my legs hurt

i have been working non-stop. waking up at 5.30 for 3 consecutive days a week is very tiring. i didn't used to get tired in first year or second year. this means 2 things: i am getting older or the work has become harder.

in all honesty i believe its a mixture of both. its taking its toll on my body. we are meant to protect our backs, so when we lift, we lift with our legs. so what about protecting our legs? my legs are very sore.

we were given our 1st yr student to help us during our exam. mine looks anorexic. she is painfully thin. her arms are like toothpicks. therefore she does not lift patients properly so when it comes to propping up patients in bed, i basically lift an 85kg person on my own. but she is such a gr8 student, i don't dare complain.

I have thought this before, but now i am convinced: female patients are lazy. there is a patient in my ward who wears a nappy because she is too lazy to go to the toilet. these things never happen on the male side of the ward. our clinical tutor tells us to encourage the patients to be independent. the problem is they prefer to be lazy bitches. And when a lazy geezer wants to be lazy, there is no stopping her. And one would think "hell, if she doesnt want to wash herself, tell the nurses to refuse and she will be forced to wash herself." ha! if only logic was part of hospital life. if we don't wash her, she won't wash at all and stink up the whole ward, making life impossible for the other patients and nurses. Or even worse, sue for malpractice due to neglect. So we have to wash her and change her nappy.

I also had a run in with a doctor this week. i had a patient with a drain. drains are never meant to be on the floor, so i put it in the holder. the bulgarian doctor had other ideas.

Dr: THESE DRAINS! THEY SHOULD BE ON THE FLOOR! WHO PUT THEM HERE?
Me: I did.
Dr: YOU BAD STUDENT! ON YOUR KNEES IN SHAME!! ON YOUR KNEES!!
Me: I am not going down on my knees because I am not wrong. The drain has a port, if it is on the floor, i will give the patient an infection.
Dr:WHO TEACHES YOU HERE? THE STAFF? IN MY COUNTRY YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PHD OR AN MSC TO TEACH NURSES!!
Me: Sigh. Its a pity your country is so far away.

He didn't answer me.

My back is hurting me...but you know, if it wasn't it would probably mean I'm not working hard enough.

take care everyone.