I hate being late

Today was truly terrible. Actually it started yesterday when it took me three hours to get to Ft. Lewis, get through the gate, get my hospital ID badge, get my computer password to access the charting system, and eat lunch. Then it took two more hours to figure out which patient might be staying at least 24 hours and compile huge amounts of data to figure out later.

I was late getting home and it was my last chance to go dress shopping for homecoming with Jumah. Then I was late starting on homework, late getting the house ready for missional community, late getting the cornbread in the oven, late getting the kids to bed, late starting more homework, late getting to sleep, and late waking up this morning.

I DID get the children to school on time.

After that, things seemed to improve. Until I realized (too late) that I had an additional piece of paperwork due today at clinical. I scrambled to finish it, but couldn't. And I shouldn't have tried, because that scramble made me late to print my paperwork, late to leave the house, late to get to the gate, and eventually, late to clinical. Which is grounds for being sent home and failing the whole assignment, but my instructor was feeling generous.

I learned right away that my patient had moved to another floor and I needed to pick a new one. And compile new piles of data to figure out. I started on that and within an hour the doctors decided to send my new patient home. So I picked another patient (my 3rd for the night). My instructor promptly showed up to check on me right as she was violently vomiting up her dinner. After cleaning that up, I got to answer a million questions about all three of my patients and anything else I might have ever learned in nursing school. Then I got to spend four more hours following the Madigan nurses around like a shadow, not getting to actually DO anything. Pure torture.

Yes, I know that in six short months I will be caring for more than one patient at a time. But I won't be having to do 8 hours of paperwork beforehand to prove that I'm smart enough to do so.

So now that I feel completely incompetent, I'm going to try to sleep and wake up to spend the weekend studying for a test on Monday. Maybe at least I won't be late.