Whirlwind!!!!

I've been on my floor orientation for a week. Some days I've just followed, some I've taken a patient or two, just whatever the preceptor wanted. Since I'm not an RN, I can't do IV pushes or hang chemo yet, but everyone has been so good about running in and saying, "I've got a patient about to -fill in the blank- so do you want to watch/do it?" Thanks to them, because yesterday (my first full 12 hour shift), we had a very full house. Every bed occupied with one poor man in the hallway for two and a half hours while we scrambled to discharge someone to find him a spot. One nurse called in and there were no floats available. An hour and a half into the shift, my preceptors child got sick and she had to leave PDQ. The charge nurse asked what I wanted to do since there were now four patients who needed a nurse and everyone else had four or five. I gulped and said, "What the heck, I'll take them all." I did it. All the meds got passed, charting got done and on time to boot, beds and baths done, and one got discharged with all paper work done and one got transferred with all reports and charts with her. I have never been so tired in my life. I have never had so much fun in my life. I love these patients and the nurses who work on this floor. Despite any awful things they say amongst themselves, when they are in the rooms or within earshot of patients or families, they are pros of the highest order. You have never seen such a caring group of women. I am so lucky.