Two Weeks: "Back to Back" Shifts

 Two weeks in! And all is well on the boat. 

Finally getting into the groove of ship nursing a little bit more, getting to know the kids, and they are finally becoming their little gremlin selves again! Most are 4-5 days post op or more, and they are up and awake and wanting to wheel around in wheelchairs and play games and "dance" and are more active! Which is GREAT!!!! But also terrible for my back hahah. 


So many of our kids have both of their legs casted, which means they are still not walking, and have to be lifted to and from bed. To and from the wheelchair. To and from the toilet. To and from the bedpan. We only work 8 hour shifts on the boat, but I worked 3 day shifts in a row and let me tell you...I was tired. And my back was tired. I don't think I'm out of shape...but I'm also not used to lifting 100 lbs kids up and down for 8 hours a day, 4 days a week. Also, we never got training on how to properly lift these kids with their casts and appropriate body mechanics. We don't have mobility equipment found in a lot of 1st world hospitals (ie hovermats, sara steadys, etc that you may know if you work healthcare). So I'm just kinda winging it and doing the best I can. 


But C-Ward (the kiddo ortho ward i'm working on) is known as the "loud" ward. We have a ton of kids. Always music. Kids rolling around in their wheelchairs. Arts and crafts going on. Games of Uno and Jenga and balloons bouncing around. I mean, think about it. If you had both of your legs casted for 6-8weeks,  and you couldn't leave your room, I would be sooooooo bored! The least we could do is try to provide them with some distraction and playfulness. 


As much as I am tired, I am also very much enjoying my co-workers and kiddos. Life is pretty chill on the boat so far! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Two Days In

Image
Hebrews 12:12-13  Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.   Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Mostly it's been all orientation stuff. New crew orientation, ward orientation, ship orientation, and just getting my bearings. Like I said in my previous post, there was a huge group of us who just got on board and are all learning together, which is nice! I don't feel so new and so alone. Everyone has been great and super friendly.  I will be working as a ward nurse in C-Ward, the pediatric orthopedics unit! To be honest, I'm a bit nervous. I've never really loved peds, and kids kinda freak me out, but maybe thats a good thing! Whenever I don't feel totally comfortable doing something, or feel "clunky" with a skill, I usually try to seek it out on the unit and do it over and over with another nurse. That way I don't feel so intimidated. The anxiety leading up to something I feel is always
Read more

So What Is Mercy Ships?!?

Image
 Cool! Great! So I’m going to go volunteer in Africa for 2 months with Mercy Ships…what is a Mercy Ship? Mercy Ships is an international charity based organization that operates large non-governmental hospital ships staffed with volunteer professionals to bring hope and healing to developing nations. Since starting in 1978, Mercy Ships visited more than 73 developed and underdeveloped nations world wide, with a focus on countries in Africa. One of the main services Mercy Ships offers are lifesaving medical surgeries for families suffering from disfiguring, painful and preventable diseases.  In other words, I will be working on a big floating hospital stationed off the coast of Africa! Patients come to the ship for their surgery and recovery; and from my understanding, I will be stationed as a ward nurse ON the ship.  I will be volunteering onboard their newest ship, the Global Mercy. With 6 operating rooms, it weighs approximately 37,000 tons, is 174 meters in length, and staffs ov
Read more

SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS!

Image
And not the fun kind.  I am officially medically cleared to travel to Africa! Got all my vaccinations in order; from typhoid, to yellow fever, hepatitis, Covid, tetanus and everything in between. Honestly, being a travel nurse definitely helped with that. I constantly need to get proof of immunity for my job through bloodwork and boosters, so I really only needed to pay for my typhoid and yellow fever vaccines. Which I STILL think was an absurd amount, $500 just for a yellow fever vaccine!? But according to them, it’s a one and done. So I never have to get yellow fever again. And I can continue to travel to Africa (which I technically already went to Morocco a few years ago unvaccinated so whoops)!  Now just need to pick up my malaria and gastroenteritis pills and should be set for medical.  All that’s left is packing, planning, flights, and transportation to be done within the next 31 days. And just add in my nightshift job, Christmas, new years, birthdays, and a little bit of fun an
Read more