Random.

There have only been a handful of times that the full moon is so beautiful I stop on my track to just gaze upon it, big--appearing so close to the earth--with an orange glow--the reflecting the sun's setting. Some people say stop and smell the roses, I stop and see the moon.

I'm in.

For the first time since I started this internship, I feel like a nurse, and I feel like I'm more than another PCA/student to the other nurses. For the first time, I feel like I'm a part of the team. It's not that the nurses aren't great or helpful because they are, but I just felt like they see me as a student or a guest, and I'm here to shadow to learn and do PCA things. Generally, I've felt like I was on the outside, I'd do vitals, I&O's, ADL's, monitoring, and little things they've asked me to do, but they don't really involve me in the what's going on of these patients. I think a part of it is due to the restrictions I have in this internship, I'm not allowed to give anything into the body such as giving medications or starting and giving IV's, so I'm already not in the "in's" of things to begin with. I do ask a lot of questions and find out about the new orders and what's going through the charts, but most of the time I'd find out later.

However, today was different because we had a situation early in day where my preceptor wasn't available to care for our assigned patients, and the nurses, with whom our patients were divided amongst, weren't familiar with the kids. But I was. I had been taking care of them since Friday, and I was able to give the nurses reports on their conditions. Today, instead of working with one preceptor, I worked with 3 different nurses. And since we were short staffed, I was mainly the middle person between the patients and their new nurses.

The nurses I worked with were great, they trusted that I knew the patients and family well enough they listened to me when I told them about the kids' conditions, or asked questions that the family wanted to know, or alerted them about any changes I noticed, and they relayed my assessment to the doctors. They notified me about a new diagnosis of one of my kid and the plan of care the doctors had set. One of them even had me to talk to the doctor and sent me in with him when he went to re-assess the kid while she went to care for another patient. I really felt like I was a part of the team and I'm not shy to say that I was able to step up to the plate and did a good job helping the short-staffed unit today, and boy, that feels good.

It was a really good day today. Now, after working all weekend--three 12.5 hours shift in a row, I am ready to spend Monday sleeping and not thinking of "Damn, that's a whole lotta diapers to weigh and dip...," or "Shit, another fever," or "Alright, P in room 42 needs a stool softener," or means of distraction to get a picky kid to eat so they can go home.

The name of the game.

With Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban naming their new daughter Sunday Rose (I mean, really, Sunday?!), it got me thinking about the names of the kids I've seen on the floor thus far. There have been some interesting ones, with out of the ballpark spelling of course, but none has really been a...you know, "Apple?!!" *headdesks* "Joseph Jagger Blue?! On a girl??!!!" *headdesks* kinda thing. That is until Monday morning when I encounter a set of siblings on the floor.

Obviously, I can't say the names, but let's just say that one of them was intended to sound like "The One", as in here's my kid, they're "The One". The one for what I don't know, the one you want to watch out for, the one that will cry the loudest, the one...well, it was a *headdesks* moment nonetheless. Then, I found out about Nicole and Keith's Sunday later in the day. My head hurt a lot that Monday.

Anyway, 4th of July was made of all kind of wins. I went to a rooftop party out in Brooklyn where we can see the famous New York fireworks. It was lovely. I hope everyone's 4th was wonderful as well!

The one where I wandered around the Cith by myself part 12534526342.

I've been walking around the City by myself on my day offs so far, just because the people I know here work everyday unlike me who only work a select 3 days. So off I go on my own adventure, exploring neighborhood by neighborhood, discovering places to eat and have desserts, all on my own. It's a love/hate relationship. On one hand, I'd love to have a company, but on the other hand I'm not sure I'll feel as free as I do when I'm on my own.

But anyway, that's not the point. The point is today I went to East Village, went into this vintage store, and fell in love with a pair of black pointy toed Marc Jacobs flats. It's simple, yet oh so comfortable and all kind of pretty--not to mention I have been looking for a pair of comfortable pointy toed black flats. It was love at first sight. But it also requires my selling a toe or thumb in order to afford said flats, 'cuz ya know, Student Nurse Intern + living in New York = poorer than a Student Nurse living in Texas. It's a tragedy.

In the end, I managed to muster up more self control than I thought I had. I begrudgingly take the right shoe that I tried on off my foot, stepped away from it, and out the door I went. My bestfriend E said, "Sleep on it tonight and see if you still want them tomorrow." To which I'm thinking, "Damn hell, I will still want them tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that...."

Anyhow, that's about the shoes. Another thing is, lately I've been approached by people asking me directions. Twice today to be specific. And I actually knew the answers! Hah! Like "Broadway? Suuuree, that way," "Washington Square Park? Two block downs this way," "The hospital? Keep straight until Madison then turn right until xxth street."

Okay, maaaaybe the hospital thing doesn't count because I was wearing scrubs, so it was like I had a bright yellow neon light pointing at me "I'm a hospital employee! Ask me direction to it!" But other than that? That means I don't look like a tourist or a newbie anymore, with a subway map in hand, standing on a curb mulling with myself to jaywalk like everybody else or wait until the light allows you to (in which the conversation in my head between me and my adapting to the New Yorkers' way of life Self goes as follow,

Me: Go? No, no go.
Self: Everybody else is go.
Me: What if a car comes? I still need to survive, you know.
Self: But everybody else is GO! There is no car!
Me: What if there is a cop? You could get fined in Texas for jaywalking.
Self: Well, are you in Texas right now?!
Me: No...
Self: Exactly, now GO!!!!
Me: Alright, alright, I'll go I'll go....

There are many a conversation as this when I'm out by myself on the New York streets. And no, the other convos need not to be mention here).

Speaking of tourist, I was checking out Patricia Field's store (she is the costume director of Sex and the City for those who don't know) today and saw this almost replica of one of the dress Sarah Jessica parker wore in the movie. Then this tourist came by with a Sex and the City picture book or something alike (I didn't know there is such a thing as this memorabilia SATC book! Huh, something new to learn each day, eh?), and asked the salesperson--while pointing at a page in the book, which I'm assuming a picture of SJP wearing said similar dress--"This is the dress?" Of course, the salesperson--complete with a sigh and subtle eye roll--explained that no, the dress in the movie is a vintage find and the store only made a similar ones based on it. And so the tourist went away with such disappointed face I kinda wanted to laugh....

So that was my Tuesday of walking around the City.