Working In A Nursing Home
Many, many years ago (in a land far far away?) Brent and I worked at a nursing home not longer after we found out Miss Brodie was going to be on her way. I believe it was either right before I graduated high school or right after. His Mom was just short of assistant director of nurses and helped get us in an in at the facility. Brent was doing basic janitorial and maintenance duties and I was unit secretary for both wings. We also worked the night shift in the beginning doing things for the nurses and cna’s. We cleaned wheel chairs, we refilled and ice for the residents, we were the gopher’s so to speak. And to be honest we thoroughly enjoyed this job.
Image courtesy of anu.edu.au
This was the only job Brent and I worked at together at late into the night we had probably a little too much fun. You see we had to clean all wheel chairs, even the ones that were electric. Well, here Brent and I were cleaning away when his shirt got caught on the control of it and it ran him over. It was quite hysterical and the next day I had to tell every single resident in the building the story. It was pure delight to see them all smiling at laughing at our funny story.
When I got bigger and my pregnant belly showed they loved to rub it and talk to me about the joys of their parenting past. These residents started to become pure family to us. They knew when I had given birth and spent time with Brodie after I brought her in to meet them. They told us stories of their youth and lives. It really was a magical time for Brent and I. A job neither of us will ever forget.
If only I could chronicle every single story from there, the good, the hysterical and the mysterious. The triumphs of watching those that were in there for extended care being able to go home and the heartbreaking when sitting next to one of my self professed favorites as he silently slipped away from us. We had wheel chair races late into the night down the empty halls, we paced the empty halls searching for signs of ghosts and watched the New York Yankees in the World Series that year. I had a weird habit of sticking my finger in the finger pulse oximeter every night and like to freak Brent out when I would make the numbers go up or down. It probably really wasn’t that funny but as I have always said I am easily entertained. It was a great job. Truly.
So there you go a little bit about Brent and I you never knew.
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5 Comments
Sorry about all the typo’s and badly spelled words, two instead of too, using and instead of the, etc..
Took migrane meds and that always messes me up. Sorry.
I worked 15 years in nursing homes as an LPN. I am no longer working due to health reasons.
I hope you read and MSDS sheets on the product you were washing the wheelchairs with.
I had a pregnant aid and she was suppose to wash all the wheelchairs at night two. It was a very large facility and washing that many wheelchairs usually took 4 hours.
However, the gloves were not the best that she was suppose to use to put on when washing the wheelchairs.
We checked the MSDS sheets on the product she was to soap the wheelchairs down with before scrubbing if needed and then rinsing off.
We found in very small print, that the product could cause miscarriages or birth defects.
Needless to say I didn’t let her wash the chairs, I did it.
We talked to the head nurse the next day and told her the gloves were not long enough, nor was the chance of her feet getting wet, or her splashed with the product to have her do this.
I think the head nurse should be required to read the MSDS sheets on any products her aids or nurses may have to use to insure no ill effects will happen to her staff, or their unborn children.
I’m glad you didn’t have any problems.
If you know of any nursing assistants or nurses make sure you have them read those MSDS sheets on the products they will be exposed to.
They have the right to be informed.
No problem on the typos and to be honest I think we ended up finding that out later too and my husband ended up taking over because of it!
I can relate to your stories…I was the Administrator of an Assisted Living facility for over 5 years before I retired…it was challenging, fun, stressful and wonderful all at the same time. The elderly have such wonderful stories to share if only folks would listen.
The Retired One´s last blog ..Busy as a…………(nope, not a BEE, guess again!)….
I think most people who are older than I do have amazing stories to tell! They’ve lived and yes are much, much wiser!!!!