Author: Julie Kay
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š I See You – Appreciation Post
There are moments in this job that remind you exactly why the right people matter. This weekend, one of our newer aides ā who just graduated ā showed what real care looks like. We had a new resident who was struggling with confusion and anxiety (which is completely expected). Instead of rushing through the moment…
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A Stable Father’s Day Weekend (Suspiciously Stable)
This weekend was…..stable. And in long-term care, stable is basically the gold standard ā like, we donāt ask questions, we just say thank you and keep it moving. It was Father’s Day weekend, which was noticeably quieter than Mother’s Day. We only have five men on our unit, so it wasn’t exactly a full production.…
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Back in the Groove…Kind of
Senior Week is officially behind us, and my daughter has wrapped up her primary school era. Between endāofāMay chaos and earlyāJune celebrations, life has been a whirlwind. Beautiful, emotional, exhausting ā all of it. But now that graduation is over, I can finally feel some of that weight sliding off my shoulders. Itās been about…
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So Much for a Quiet Weekendš
So much for a quiet weekend…who am I kidding? I had to send another resident out. At this point, it’s becoming a trend —- every weekend I worked lately, someone ends up taking a little filed trip to the hospital. Love that for me. š This one was different, though. He’s on hospice…and of course…
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And It’s Only 1030….š
This weekend has been one of those “is it the full moon or just healthcare?” kind of weekends. One of the residents had an unwitnessed fall – totally fine all day and night – then wakes up confused, incoherent and seeing bugs on the dining room table. Of course. He’s a frequent fall, stubborn, independent…
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š©ŗ When You Lose a Resident You Barely Knew
Losing residents is part of the job.You know that going in. But no one really talks about what it feels like when you lose someoneā¦and youāre not sure how youāre supposed to feel. Within a few weeks, we lost two residents. And I sat there thinkingāam I sad?I think I amā¦ but not the way…
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š Side Eye of the Shift (The āNothing Happenedā Shift)
Nothing eventful really happened todayā¦which in healthcare usually means everything went right for once. We had a call out, but somehow still made it work. Two overnight aides assisted for morning care. everyone was up, out of bed, washed up, and had breakfast by 9. Honestly? A successful day in my book. Families were in…
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š Side Eye of the Shift
Tonight D had to be changed four times between 7pm and 10pm.FOUR. Large. Soft. Formed. At some point, you stop questioning life and just start speed-walking down the hallway with wipes, gloves, and pure survival instincts. And can we talk about how once you work with adults, diapers suddenly become ābriefsā? Like excuse meā¦that is…
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š©ŗ I Hope I Was a Good Nurse Today
It was one of those days. My feet are throbbing.My brain feels like itās still running.And Iām replaying everything I didā¦ and everything I didnāt. I felt like I wasnāt as helpful as I shouldāve been.Like I was always one step behind.A little panicked. A little scattered. And I hate that feeling. I had just…
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Peds vs Memory Care: Same Chaos, Different Size Humans
Iāve worked with two very different patient populationsāpediatrics and memory care.And honestly? Thereās not much of a difference. Someone is always asking for snacksā¦ or ice creamā¦ like they havenāt eaten all day. In pediatrics, giving medication? You better tap into your inner negotiator. Weāre talking bribery, bargaining, and Oscar-worthy performances just to get Tylenol…
š Scrubs and Side Eyes 