When Home and Work Collide Part 2

As you guys know, I am a nurse in the MICU at hospital around here. I end up relating a lot of my life to nursing. Things like care plans, measuring urine, checking out people's veins, etc are just second nature to me, so it makes sense that I often compare my work at work to my work at home.

For example:

1. Trying to keep people in their beds.

at home of course it is all about keeping the kids in their beds at night. At work it is all about keeping the detoxing alcoholics, the craving nicotine addicts and the "pleasantly confused" elderly patients in their beds. One place it is legal to use restraints. Can you guess where?

2. Keeping track of everyone's bodily functions

at work I have to chart bowel movements, urine outputs, stomach contents etc. Very important information. At home I have to keep track of it too. If Lincoln hasn't pooped yet when we are heading out the door, I need to make sure I have wipes, diapers etc. I could go on...but I won't.

3. Dealing with constant requests

Family members asking for blankets, parking vouchers, cups of ice. Other nurses asking for turns, narcotic wasting and blood product cosigns. At home it is "I need more milk", "where is my blanket", "can we go to a restaurant", "read to me" etc.

4. Never getting a chance to pee

this is why I live in a chronic state of dehydration. And I know it is not healthy. But I don't have time to pee or eat at work, and I don't have time at home either.

5. The end of shift report

This one has been heavy on my heart lately. I feel like Noah and I need to spend more time together as a family- all 5 of us. Doing stuff instead of just handing the kids off to one another. But doesn't it feel like shift work, sometimes? Noah will be home in an evening and he will say, "you want a break from the kids? This would be a good opprotunity to take it!" Which is really nice, and I appreciate it, but sometimes I want to spend time together with him and them. I enjoy them more if I am not the only one chasing them across the park and if there is another adult trying to keep the balloon off the ground in balloon volleyball.

But so often it turns into an end of shift report:

N walks in

J: "Yeah, you are home! Now lets quick eat so I can get to the grocery store by myself. Roman is tired, he needs early bedtime. Lincoln is freshly changed and in his jammies, Deacon and Roman can't watch any tv because I caught them on the computer without permission. Any questions, catch me on my cell. Oh and call me if you need anything at the store."

J walks in with all the groceries:

J: "sorry that took me so long. I know you need to go to broomball. What is going on?"

N: "yeah, I need to leave. They have all been brushed and read to and rocked. The older ones are still awake. I told them I would check on them in a little bit and they can only have their tape flipped one more time. See ya."

I could give a lot more examples, but you know what I mean? (maybe?) It is a report. What needs to be done next. What the plan is. What needs to happen. Obviously we need to trade off sometimes. And I am so thankful to have someone to trade off with, but I wish there were more times of not trading off and of just being home. All 5 of us. Together.

And that is one wish I do not have for me and my patients and coworkers.