To Assist Your Understanding

Have you always wondered what the doctor meant

when he told you

that you have an irregular heart beat?

Finally, a way to truly know......

On Stage

For some reason, I've had one thought on my mind all day long:

The earth is a stage and Heaven is the audience.

Is that original?

Did I make that up?

or was it Shakespeare? :)

Not too long ago, I cared for an elderly patient who had been devastated by a stroke. He could barely move and his speech had been reduced to unintelligible mumbling.
It was late in the evening and I entered his room and began to reposition him for his first few hours of sleep.
The door was closed.
The curtains were pulled.
As I often do, I leaned over his bed and began to softly sing Amazing Grace.
He closed his eyes and with his garbled slurred voice, began to sing along with me. The words were so slurred in fact, that had I not known the song, I wouldn't have recognized it.
He was out of breath at the end, and we were both in tears but we finished all the verses I knew.

Without a doubt, it was one of my most poignant moments in my career.
I imagine that all of Heaven paused to hear that man's song of praise.

The earth is a stage and Heaven is the audience

The Joys of Nursing

A very few of the funny moments in the professional life of Becky Russell RN:
(Real names and situations, of course, are not revealed)

**Preparing to bathe a patient,...only to discover that the lady in the next bed had already done it.

**Working for an hour or so in an patients room who was in isolation. As I prepared to exit the room, I whisked the door curtain back and saw through the glass my co-worker wrestling with our only other patient in the ICU. Cheryl had evidently been calling out for me for some time, but I never heard her.

**Calling a patient's husband at home to inform him that his wife was ready to be discharged. He told me that he did not have a ride to come get her, so I encouraged him to get someone to help him solve this problem.

He called 911.

**Looking up from my chart to see my patient coming down the hall towards me naked. I immediately got up to go towards him and he began running away from me screaming ''HELP!!! HELP!!!"....Like I was abusing him.

**Being asked to assist in the Emergency room. I went into one room to ask a man his name and he replied Buck. I wrote that down and asked his last name to which he replied "nekkid".
"Buck Nekkid" I said? "That's your name? "
I asked for ID and of course,..he had none. because he had no where to put it. He was buck nekkid.
Mr. Nekkid was treated and released.

**Having an orderly to assist me as I got an elderly lady into a chair. She was straining to help us when she.....tooted. My wonderful chivalrous orderly tried to spare her embarrassment by saying "Excuse me". She glared at him and wanted all the credit: "You didn't do that! That was MY fart!"

**Taking a life-sized Resusci-Annie home in my car. The stories here go on and on.

**A very large family member who washed and then hung out her big big panties in the waiting room to dry.

I think I may even know the lady in this video......

Early Morning Revival

What were you doing at 5:45 this morning?
That's about the time of the morning when I get into my car and head towards work.

The last few weeks have been ones of emotional conflict for me.
Last Saturday, I became involved in a situation at work (the new job which I'm struggling to enjoy) and was pretty dadgum frustrated that this "particular situation" kept me from attending Abby's band competition. I can't share details here because it would involve discussing details of a patient, but by the time I clocked out that evening, I had been stretched physically, emotionally and even spiritually.

Moments later, while in a store running an errand, Ralph called me as he sat in the stands of Forrest City High School when Abby's band marched out onto the field. He held the phone in the air and I listened to her entire band performance as I stood in the frazzlin paint section of WalMart.
I nearly cried with disappointment.

Then late last night, I became involved in another work-related situation which left me feeling exhausted.

and frustrated.

and tired.

and confused.

and scared.

So back to this morning.....

At about 5:45 this morning, I began a long hard talk with myself and had a long wonderful talk with God.

I don't claim to be one of those people who say things like "......AND GOD TOLD ME........."

Nope.

God just doesn't seem to communicate with me that way.

But this morning, I begged God to keep me passionate about life.

I begged Him (literally) to keep me "on the edge" of living all out for Him.

I've been there before and I don't want to be satisfied with anything less.

Lately, I've been spiritually tepid and I hate it.

I want to be fully there....where ever I am.

I want to live with an expectancy of watching Him work.

It's not that I've been doubting God, but more that I've been trying to figure out things by myself.

Just not involving Him much.

Going through the motions, but no real reliance on or use of Faith.

My prayers this morning brought an exciting time of clarity for me.

My situation has not changed at work, and I don't have a clue of what's in store for me, but I'm feeling much more confident that He will hold true to His word of having plans for my hope and my future.

It's all about your heart Becky.

It's all about your heart Becky.

It's all about your heart Becky.

It's all about your heart Becky

Last Day In Cardiac Rehab

I took a bunch of pictures but can not post most of them because of HIPPA laws.

However, a few photos just have my co-workers.

Here are Daniel and Levi appearing all professional.

These two fellas are notorious for lifting cell phones out of unsuspecting patient's pockets and then changing the screen to their photograph.

I happen to know, however, that they are not angelic as they appear here.

They doctored the above picture on my camera into the photo you see below.

and here you will see that Levi has stolen MY glasses


and Daniel has stolen MY doughnut.

Below is a fuzzy picture of me and Deonna that I would

remove from this blog if I could figure how.

My other nurse co-worker Julie only had her pic taken with other patients

so I can't show her on here.

Glen is my boss. The picture below is a rare one

because he never lets us photograph him.
(Levi stuck his hand around the corner of the door to snap this pic)

Our work station

and the exercise area which is usually FULL of patients!

I deeply love this team and will miss working with them!

My Job

Many of you have asked (thank you) about my job status ever since I mentioned here that the one I loved for the past 3.5 years has "gone away". (grrr)

Here's the scoop:

When my current job in cardiac rehab was phased out, I was promised a job in a small new unit called Cardiac Observation. Basically, it's a place cardiac patients can stay a few hours or perhaps the night while we monitor them.

I already know and love the staff and I don't particularly mind the 12 hours shifts but,.. the bad part is, that I am scheduled to work every other Saturday. Now that I just cain't do!

My humble (but important to me) social calender is booked!

Going to watch the Razorbacks gives me the excuse to go spend the weekend with Casey. Also Abby Rae has band competitions which is the funnest thing I've gotten to be involved in with her. These band competitions rank right up there with Jae's competitive Cheerleading competitions and Casey's ball tournaments.

So. I've been job-hunting.

Three interviews later, I am convinced that for the time being, I am to go on and park my little ole self in the Cardiac Observation Unit for awhile. There is a job on the horizon which I hope will pan out in the next few weeks, but until then,..I will give my patients and co-workers my undivided enthusiasm (which very well could overwhelm them - hee hee).

This week I'm on vacation.
My accomplishments for the week?
I finished off an entire package of Double-Stuff Oreos.