Needle-sticks and skiing..

Sunday I took Erin to the airport.  It was sad to see her go. This is such a unique time in my life, and I'm glad she got to see and experience it.  Also, I miss hanging out with my sisters..


these girls --

This picture is about 3 years old, I think, but it's one of my favorites of the 4 of us, when we were all still Wallworks. 

Anyway.....! After I took E to the airport I went into work.  Normal day in the ICU...until about 3 hours into my shift. Immediately after giving my patient an injection in their stomach, the needle got caught on something and ricocheted into my left hand. I kept my cool, removed my glove and washed my hands. When I was drying them I started bleeding. That made me realize the needle went deeper than I thought, and I needed to report it.

After discussing the situation again and again, and filling out tons of paperwork, for AMN, KP, and an outside workman's comp company, it was decided that I needed to have blood work done. Here's where another issue was discovered.  Because I am an agency nurse, through American Mobile Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, the hospital I work for, does not consider me "their" employee, but American Mobile's (AMN). Then the back and forth about who would pay for the work-up started.  KP didn't want to, but neither did AMN.  I spent far too much time on phone calls, looking  through my contract, and filling out more paperwork.  My co-workers, in their kindness, kept asking if I was doing okay, and if I was worried.  I was fine, but my biggest issue was that the companies I work for didn't care so much about me and the risk that I had after being stuck by a dirty needle, but about the cost of the blood work. When I expressed this to the head of nursing that day, he said I should just get the blood work done and have them figure it out later.  So I did..  I guess this is a set back of being a traveler.  If I was permanent staff, there wouldn't have been any question.

Today was therapy for me.. or at least that's how I justified going up to Mt High.

Skiing in 60 degrees sunshine.  I skied without a hat or gloves.  Of course that means though, that when I fell I got a nice ice/brush burn on my hands and arms.  Classy.

Tonight Ashley and I thoroughly discussed our options for January, when our contract is up.  No sure plans yet, but a pretty good idea of what we'd like to do.  So stay tuned, and we'll see where this Pig goes next :)