I love my job!

I don't know if I've said it enough times but I REALLY love the people I work with..well almost all of them. They are great friends and awesome coworkers and when I move I will really, really miss them.

First, I made it to work really early by myself - like 30 minutes early. I carpool as much as I can with Jess and Janette and they would be SHOCKED by the fact that I made it their early without them.

Second thing of the day - I pulled into my parking spot and saw Ron walking into work and he waited for me. We chatted while I was walking in and I heard this huge splat right next to me on the ground- I narrowly avoided being hugely crapped on by a bird. I laughed and made a joke about yesterday being so nice and today probably should be rough and that this is the omen of the day - narrowly avoiding being crapped on. How prophetic I am without meaning to be!

Third thing of the day - Jim gave me a HUGE thing of coffee he bought for me at Costco. He had said a few weeks ago that he thought I'd like that blend and he was going to buy me some, I doubted him and thought he was just saying that and I shouldn't have doubted him. It's like 3 bags of coffee beans in one. I now have enough coffee to last me until the end of the year especially since I just bought a bag of Abba Java beans.

Sounds like the start of an awesome day, right? Well, I was sure optimistic about it.

We were busy about 2 hrs into the start of the day and it NEVER LET UP. I ended up staying an hour past when I'm supposed to leave so night shift wouldn't hate us and I usually get to leave 30 minutes before that! Jim and I stayed the latest. Cindy stayed an extra 30 minutes. Everyone else jumped ship and I didn't even see them leave. They were so overloaded and the NOD wouldn't send any help except a tech from 2N named Crystal. She was a very nice tech and did her best but that isn't another nurse.

That last hour was pretty rough because I was already feeling crappy and then went to help triage. The first time I opened the door to call my first name and this guy started yelling at me how he'd been there for 6 hrs and that they keep telling him they call in order but no one has been in order. I tried to explain triage and how it's not just time order but also the level of sickness and then he gets 2 feet away from me and is in my personal bubble and yells, "SIX HOURS!" I took a deep breath and tried to be nice again and explain that they called in TWO extra doctors and they were trying to move as fast as possible and national wait time was about the same to which he barks out, "That includes cities like NYC and this doesn't count!" My filter at that particular time broke under the pressure and what came out was the pure truth and I didn't yell this but I certainly wasn't sweet with it. "Well, SIR, this IS a city and there are many other places to go so why don't you go find good free healthcare somewhere else and scream at them. Wait, it doesn't exist. You have 2 choices, sit down and be grateful you have free healthcare and aren't sick enough to be rushed back or go somewhere else." I got a few appreciative smiles from other people and I turned and called the next person in line who just happened to be the one RIGHT before him, and told the jerk to move to allow him to come back. Do not piss of the gatekeeper of the ER! He is lucky I didn't just decide to "reassess" him and move him back.