still adjusting...

I met a nurse from England that jokingly said, oh I always wanted to go to Chicago and to see if I could run into George Clooney. I was very confused by this as I didn't get the connection of George Clooney to Chicago. She quickly filled me in that it had to do with the TV show ER. Which explains why the other day when I told somebody I was from the Chicago area, they said oh Cook County? I had to clarify that yes I live in Cook County, but I am not a nurse at the very famous Cook County Hospital.

Yesterday was my 1st day off of orientation, and it was pretty hard for me. It was busy, but even others said it was busy, so I am hopefull that it doesn't get much busier than that. It is the unfamiliarity of taking care of pediatric patients, combined with extensive dressing changes on wounds. I am learning some interesting new things. One of the patients has staph growing in her wound so she is on antibiotics, but we are also changing her dressings and soaking her wounds with 1/3 vinegar and 2/3rds saline for 10minutes because vinegar helps kill staph. I've never done that before. The other day, when changing a little girls dressing, the nurse spread honey over the open areas. Bacteria like to eat honey, so by putting honey on the wound, the bacteria will come to the surface. How cool is that! After work I walked out on the dock for 10 minutes to cool off (in the extreme heat and humidity) and decided I need to quit freaking out, calm down and accept help when it is offered to me. One of the nurses at lunch told me she just does the best she can. Pray for me that I do the best I can, and that I don't make mistakes that can harm anyone. Well, I gotta go check on my laundry, I will add more later today...