until someone dies.

Yes, yes I know I am working with people who will at some stage pass on. but you know, you know, I really didn’t have to experience it before. I never never had to worry about that before. And you know, I really really hate farewells.

But knowing is different from experiencing. and experiencing it, no matter how long you have known as person, is still a hurtful process. The good thing is, at least one of them three have said her peace.

and at least, at the very least, I know I have touched someone.

and people wonder why I carry a rosary around – THIS is why.

Current Mood:  blah

-things you learn while learning to be a nurse:

1) In case of fire, people within the immediate are of the fire will die in 90s seconds – from smoke inhalation than from the actual fire.

2) there are 3 types of extinguishers: water, CO2 and baking soda. realise that there’s 2 of those already sitting in your kitchen, and within reach if a fire starts in your kitchen.

3) Dementia is but a broad term for a huge range of medical problems, the most significant being memory loss. However, with the current technology, it is believed that i can be at least partially cured. maybe!

4) People who lives to a hundred still exists – and there’s many of them!

5) vanity still exists at 100. So does pride and ego.

6) not all health care professionals are health care professionals coz they care. Sometimes, they seriously don’t.

In the absence of an anticipated staff meeting yesterday, we ended up doing partially independent ward rounds. This was restricted to feeding, bed-making and just socialising with the residents. It is quite an eye-opener and again and again, as I held their hands and talked to them, I feel like such a lucky, lucky person.

I think what truly amazes me is the reaction of people around me. People were genuinely worried that I might freak out working with the elderly, or would be quite uncomfortable anyways; that I might walk out of it because I dislike it; that (and this is from the facility workers themselves) I would be unhappy with any of the conditions that they set upon us.

The truth is, I have never been happier. So far, the fellow trainees and I get along extremely well, except for the too-shy ones whereby we haven’t quite communicated as much. The staffs themselves exhibit no “superiority”, and were all genuinely concerned about helping us learn the ropes or show us the residents.

The residents themselves have been more than eager to have a chat with us! And because, really, this is their home, I am more than comforted by that fact alone.

the past two week have been an immense amount of knowledge increment. We were taught everything that everyone takes for granted at, say, a retail workplace. Each day is dedicated to a certain specific topic or two. For example, the first day and a half alone was spent on infection control, with a strong concentration on handwashing. Eventually, we even had an assessment on that (HAH I PASSED!).

There was another 2 days spent on OHS and manual handling. What’s the right way of carrying things, lifting residents, legal implications on employers and employees should they not be followed…. The way these were even mentioned to me in previous work places were as if they were yet another unimportant detail they have to read. Sometimes, it took all of 5 mins for me to finish the “OHS Training”.

It’s been overwhelming and incredibly amazing – even though i haven’t start on my ward rounds yet.

Next week, we are heading up to the wards, and starting on learning how to make beds (OMFG I AM GOING TO SO F-KING FAIL THAT!!!) and feeding… and just chatting to residents. muahahaha, muahahaha… !!!

Current Mood:  chipper