Ahhhhh, a whole big bed to myself...

WOW.....Townsville...

Hi Everyone,
Here I am, finally in Townsville- but only for a night. I feel like I have been travelling all day, a 1 hr drive to Newcastle airport, a tiny de havilland aircraft to Brisbane and then a bigger plane to Townsville. The dash 8 aircraft seemed to take forever and the second plane could not be quick enough. The reason being was that i was in a 3 seat row- in the aisle- next to a mother and daughter who would have to have been the dirtiest grubs I've ever seen. So much so i was tempted to ask if she had nits! From the minute she got on she was scratching and rubbing her nose right up her arm,,,the little girl was the same. Needless to say i have a stiff sore neck from trying to keep bent out into the aisle! Anyway, apart from that it was a safe and uneventful trip. Straight out to the balmy tropical weather of Townsville that instantly took me back to New Guinea. Oh how i love this environment. Jumped into a taxi and direct to the Mecure Inn, only about 5 minutes away and even they had me all booked and done- no problems!
Tomorrow is another adventure, I am off in a tiny little plane to a tiny little place- Richmond QLD. I shall be there for 6 weeks and cant wait to look around at the kronosaurus exhibits, the beautiful man made recreational lake, Lake Tritton and to discover what sort of accommodation i shall have as my home. So much to see and do...take care all, Love Colleen

Christmas Time and a new Job in the works.

Well, its a rainy, cold and dismal day here in NSW. I returned last week to have Christmas with my family and although it has been warm enough today is freezing and reminds me of why Id rather be north! Not long to wait though as my next post is supposedly at a place called Richmond (QLD). A small town east of Mt Isa and west of Townsville. In a few words- the middle of nowhere! I am really looking forward to the next adventure and strangely, cannot wait to be on the road again. At the moment it does not seem like I will be driving anywhere due to the heavy rains and flood situation all over Qld so I am patiently awaiting news from my agency to see if I am to fly up on the 31st. If this happens Ill be flying to Townsville and then by a small plane into Richmond---on NYE! Could be fun and certainly on my adventure list- but i do hope the cyclone has passed through by then :)
My new job is bound to provide me with blogg updates as it is a post where the RN role is varied and includes duties such as driving the ambulance, a tiny 10 bed hospital and no doctor- gulp! It's all terrific experience and I am careful to make sure the agency knows my limitations etc.
One real good thing about this year is that I am starting my Masters degree and more importantly majoring in remote and isolated practice. Woo hoooooo, by mid year I should be able to suture and manage in an outback emergency....hopefully. For this reason I have chosen to try and get a short 3 month contract at Charters Towers Hospital so I can work in a rural ED dept and gain some helpful experience.

Heres to an exciting and safe 2011....and many more stories/ pictures to blog about...

I hope the Christmas period has been kind to you and your families, Take care, Colleen xox

Happenings...

Hi All, as I suspected, life settles down no matter where you are and so not much has been news worthy to blog about.
I have been getting mainly the evening or night shifts at work and i have to say I am really enjoying it. The nights are not so bad because I have nothing as such to come home to except my big lonesome bed, quiet little cabin and a cool air conditioner. I am getting all the sleep i need :)
Last week end i packed up and went for a drive. I didn't know where i was headed but i ended up going as far as Kilkivan which was about an hour away. It doesn't sound far but i stopped along the way at various tourist spots and ended my trip with a splurge. I bought a gorgeous macadamia mini tub of ice cream and a cappuccino then headed back to Kinbobin Falls. It was so peaceful there in the bush, reminded me of why I wanted to have this experience in the first place. Then i thought of brown snakes and decided it was all peaceful and romantic but could be dangerous so off i went :)
Other things of note this week was my night out to the Carolee Hotel in Kingaroy. It was to watch a workmate get auctioned off. It was all for a good cause- the McGrath Foundation- raising money for breast cancer research. It was a good night, noisy and flashy. The girls all looked wonderful- well done Rachael- she topped 1000 dollars. Not a bad effort!
Other things that are big in my life this week are diet and health issues. Without going into to much detail I had a bit of an eyeopener this week so alot has changed in the last couple of days. Nothing overly serious, but enough to make me realise I certainly do not want to be on medications for life. Anyway, this lead me to a book called "Take control of your life and escape the sickness industry" bu Elaine Hollingsworth.Now the book is very anti pharmacy and most doctors and certainly pulls no punches when it comes to industry and manufacture of food and drinks. It is such a scary book and way to involved for me. To live like this book suggests we would find it hard to cloth ourselves, house ourselves or eat. However, some things i can change and adapt in my odd little life- anyone can. I urge you to get a copy of the book if you can and have a read- it is enlightening, scary and encouraging. It does provide answers and remedies so it is not all bad. The website that she is affiliated with is below

http://www.hippocrates.com.au/index.htm

Anyway, I am now off to cook my orange and coconut sweet potatoes...a recipe i found that suits my new lifestyle....all organic and unprocessed!
Have fun everyone....good health and take care
Love Colleen

THE GREAT PILLOW MYSTERY

It would seem that no matter what hospital you work in there is always a shortage of pillows. It becomes a struggle to actually keep the pillows on one ward so each patient has this most basic of comforts. How is it then that each ward/department is continually on the scrounge for these items, stopping any bed that leaves their ward to whisk "their" pillow back from underneath an unsuspecting patients head? Where do they vanish to? Unlike the missing socks in a washing machine mystery...I think i have found out a piece of the pillow jigsaw! They simply go on adventures! They travel around the country side looking for places to be of use, they travel by ambulance, car, plane...whatever it takes...they go adventuring. One thing can be said though, they outlive their home based cousins by far. I am surprised by the original date on this pillow as being 2005! Surely that is a long time to be in the health industry doing its duty! At least one can not say that hospital staff are careless with, or ruin their precious pillows and deliberately squander budgets unnecessarily...

THE BEST THINGS...

One of the joys I have had is when this nurse came to work with her other charges....2 absolutely gorgeous baby joeys!!! The other one didnt even have any fur yet. Oh My Lordy I am in love!!! They just sit all curled up in her backpack hanging on the chair :)

THE MOST IRRITATING THINGS...

Ok, so this week has exposed me to some really rude and inconsiderate people. It has been an exceptionally busy week at work with only two staff on shift. I have also found another skill a small hospital RN needs. They need to be competent and stress free receptionists -as they get to wear the mobile on their hip!
Now the first annoyance is that the phone never stops, and in the middle of hanging bloods, re-siting a cannula or doing S8s...the phone will invariably go off. The problem is...YOU MUST ANSWER IT! Ok, so the patient thinks your rude as you hold their hand still with a needle hanging out of it and blood dripping on the floor, the person on the end of the phone can sense your attitude as you try and wiggle your fingers one handedly to transfer their call. The Doctor calling always wants something that is at the other end of the hospital and of course another patients relatives are waiting in ninja style ambush attack mode ready to pounce the minute you step into the corridor! So, the phone call gets managed, the cannula is in, the doctor is happy. Then the relatives grab you as you try and get past to a long overdue check of that room that you havent even gone into yet. "Mum needs a pan"...."Just a minute"..."Mums Busting- she needs a pan NOW"...ok....(everyone else hold cause this ones an emergency)...enter room, Mums twiddling her ear doesnt have a clue whats going on. We whack a pan under her and await the emergency flush of water...nope...nothing...."Mum Needs a new pad cause this one wont stick"...we will be with her in a minute...Mum needs to settle for the night....Mum needs to be moved....Mum needs a dry pad.....the pads dry allready...the pad doesnt NEED to stick! Shes been moved 10 times this shift and under my breath I feel like telling them to move her out or go home themselves! This one patient they have lied to us about in order to get better "service". Never mind the other patients! This is but one patient and at the other end of the ward the same thing goes on with another family but its over a pair of winter long pjs being urgently needed to be put on! There is no need whatsoever for this particular patient to need long pjs! In the middle is a family whose relative is being flown out. Well this has been a logistical nightmare. The ambos wont take him with no nurse escort. The hospital does not have enough staff to send an escort. The flying Doctors are called in and agree to do the flight-(needs no escort this way). The recieveing hospital is organised...but no....they cancel the bed cause we cant get the patient there on time....this interchange is all being done on the annoying little mobile on your hip that rings every 5 minutes! Hurrah..success, a bed is available, the ambos ring..."oh we were told you have an escort" "NO...this is why we have taken 2 days to get a patient to a hospital 3 hours away"!...Oh, theyll call back...they call again...we need an escort to get him from our hospital to the helipad in an ambo! "JUST GET HIM OUTA HERE!".....the ambos come with a 2 man crew all is good and calm. I ring the Next of Kin...she agrees to ring the huge family that have been in and out for days visiting....But no.....one ...by... one they all call........that damn mobile is going to have to be hidden in future.
To top it all off there are the visitors that simply are rude! "move that chair".....I ignore her...."Can you move that chair over their a bit"....." NO, YOU CAN SEE ITS BACK UP AGAINST THE WALL (you silly old cow) but YOU can move that one there" and i walk out! The next day the patient is all apologetic for her friend and tells me she made her sit on the commode and got a great laugh to herself over it :)
These days are sent to try us. We try to remain polite and calm although underneath we are seething. Another day is over. Patients should be happy (and God knows they "are paying enough for this service"...I hope tonight is quieter.

NEW HABITS...

Wow, this post is proving to be a huge educational curve for me. I'm doing things Ive never done before, things I needed to be "accredited" for, things I didn't know how to do. I'm even learning that some meds I was particular with are easily given in other ways. For example, In the past Ive always been meticulous with gentamycin and its infusion procedures- here- IM injection, no worries. Ceftriaxone, IM- no worries. Continuous pain infusions- something I was always scared of- easy peasy. Oh my goodness, I am loving this placement! BUT, I have also learnt that the 2 staff that look after 6 patients is also the norm for 20 patients! It has been a hectic day, no coffee, no lunch...I'm pooped and need a stiff Kahlua!
Take Care,
Colleen

BITS AND PIECES...around Kingaroy.

Kingaroy, originally called Wakka Wakka which is the aboriginal name for Red Ant. I thought that was funny given my blog name is Col WACKA :) After taking a walk through Kingaroy you can very quickly see all the red ants scurrying about their business-there are thousands of them. The other main thing about Kingaroy is their famous crops of peanuts and hence the name 'The peanut Capital of Australia'. In my pohotos today I have included one taken this morning of the huge peanut silos that are right in the middle of town.
A few may remember the politician- Joh Bjelke-Petersen. This is his part of the woods and last weekend we drove past Flo's place. That's his wife who is famous for her pumpkin scones. Oddly enough, no shops or cafes have targeted this as a money making opportunity and I have yet to taste some pumpkin scones!
If your interested in visiting this region you cant go through without visiting the array of newish vineyards that have sprung up in the area and are proving to be stiff competitors in the world wine arena. Not only that, but the wineries also have gorgeous cheeses and another local favorite is Lavender. It grows like wildfire here and it can be seen in everything from Lavender cheese, lavender scones and lavender wine. It looks pretty but does not appeal to me.
This morning I went for a short little drive still exploring my local area and I took some photos of what i think is a marvelous idea! It is a community vege garden right in the heart of town. Amazing it hasn't been vandalised and it is simply over growing with lovely fresh veges at the moment.
Take care,
Colleen

NURSES MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Just home from an evening shift. It was only 8hrs, but it was draining and demanding on both time and the soul. Two high care patients, one with a recent (this AM) CVA and another palliative patient. Two sets of distressed families who can do nothing except try and comfort their loved ones while continually looking for answers from staff available. That is....me. In a small hospital there is no one to share this responsibility with. I am there to establish what the patient needs, what the family wants for them, and what I can legally administer. I am there to bare the brunt of their frustration when no after hour doctor can be reached. I am there to take the blame for smelling to sweet and increasing nausea- even though I only have lux soap to blame. (There are no less than 5 vases of sweet peas, roses and dried flowers in the room and I suggest maybe we remove them and see if that helps). I am there to try and explain what is happening, how 'the (health)system works' and to give comprehensive advice on what medications would be best. I feel extremely frustrated and worn down this shift. However, oddly enough I feel exhilarated knowing I could help in some small ways. I wish i was back there now and i wish the family could see me as not just the nurse who may have seemed abrupt at different times. I wish they could see that I do understand what they are going through- that in the quiet moments I stop and put myself in their shoes and understand what they must be feeling. I wish they could see that sometimes my hands are tied. Most of all i hope they see at the end of the day that I have done all I can to help.
Meanwhile in another room a lady cannot speak, cannot move her leg or arm, but she doesn't seem to understand this fact yet. She tries to swing her other leg out of bed only to find she is stuck with an unyielding weight pulling her down. She cant tell us what she wants but you can see in her eyes she thinks she is telling us something logical. Her and her family don't comprehend that chances are she wont be 'better' in the morning and are upset to know we are not putting long pj pants on her, and that even with a commode chair she cannot get up for a shower at this point in time. They cry, they blame themselves for her having been alone...It is all so sad to watch. Among this sadness are the patients who snap you back by continually buzzing for their sputum cup, their air conditioner on, their panadol that was due at 1800 and now its 1820, their pan needs emptying and of course the next round of meds are due and the notes haven't even been started!!!! This is nursing... and I love it :)

WONDAI TEA GARDENS AND FIRST PAYDAY!

Morning all,
What a lovely sight to see...sunshine after all the rain and cold we have had lately. I have posted some photos of Wondai tea gardens (Dimity's). What a beautiful garden. Inside the old house is full of crafts and each old room is made into individual little romantic dining rooms. Each table is set for a truly unique dining experience. Hope you like the photos.
The other good thing that has happened this week is of course---my first pay day! What can I say....4 x 8 hr shifts and I have earned 400.00 more than if Id done 40hours. Still the most patients I have had is 6! Accommodation paid for...what more could you ask for, I am truly lucky to be on this adventure of a lifetime. Not to mention that the people I am meeting have all been extremely warm and friendly.

BITS AND PIECES

These Pictures are in Nanango and a bit beyond. The timber statue of a wood chopper is one of many that line the street at Nanango. An artist had been hired to make the series and they are all carved from one piece of local timber. The picture of the house just amused me as it was so highly 'decorated'. All the houses nearby were rundown and boring--but this one was just so colourful I had to stop and take a photo.

The LAVENDER FARM

PEANUT SHOPPING

Thes pictures are of Pnut in the most crowded disposal shop we have ever seen! The other one is of him in the first of the gift shops on the Lavender farm at Pottique.

BIG DAY OUT

Morning,
What a lovely night sleep. It feels like ages since I was in my bed. Three nights over and done but back for a day shift tomorrow.
This weekend has been good so far. First of all, I had been thinking I was moving out of Peppertree cabins on Saturday, however, I had also heard that the unit I was moving into was shared and had a few unsavoury things. Eg, no air-con, no stove and the tiny room that was to be mine was a little hot box. Anyway, I have to say, I am overjoyed and amazed that on asking Regional Nursing Services if I could stay where I was, they and Pulse Health did all they could to ensure I was happy- so- here I am still happily ensconced at Peppertree. Now i can really get settled in and unpack for the 3 month stay. The next best thing was that PNUT (my partner) popped in on his way back from working up at Rockhampton. He will stay here for a couple of nights before heading back to NSW. It has been nice having him here and yesterday it gave me company to go driving and sightseeing- which is always better when someone is with you. We headed of to look at some shops in Kingaroy then we headed down to Nanango. With all the rain we have had it was so green and beautiful. We saw the magnificent Bunya State Forest. Then we visited Pottique- the most serene garden/ gift shop/ cafe I have ever seen. It was a lavender farm too and a whole shed was dedicated to Lavender... Lavender wine, Lavender cheese, Lavender peanuts..not to mention every possible smelly lavender thing you could want. The first cottage was all French and country goods. Ohhhhh I loved it and will definitely do some Christmas shopping there. Anyway, we enjoyed our days drive and of course you cant come here without visiting the Peanut Van. Kingaroy is after all, known as the Peanut Capital of Australia. Here we bought garlic peanuts, chicken peanuts and butterscotch caramel peanuts. Yummmmmmm :)

FIRST NIGHT

Last night was my first ever night where I have been the most senior person in the hospital. In fact, there was only myself and one EEN. I was nervous enough and everything rushed through my head the day before. What would I do if someone crashed? What would i do if I didnt know everything that needed to be done? I was anxious but kept telling myself the worst that could happen would be someoone died. Well of course, within an hour this happened! Everything I knew was out the window and within an hour the undertaker was there walking up the dim hall with his horrible grim looking trolley with a red velour zipper'bag' on top. Of course he was 7 foot tall, had black gloves on and a full suit, in my imagination he took on the bizarre appearance of a grim, lofty evil man. All the while it was deadly silent and eerie...the patient wrapped in a ghostly silence and rolled on back up the long hall. Ok, perhaps nightshift does funny things to the tired brain but it was on the whole a very odd experience. I have never had to write the "extinction" form or pronounce someone D-E-A-D. I was surprised that no doctor comes in, and I had never been the one in charge to have to make the call to husband and estranged family. I have to say in the few shifts I have done I have learnt or experienced something new each time. I am liking it here and so far (touch wood) the staff have been wonderful and a special thanks to the wonderful EEN's who have been absolutely the best resource I have had. Where would I be without a trusty partner?

FIRST DAY

First day at Kingaroy Private Hospital! I LOVED IT! The people were nice and the experience as a whole was positive. There are only two staff on per shift, one RN and one PCA or EEN. I very quickly realised I would need to be able to do alot of things and in the last week they have had blood infusions, syringe drivers, iron infusions etc. It was a jolt to realise that I alone would be ultimately responsible. In the past I have always known there was backup and resources should i need them, here, there is no one. I am pleased to say once my nerves settled I felt confident that my past 2 years would stand me in good stead. Although, what happens if someone crashes in the afternoon or night?? There is no one around for miles. It would be a 000 call and return to the patient to follow the DRABC as best as I could! I am nervous but excited.
One thing I am excited about is morning and afternoon tea! They put it on for staff here and it is all freshly baked onsite by one lovely cook. For morning tea it was fresh hot cheese and chive damper with butter. Afternoon tea was a fudgey chocolate slice. This smelt delicious wafting through the hospital all morning. Unfortunately I am trying a gluten free diet this week and am proud to say I had NONE!
Today was an odd day because we had only 7 patients and one was discharged at 10am. Plus we had 5 staff. This was the usual EEN and RN plus myself (on orientation) and there were 2 terrific students. As I always say, when you get and easy day like this you grab and enjoy...it makes up for the horror shifts that way out number the easy peasy ones.
All in all I am loving my stay here so far.
Take care,
Colleen

QUEENSLANDER

All the gorgeous Queenslanders and their lush gardens. This one is so typical and epitomises QLD to me...Blue sky. Red earth. Green lawns. Old Queenslanders. Crooked telegraph poles....Gotta love it :)

I WALK THE LINE...

A WALK IN THE PARK...

What a glorious day! The smell of gresh mown grass, the sounds of laughter, the sky is brilliant blue, the spring gardens are in full bloom and life is good. Today I walked for 45 minutes, including a walk on some railway lines :) Of course you cannot do this with out singing in your head "I walk the line...I walk the line" (sung in very deep Johnny Cash voice lol). Funny he crops up in my head because on the way here I had a song of his on my ipod- "A boy named Sue". Id never listened to the words before but it is a funny song...and sad too.
Anyway, back to my walk. Everything just seemed so fresh and vibrant, perhaps it is my outlook and my desire to start seeing all that is good and wonderous in life. In other words..."stopping to smell the roses", or wisteria as it is at the moment :)
This is all part of my get fit and healthy program too, and I must thank Anne Marie for her tip on lite jelly as my walk was finished with some cool wobbly lime SIN FREE jelly!!! YUMM

PEPPER TREE CABINS

KINGAROY PEACE

Kingaroy, Im here! 14hr trip with an overnight stop in Goondiwindi. My legs are like jelly but wow, its just beautiful here today. As I approached the Bunya Mountains the sky cleared and sunlight streamed through to welcome me to the South Burnett Region.
The road trip was relatively uneventful, just me, my chariot and of course the trusty ipod. My voice is a bit hoarse as I was singing away with no distractons ..or criticism :) The chariot went well although the QLD roads and their unforgiving potholes and dips made her almost airborne a few times. Anyway, we are here and safe.
We did see one unfortunate incident where a vehicle had apparently crashed and burnt out in the early hours of the morning. The road was still blocked with tape and police even in the late afternoon! I am figuring it was a fatality but have not heard anything on the news.
The wildlife was amazing as were the wildflowers. I saw lizards, kangaroos, wild pigs and a huge variety of birds. As for the flowers, they lined the roads almost the whole way in a carnival of purple and yellow wildflowers. This was especially pretty on day two in the early hours when I drove for almost 3 hours with hardly seeing a soul. I felt like I was the first one who had passed that way. I was able to pretend for a while but the roadkill was a bit hard to explain lol.
The Pepper Tree Cabins where I am staying is absolutely beautiful, spotless and the staff...well i cant speak highly enough! I love it here but it is only for a week before moving to other accomodation. All part of the experience and Im looking forward to it.
One thing I did learn is that I LOVE driving. I think I would prefer short burst of work with a days driving between. Perfect job for me i think...

DREAM

Its here, my last day at home. My stomach is fluttering like it contains 1000 butterflies. Yesterday I thought I did not have much more to do and now today has hit I feel overwhelmed. The last load of washing is on, the bed is stripped, bags are lined up against the foyer wall ready to load and now last nights dream keeps whirling in my head.
I dreamt I walked into a ward and was talking to a lady on the left in her bed, as i talked I was aware that behind me in another bed a lady was about to die. I turned to see her holding a 3 month old giggling baby, but the woman looked, scary, wane, pale and deathly. A white light was shining on her and she at first looked evil-I was scared. As i approached her bed I casually said "oh she is dying" and I had a pit of fear in my belly. I was in awe and stood as she transformed into the most serene and happy person but she was still dying. I softly blew on her and guided her back to the pillow with my hand as she died.....and the baby she was holding shrunk from a 3 month old to a ball of smokey cloud in her lap.
I woke with a start, had sweat on my neck and I was immediately aware that the 3 month old was my dream of moving on (I have a 3 month contract). The old tired looking woman (me) had to die before the new life was allowed to come forth. I cant tell you how complete the detail was in this dream, I swear I was there and this morning I am at once filled with eagerness to greet the new stage of my life and also sad that it marks the end of motherhood/ my life as I know it. The last 24 years has been as a housewife and Mother and this adventure marks the end of being near my boys, the end of an era for me...and for them.

Wow, Just looked up Number 3 to see what it means in a dream...
"Three signifies life, vitality, inner strength, completion, imagination, creativity, energy, self-exploration and experience. Three stands for a trilogy, as in the past, present, and future or father, mother, and child or body, mind, and soul, etc. Dream of the number three may be telling you that the third time is the charm".

My Favoutite Quotes...

I always think of these quotes when someone describes how miserable their life is or when people need a little inspirational boost. Im not sure of the authors, but I love them.

"If you want something you have never had...you have to do something you have never done"

"Get your self an education. You can't lose it, and no-one can take it away from you"

Grooveshark Widgets - Music Playlists for Your MySpace & Blog

Grooveshark Widgets - Music Playlists for Your MySpace & Blog

The love box

A little box of goodies designed to keep me from being homesick

WOW...The days are just drifting past as I procrastinate. I dont think I can really believe Im about to set off on my adventure. BUT...today sure makes it seam real. Ihave recieved my uniforms and ID card from Regional Nursing Solutions QLD. Looks like I have myself a job lol. They are so cool and lightweight which only makes me think that there are going to be some hellish hot days out there :( Probably the prettiest uniforms I have seen so far, light sky blue, with lovely detail- Im very happy to be wearing this. Also I have almost completed my 'Love Box' and will post a picture of its contents. Still need to buy a frame for 2 pics though. Oh well, another excuse to hit the shops :)
Love u
Coll
Website for Regional Nursing Solutions

http://www.regionalnursingsolutions.com.au/