Back to the ICU!
Hey ya’ll,
I’m just checking in. My social media hiatus is going well. The first week and a half were just getting caught up on rest and getting back to having a more consistent routine. At work, the atmosphere is somewhat tense and haunting... that whole looming gloom thing, but we are trucking along. Amongst all the COVID-19 madness, so many of our lives have changed somewhat drastically. All staff who work in step-down/intermediate care areas are now being up-trained (mandatory) to be able to care for ICU patients. For many of us in the float pool, like myself, it’s more of a refresher since we’ve worked in ICUs in the past.
As you know, a little over a year ago, I proclaimed to have retired from ICU nursing. I stepped away for a reason. Not because I hated it, not because I was burnt out, but for many reasons that I didn't have. I was ready for something new. The CVICU created the foundation of my nursing career, and I will forever be grateful for that, but going back leaves feeling stuck in limbo. I’m not upset, not necessarily eager to get back to caring for critical care patients. Like many nurses, I do have this underlying sense of duty to make myself available and use my skills and training to the max to help out during this crisis. I’ll figure my feelings out and update you guys later.
On a positive note, I’ve caught up on my laundry and have been getting a lot more personal and academic writing done. Full transparency... I’ve also watched my fair share of Netflix.. 😂 and I don’t regret it. It’s only in the last week or two that the realities of everything have hit me. As things I’ve been anticipating get canceled and my favorite places (the bookstores and coffee shops) have closed, I’ve realized how much I relied on those things to help me feel sane.
Anyway, know that I’m well and happy and at peace, despite the chaos, the world is in. I hope the same is the case for all of you, at least in some measure.
Also, I am giving my BB-8 badge reel a much-needed break! I now have a NASA badge Real that I need out over, it matches my NASA work backpack! 🤩🤩🤩 I feel like a real #NASANurse now!
Happy Nursing!
Patrick
