Well I have returned to work. My year of vacation (as my husband called it) is over. I have been back for four shifts. I thought I might die after the first but it has gotten better with each shift. It really has not taken me long to get back into the swing of things. Actually I am little amazed that it really doesn't feel like I was gone at all. I super excited that I started two IVs, both were hard starts. It really boosted my confidence and I have to admit that I was really worried that my skills would be super rusty after a year off.
I am really enjoying my patients as well. It is such a great feeling to be caring for them. Although I am enjoying being back all the old frustrations are there too. I am so upset with the state of health care in this province and for that matter this country.
It is so frustrating to see our elderly and ill treated so poorly. There needs to be more staff. In my opinion there is no reason that a person should become dehydrated while in the hospital. But unfortunately this happens all to often especially with the elderly. Is so many cases they can not drink by themselves and they need help. But there is not enough staff and everyone is so busy with other tasks that these people are left for extended periods of time and not able to get themselves something to drink.
Our system lacks efficiency. There is so much money wasted because health care professionals are not allowed to perform all the duties that they are educated to do. Take nurses for example, I know when someone needs to have a CBC or urinalysis performed but I have to call a Dr to give me permission to run the test. In my opinion that is waste of money. I have the training and the ability to know that my patient needs to see a Speech language pathologist or a physio therapist yet I can not consult them without a Dr's order. I feel that there is no reason that I as a RN should be interrupting a Dr at his clinic to ask him if it is ok to check someones urine or to swab their wound for infection. This is a waste of resources, time and money. The faster our Governments and hospital administrators figure this out the faster we will be on the road to better health care in this province and country.
I could gone on for ever about this subject but this is my rant for tonight.
