#bmt nurse

[we-are-all-eventual-ghosts]

Happy Nurses Week!!!!!

and Happy National Nurse's Day!!!!!

😘😘❤️❤️

[we-are-all-eventual-ghosts]

So I'm sure some of you have heard about the ignorant comments made by a Washington state senator this week about nurses.

I don't play cards. I may have it very lucky at my hospital here in Denver, but I and the rest of my fellow nursing coworkers don't play cards. There hasn't been a shift lately where the ICU hasn't been nuts. We've lost so many patients. And being on a bone marrow transplant unit, we basically struggle to keep our patients alive until the bitter end (and if that wasn't hard enough, ugh.) Our doctors don't like failure or disappointment, and a patient dying is just that. It's - difficult to put into words, but I can say we do a lot with so little and for patients of all genders, ethnicities, religions, weights, skin color, disabilities, diseases, and much more.

But we don't play cards. I've never been on a unit more cohesive than the one I am now. Everyone helps everyone. We come together for patients. We answer call lights for patients that aren't under our current care assignment. We get supplies and help turn patients and clean patients up. We get patients water and Subway and crackers and we even restart their heart if necessary. We give nausea meds and antifungals, antivirals, antibiotics, and immunosuppressants. We give chemotherapy and life-saving protonix and stem cells. We manage drips and blood draws, heart monitors and vitals - SO MANY VITALS.

I didn't become a nurse to sit down and play cards. I am physically, mentally, and emotionally tired after every 12 hour shift, but I wouldn't have it any other way. So no, I don't play cards. Breaks are necessary and my patients deserve my everything when I am at work.

[we-are-all-eventual-ghosts]

ANC over 100 for the first time in over three months - time to celebrate. :) When you've been in the hospital 2+ months already, so far from family - it's hard. I'm so happy for my patient, he's doing so much better. Hopefully we can kick him out soon! Come on immune system!

[we-are-all-eventual-ghosts]

Anddddd renewed my chemotherapy biotherapy certification. I can continue giving chemo for two more years! The test was wayyyy too easy 🙄 But as my fav charge nurse said, it's the same every time because of the case studies. Go figure.

[we-are-all-eventual-ghosts]

Gotta get ready for workkkkk. But hey I get to see my BFF (we work together, how awesome!), and give chemo!!!! More Busulfan. Since night shift only (on the reg) gives four chemos: Cytarabine, Etoposide, Fludarabine, and Busulfan. Oh and I'll probably be finishing cells again!

I'm just kind of excited for my job 🤪

[we-are-all-eventual-ghosts]

Finally got to buy a book I have wanted forever - Hematologic Malignancies in Adults!

To the layperson, I sound really, really morbid because it’s basically a book about blood cancers, and we all fucking hate cancer. But I’m an oncology/bone marrow transplant nurse, so I work with blood cancer patients every day. And more knowledge is power, my friend! Feelin’ awesome!

[we-are-all-eventual-ghosts]

For some reason at work, I love being able to pronounce pegasparginase / pegaspargase correctly.

Sometimes I can pronounce chemotherapy names lol