I have officially been on the unit for 1 week! and been at Youville for almost 3. It is crazy how quickly the time passes.
the first week and a half of hospital orientation was good, but boring as we sat in a classroom all day and i tried to adjust to sitting for so long. Now i'm adjusting to standing all day, and I have to say- my feet are very tired!!
over the past couple weeks, I have gotten to know the CNA's, transports, and other employees- it is so fun to walk down the hall and have people call hello! Its starting to feel natural to be at Youville and its also starting to be fun. I know my way around 2West and can find the things I"m looking for. I have also helped other people find what they need!
I have also been getting to know the patients.
My favorite patient is a man with an open stoma in his neck (he cannot talk) he is very expressive and writes on a white board. I have worked with him several times, but today i stopped in just to say hi. He asked me about my christmas plans and i was able to tell him about my parents living in Japan. I have never seen someone get excited like he did! it was incredible to see his entire body light up! It turns out he has studied the Japanese alphabets and loves the language. I wrote up some papers for him to 'de-code' and everyone could see how excited he was. He couldn't wait to get at those papers and figure them all out!
I have another patient who is dying from cancer of the tongue/throat. She and her husband have been married 65 years and I feel like i'm watching a movie when i talk with him. They often nap together, her in the hospital bed, him in a chair next to it, holding hands. When you ask him what he did for a living he replies that he loved his wife. He is so eager to help and so good at anticipating her needs, that I have very little to do for her.
Its moments like these that I am so thankful for my job. While these situations did not occur because of my advanced knowledge, or nursing skills, working in a hospital allows you to enter people's lives in such a unique way. I know that these people I'm working with are dramatically touching my life
In my spare time, I'm also seeing more of Boston. Recently, I have travelled the Freedom Trail, shopped the pastry shops of the North End, eaten on Newbury St., hung out in the commons, run a 5k in Somerville, and officially joined a gym! Life seems to be going full-pace and I see no sign of slowing down... I will be working my first holiday on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day, but got enough time in between days to visit home in North Carolina and see the whole family!
I've also been celebrating Advent, and I have to say, I am anticipating so much this year! Snow, family, traveling... I have come to understand the idea of anticipation much more completely! I can not wait to celebrate the biggest anticipation: the birth of the Messiah!! what an exciting time of year this truly is!
