Learning

I've been challenged by a lot of things in the last two days, most of them interior. Or, maybe I should say, my limitations confronting the demands of the world.

I'm challenged by my temper. I'm playing around in my mind with the comment by a person who used to be my counselor, that anger = fear. I seem to have an ample amount of both anger and anxiety. So my challenge at work lately is my own temper. To be challenged by a note from the committee invested in responding to and preventing falls by residents at work: notes that appear to attack me personally. So I responded by grumbling which escalated to venting which gained volume to an inappropriate level. I was cautioned to keep my voice to an indoor level; also it was reported that I said, "Dammit." I'm thinking, "That's the only swear word I used? Oh, thank God!"

I'm challenged by being in three meetings, yet being given more paperwork, and being informed the charge nurses need to leave the desk periodically. What's wrong with this scenario?

I was challenged today by again needing to participate in a "status meeting" for a resident, without any particular prior preparation. I ended up facing about eight middle-aged children of a resident, all complaining that she oughtn't to be taking Ativan. Later I looked it up and realized, she has her own power of attorney, and can take whatever medications she agrees to. But I also charted that there are alternative medications she could take, or even have a mental health evaluation.

The high point of my day was seeing the charge nurse from Pink Wing confronting the receptionist [who publishes the census sheets for each hall] about our mutual desire to have the name of the MD for each resident listed on the census sheet. She stood up and said, "The charge nurses are responsible for running the unit and it's our decision to list the doctor's name on the census sheet." Her assertiveness blew me away.