What has become of me

Two years ago I was working as a CNA on the 2nd floor of Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Hospital.

We worked mostly with Knee and Hip surgeries but, our floor also specialized in Quads and

Paraplegics (sp?). I'm 26 and have been an aid for almost 10 years...ya'll do the math. I love

working in hospitals.

The nurses have always loved me. I get what needs to be done done, on time, and correctly the

first time. My parents are both nurses and I grew up around it. They would've killed me if I

turned out to be one of those lazy aids who wasn't worth their weight in dead clown shit.

This has been a problem for me at times though. You see I have 'such a mouth' on me and I

know I am the bomb, baby, yeah. So when I feel as if I've been dumped on or am being taken

advantage of I speak my mind...Especially if I'm in the right! I hate to say that when work is

concerned I usually am.

We had two head nurses (yeah, go ahead and make the joke...It is funny and I've always

enjoyed it). The one nurse I absolutely loved and the other was a complete bitch. They both

loved me. And why not, they never had to tell me it was time for my rounds as I was already in

the midst of doing them. If they needed a blood pressure on a hard patient they didn't have to

worry either. Even if I had to grab the Doppler to get a pulse I could get an accurate

reading...So they didn't have to double check my work. Even if I wasn't their aid I would lend a

hand...I learned early if you offer help, help will be given back to you and it creates a buddy

system when you're having a bad night. My rooms were always clean and I could run circles

around most of them.

Needles to say when I have had a problem I have people to back me up because nobody wants

me to quit, LOL. Even the patients loved me because I bent over backwards for them if they

did what they needed to do.

I had only worked there for about 4 months when we got a new nurse. She was right out of

Nursing School but, I must say she was not very green. Yeah, she did have some things to learn

but, she had the knowledge and the determination to get things done. One thing about her

though...She had cerebral Palsy (sp? God, I hate spelling...I should go on to be a doctor, lol) and

was slower than some of the nurses. She wasn't a sever case but, she walked with a limp and

had to do some things differently. It didn't bother me...She got things done and though it took a

few more minutes they were done properly. That's all I've ever been concerned about...Doing

things right.

The other aids and nurses were bitching about her "slowness" the one night as we walked the

"mile" to and from the adjoining hospital's cafeteria. I got pissed off. First off, if you're going to

talk shit on someone you should have the balls to do it where they can defend themselves and

not snickering behind their backs. Second not one of them was bitching about anything that

made any kind of difference as to her performing her job.

So I said as much...And shame on them for kicking someone with a disability. After all we

worked at a rehab center to help people function with their disabilities and yet they are making

fun and bitching about a nurse who can do her job with just such a disability?! They should be

praising her accomplishments because I know that several of the bitches talking smack about

her couldn't do their damned job right if it weren't for the rest of the bitches kicking in. And

here this other nurse is doing it all by herself and correctly.

They all just looked at me and no one spoke another word for the remainder of the walk. Hell, I

didn't care...They did need to think about it.

So when we got back to the floor I took "the nurse" outside and ate lunch with her. It turns out

we're both Librans and share a lot of stuff incommon. We've talked ever since...Her husband is

just like mine even.

I just got done talking with her, as a matter of fact, which prompted this post.

She had to have surgery on her leg again for her "CP" and now they've found some sort of

tumor on her ovary. She has to wait about a week before they find out if it is cancerous or not.

So I'll be heading over there for some margaritas and a shoulder to cry on tonight. Please hope

with me that it is not cancer. This woman is the one who talked me into going back to school to

get my RN and I owe her a lot. Mostly the fact that she showed me her paycheck one night and

I about fainted...Which is what made my mind up to head back to school. Yeah, I definitely want

to make about $2000 every two weeks because my husband doesn't make even as much as the

one paycheck for the whole month and we're stretching it across him, myself, and our two

children's living expenses. Sad but, it was what motivated me to go back to school...My goal is to

not have to worry about "getting the bills paid" and "having grocery money left over" and "gas

money left over." That and I'm so poor that the government is giving me all the grant and

scholarship money I need to go to school.

Hey Babs, Rathwel, Ya'll should see if you qualify for some grants and stuff...Yeah school sucks

but it means more money! Just a thought.