Mary, an LPN works at a nursing home. She experiences many trials, tribulations, and happy moments as she lives, works, and plays..
Excerpt
The Happy Heart Nursing Home was in its normal rhythm, crazy as usual, and supper had just finished. Mary Cappella, who was an LPN, was working on her next set of medications to administer to the residents. She was tall, had long brown hair tied back in a ponytail that went past her shoulders, and a well toned body. She heard a faint quick clicking of shoes behind her. She found this amazing in a way as the noise of the floor usually kept such faint sounds from being noticed. She turned to see one of the aides approaching very quickly looking harried which wasn't unusual for a dementia floor.
Mary asked, "What’s the matter Anita?"
The aide stopped as she reached Mary and replied, “It seems that Helen is having trouble getting Norman to take his meds."
Mary inwardly sighed and nodded as she locked her med cart and followed the aide. Norman was sitting in his chair with an angry scowl on his face and was glaring at Helen. “Get this idiot out of my room NOW and take that poison with you!” he yelled.
As Mary entered the room Norman looked at her and his eyes softened. "Where did you go, I thought you left me," stated Norman.
"I am working on the other floor today as Lisa is sick," said Mary.
"Well let Helen go there and you stay here with me as you are the only one in this place who knows what she is doing," said Norman.
"I am sorry Norman but, I know how to do both floors and Helen does not," said Mary.
Out in the hall loud clicking footsteps could be heard and the evening supervisor, Triana Baumgartner, appeared in the doorway of Norman's room. "Mary what are you doing in this room? Don't you have meds to be given on the floor you were assigned to today?" asked Triana.
"Yes I do, but Anita came to get me to help Helen encourage Norman to take his medication," replied Mary.
"I think Helen is fully capable of giving Norman his medication. You need to get back to your floor and finish your med pass," said Triana in a stern tone.
Mary sighed again and turned to leave to resume her med pass.
Norman said, "Don't leave me Mary, you are the only one who cares what happens to me and I know no one else does."
"Why Norman," Triana said, "We all care about you. What is this you are saying?"
"Mary knows my way of doing things and she does things right and she takes the time to show she cares and no one does it the way Mary does," said Norman.
"Well Helen is a well trained nurse too and she knows what she is doing and you need to take your medicine so the LNA can help you get ready for bed," said Triana
"Ok, but only if Mary checks the medicine cup to see if they are all in there," said Norman.
Mary took the medicine cup from Helen's hands and looked inside and saw that the three pills that he took were present. Triana glared at her as she did so. "Its ok Norman, they are the right ones and you can take them for Helen now please," said Mary. Norman took the pill cup from Helen's hand and swallowed them with the water Helen offered.
After Triana and Helen left the room Norman said to Mary, "I miss you when you are not here. You are not like the others. I wish they made more like you Mary," he said.
"Thank you Norman. You are a good man at heart and they are trying," said Mary.
"Yes but its not the same when you are not here to give me my medicine," said Norman.
"Have a good sleep Norman and I should be back here tomorrow," said Mary.
Mary was half way back to her floor when Eliza, another LNA, came out looking frantic.
"Come quickly! Alena is on the floor and she is bleeding from her head!" exclaimed Eliza.
Mary quickened her steps and stopped briefly at the desk to page the supervisor and got the treatment cart and pushed it near Alena's room.
As Mary entered the room she noticed Alena in the doorway of the bathroom on the floor with a nasty gash on her forehead and moaning.
"Alena can you hear me? Are you ok?" shouted Mary.
"Oooooooo my head hurts so bad, "moaned Alena.
"Lie still Alena. We have to wait for the supervisor," stated Mary.
"I was just trying to go to the bathroom. I had to go sooooo bad," said Alena.
"I know Alena but with your Parkinson's you need us to help you get to the bathroom," stated Mary.
"But you all take so long and my pee pill works so quickly," said Alena
Triana then entered the room and declared, "What is going on here? Mary this is what happens when you leave the floor and step in where you don't belong! You can now return to your med cart and finish your med pass and I will take over here!"
"Yes Triana, I am going now and thank you for your help," said Mary.
Mary soon had the rest of her med pass done and made sure her meds were all given and signed for. Then she locked her cart and went to the desk.
Triana was there calling Alena's doctor and family then hung up. "Dr. Smitey has ordered Alena to go to the ER for eval and treatment," stated Triana. "Get the Incident/Fall form packet and the Transfer to hospital packet and start filling it out. I will start the neuro check form."
Mary had started the transfer to the hospital packet and had completed all the forms and copies needed She called the ambulance and they were there promptly.
Triana gave the envelope with the filled out data and copies in the manila envelope to the ambulance crew and gave them a run down of what had happened. One of the male ambulance attendants smiled at Mary. Triana noticed and glared at Mary for a few seconds. They left with Alena on the stretcher and the siren could be heard. It stopped when it arrived at the nearby Xavier Memorial Hospital.
Triana soon left the floor and Helen joined Mary at the nurses station. Mary was working on the incident packet for Triana to pick up and completed the supervisors report sheet.
"Are all evenings like this?" Helen asked.
"This is the dementia floor Helen; it’s a different world than the rehab unit you work on isn't it?" Mary asked
"You aren't kidding! I am glad I only float here once in a while I don't know how you do this five days a week," said Helen. "How long have you been a nurse Mary?"
"I became a nurse right out of high school and started working when I was nineteen. I first worked in another nursing home for five years then came here fifteen years ago. I am now thirty-nine and, man has the years flown by," said Mary.
"Wow, I have only been a nurse for two years and been here for only one year," said Helen. "I am in school to get my RN and I want to be a Nurse Practitioner someday."
Mary checked over the LNA paper work and then finished the charting she needed to do. The drug delivery came and Helen and Mary had that dealt with in short order. Triana came to get the supervisors report so she could report off to her relief then the night relief aides and nurse came off the elevator.
"Hi Amy, Megan, and Sally," said Helen and Mary in unison.
"What a evening this was! Norman wouldn't take his meds and Alena fell in the bathroom and she is at Xavier right now. We don't know if they will admit her or not," Mary said wearily.
Mary and Helen gave report to Amy the nurse and counted the narcotics on the cart then got their coats and purses. Then wearily they got on the elevator to take them to the ground floor so they could swipe out and go to their cars to drive home.
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