’t have any visitors or family to look out for them.

I understand that you want to help and in so many cases you do, especially when you encourage your relatives to eat, which they are more likely to do for you than us. Please be careful though that you do not give other patients some chocolate or sweets, as you may unintentionally cause them some problems, particularly if they are diabetic and are being carefully monitored, or if they have swallowing difficulties and need a special diet, or are even nil by mouth.

We love to see our patients happy and enjoying their time with you. All we ask is that, if there is something troubling you, please come and speak to us, before yelling. We are doing our best you know, and all patients are as important to us, as your relative is to you. sometimes, especially, when we are so very understaffed, we have to prioritize our care,so please have a little patience…

Keep Calm!

From The Nursing Staff

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Episode 463: Tuesday Tidbit: Foreign Bodies (18+)

August 18, 2015/Judy E Martin/26 Comments

Today I thought I would do something a little different for the Tidbit, and look at some of the strangest objects that have ‘accidentally’ found their way into people’s rectums and have had to be removed in hospital!

Aerosol cans: For some reason deodorant is rather popular!
Glass bottles and light bulbs! You would have to sit down very gingerly.
Oranges and aubergines. What a terrible waste of food.
A coffee jar. I should imagine it was instant rather than filter.
An egg. That had got to have been hard-boiled surely.
Curtain rod. Not the right way to draw attention to oneself!

Some people always go that little bit too far!

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Episode 447: Off-Key.

August 6, 2015/Judy E Martin/23 Comments

I had to laugh today at work. As most of us know, some elderly people don’ exactly mince their words and they feel that they have earned the right to say exactly what they think. Although this is not always pleasant (A couple of days ago as I was trying to stop an elderly gent throttling himself with the bed remote control which had a long, curly wire attached to it, I was called a ‘stupid bi**h’ as he tried to bite my hand that was trying to release his grip on the remote).

Sometimes it can be funny though. The same man had earlier demanded that me and another nurse that were going to wash him ‘bloody get on with it, instead of just talking about it!’ (We like to inform our patients what is going to happen with them before we launch straight into stripping off their clothes)!

Anyway, today I was back in my usual bay with my ladies. I had gone on my break and when I came back, one of the Dementia Volunteers was playing his guitar and knocking out a few numbers that may be familiar to the patients, such as Buddy Holly, Beatles etc.

Now this chap is pretty old himself, and has a ‘set’ of about 4 songs which he sings before moving onto the next bay, This is the same routine every week but I love it ,and so do most of the patients…..

Except one lady (she does not have dementia) who wanted him to ‘turn it down’. When told by the Healthcare Assistant that it was not polite to tell him to do that, and that he was giving up his own time to entertain people, she told her,

“well don’t expect me to applaud him!”

The patient had relayed all this to me when I went over to talk to her , and then with a wicked grin she looked up and said,

“Don’t you just hate bloody do-gooders”!

Episode 425: A Little Extra Tuesday Tidbit

July 21, 2015/Judy E Martin/26 Comments

I wanted to share this little conversation I had with one of my patients today which I thought you would enjoy as much as I did!

I was doing my routine checks of catheters and cannulas in the afternoon,and I went over to one of my ladies (I’ll call her Betty) as I knew she had a catheter but was not sure about the cannula.

Now this lady is 100 years old and still as sharp as a tack. Most of our patients are not sure what a cannula is, so I said to her,

“Betty, do you have any needles in your arms?”

She came straight back,as quick as a flash with,

“No, but I have had my fair share of pricks in my time!!!”

Priceless. 🙂

http://www.wackystock.com/details/6202-woman-sweating-while-skipping-and-dancing-at-the-gym-clipart-picture-by-djart-at-wackystock.jpg

Episode 401: Sweating it Out!

July 2, 2015/Judy E Martin/44 Comments

Well, I knew it wouldn’t last. I can’t stop myself (I think it is too far embedded into my genes), I am going to have to moan about the weather! Yes, I should be grateful that we have seen quite a bit of sunshine, and that it is lovely and hot. The problem is, we are not used to it!

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far here in good old England, but luckily I didn’t have to work so could wear what I wanted and also do what I wanted. Last night, however, the temperature did not decrease by much and it was stifling hot and muggy. I ended up trying to sleep with the fan whirring on full blast and an ice pack! Bearing in mind, I am also at ‘that age’ when ladies get a little more flushed at certain times! I thought I was going to spontaneously combust!

This morning dawns another hot day, but cooler as it was only 28 Celsius (about 82 Fahrenheit). I reluctantly donned my thick cotton uniform and tights, plus clumpy shoes and bloody stupid belt to go to work.

As I walked onto the ward the heat hit me like a slap in the face! Great, putting on latex gloves and plastic aprons is going to make a lovely addition to my already boiled body (thank God the patients allowed us to open the windows so we could let a bit of (hot) air in!

Luckily for me I had to go off the ward for my annual top up resus training, in a room with air conditioning! Bliss! Well it was for 5 minutes until we had to pummel the dummy back to life with frantic CPR. Pretty exhausting stuff.

Anyway, I hot-foot it back to the ward for another face smacking dose of heat, only to discover the boss wants to take some photos as we all have to have our pictures up on the board outside the ward (presumably to terrify those not too ill to care)! At first I was a bit put out as I thought it would be better off being taken first thing in the morning but in this heat it makes no difference anyway.

So imagine this, a relative comes to see their poorly elderly relative, decides to have a look at which staff may happen to be looking after them, and sees my picture. Ruddy faced, ghastly grimace (we were told to smile) hair plastered to the head, and sweat dripping. Professional is not the word!

You’d run a bloody mile, talking your relative with you!

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Episode 380: Heading South

June 18, 2015/Judy E Martin/47 Comments

I just had to share this little story with you. At work this morning I was introduced to another new patient that had come to the ward yesterday whilst I was on a day off. She is a lovely, smiley lady but is in quite a bit of pain, not only from a painful hip but also a chronic itchy skin condition that covered her whole body.

Anyway, once I had washed her and slathered her in cream, it was time to get her up to sit out on her chair for a while. I had got her nightie on no problem whilst she was in bed and her knickers half on. I decided I would pull them up when she stood up as it was easier.

She eventually managed to stand up and I fussed around her, straightening her nightie and pulling up her pants. I asked her if she was ready to walk to the chair now with her frame; she looked up at me, smiled and said,

“You have tucked my tits in my knickers, love, they droop a bit as you get older! “

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Episode 370: The Purpose of My Life!

June 11, 2015/Judy E Martin/46 Comments

A Momma’s View has set a challenge and prompt that she had nominated me, and a few others for. In it, she asks for us to say what we think our purpose in life is and what we’ll take home when we leave.

It’s funny but this is something I rarely think about when I am feeling all happy and bright! It is more something I ponder when I am feeling down and grotty, However, this is going to be a positive post so any negative vibes can bugger off and leave me to my happy thoughts!

I always thought when I was younger that my purpose in life was going to be something to do with children. When I was growing up I always wanted to be a Nanny looking after other people’s children before settling down and having my own family with quite a few children of my own. After all, I was one of six myself.

Becoming an aunty when I was 15 years old only reinforced this wish, to nurture and look after children, and I used to get up in the night with my niece to give her bottles, and babysit as often as I could.

Well, for a number of reasons, it was not meant to be that I had lots of children (Although I do have some waiting for me in heaven), or even fulfil my wish to work with children as I went off and joined the Army instead!

Fast forward a couple of decades, a couple of ex-husbands and a fair few jobs, ranging from working for the Department of Work and Pensions to working in a kebab shop. plus a few more in-between! Then I got a job in nursing!

I loved it. My daughter was very young then (about 2) and I was on my own, but I managed to get this job as a Healthcare Assistant at the Day Hospital, working mainly with the elderly who came in for a number of therapies and meetings, as well as to attend clinics. This seemed like the job I had been looking to do all this time.

However. my hours got changed after 18 months, and as my daughter was just starting school at 4 years old, and no longer attended nursery I had to look for something else! Funnily enough, it turned out to be in the local secondary school on the ‘Student Desk.’ What an eye-opener. I have never been sworn at so much in my life! Suffice it to say it wasn’t what I had expected it to be (huge respect to you teachers)!

Anyway, I got back together with Mr Grump at this time after 25 years apart and we got married. I managed to get back into nursing and go to University for 2 years to train for a higher position as I wanted to learn more. Again, by choice, I work with the elderly.

I feel perhaps my purpose in life was not to work with children (although I am truly blessed to have my daughter), but rather to try to help look after elderly people. To offer them a friendly face and cheery disposition, and have a few laughs with them as well.

As for what I will take home with me. I think it will be the knowledge that I have tried really hard. I have tried to instill in my daughter old-fashioned manners and consideration, and despite the challenges we have both faced, I do know that she can be compassionate and kind to others when needed. I have tried to be a good friend, a good mum (not always easy), a good wife (3rd time lucky! The other 2 husbands were not exactly the best either) and a good worker (I know at least I got that bit right)!

I would like to nominate the following, should they wish to participate:

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Episode 360: If You Can’t Stand The Heat….

June 5, 2015/Judy E Martin/33 Comments

I mentioned before that us Brits like to moan about the weather and are never satisfied! Summer started off as a bit of a damp squib, but today was a balmy 25 degrees Celsius, (around 77 Fahrenheit) and we had a couple of thunderstorms chucked in to mix it up a bit. so it all amounted to a very humid and muggy day with bursts of beautiful hot sunshine

A couple of weeks ago my boss sent my to the laundry as one of the pens had leaked in my dress pocket leaving an unsightly small black blob over my left boob, and she wanted me to go and get it changed. I didn’t dare tell her that the stain on that dress was pretty old and the mess I had made on my dress the day before was much worse. Instead of leaving the ink stain alone (it was one of the gel pens) I decided to rub at it with an antibacterial wipe, thereby spreading this huge black mass over my entire boob!

I went to the laundry and sweet-talked the assistant into letting me have the one dress that was there (not many people wear the same uniform as me) and she put in an order for 3 more which would take a few days to arrive.

That was fine. I dropped off the other dresses the next day and was off last week anyway. I went back to collect my new dresses on Tuesday but was met by a very sour assistant who was not happy that I had managed to swap all my dresses, and moaned that her colleague ‘had only been there 5 mins and didn’t know what she was doing!’ Anyway, she gleefully told me that mine hadn’t arrived and they didn’t have any in my size (which she decided to say out loud).

Great, that left me with one dress. I went back again after a while. still not in. I wore the dress in yesterday and although I did manage to get it washed, was too lazy to iron it this morning so wore my tunic and trousers. It was unbearably hot up on that ward today. Most of us had sweat literally dropping off us (what a shame that fat doesn’t melt off in the heat). I wished I had ironed that dress!

The nice assistant from the laundry phoned me up to let me know that my dresses will not be ready until 17th JULY, for Christ’s sake! When I got home I had a lovely heat rash around my ankle just above my socks. Nice! Looks like that one dress is going to get a lot of wear over the next month and I am going to have to stop being too lazy to iron it I might even have to hope that the weather is grotty again!

Rhyme and No Reason!

Blogger, author and rhymester who likes to find the humour in life.

Tag: hospital

#JusJotJan 2018. January 1st Drama

I’m Not Good At Goodbyes!

An Open Letter to Patient’s Relatives.

Episode 463: Tuesday Tidbit: Foreign Bodies (18+)

Episode 447: Off-Key.

Episode 425: A Little Extra Tuesday Tidbit

Episode 401: Sweating it Out!

Episode 380: Heading South

Episode 370: The Purpose of My Life!

Episode 360: If You Can’t Stand The Heat….

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Blogger, author and rhymester who likes to find the humour in life.

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