The Tali

Chapter 3 - Judy Bell

I had to work today. I worked the night shift because it's usually quieter than the day shift. So at 6:30 in the afternoon I was shuffling down to the parking garage to my 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and throwing my bag in the passenger side. I sighed heavily and looked at myself in the rearview mirror. I had black circles under my eyes, my hair was a mess, and my acne decided now was a good time to go crazy.

My drive to work was quiet and uneventful. As I put my car in park, I rummaged through my glove box looking for my ID badge. Crap! Where is it? Bingo. Hiding underneath a nursing school textbook was my badge. I grabbed it, clipped it on and brushed the lint off the shoulder of my navy blue scrubs before grabbing my back and heading inside.

The surgical floor I worked on was NOT quiet today. Ten call lights were on, and the CNA's were running like crazy. Even the nurses were running around trying to pass their medications before it was time to go. I just stared at the chaos. Kill me now.

"Lailah, you have rooms 410 through 416, they've been ringing all day, 410 has been very violent and trying to hit people, 411 has been screaming help since 4:30, despite his Xanax and his Ativan that he got at 5," Suzie paused to take a breath and started back up before I could say anything. "412 has been trying to get out of bed all day, he fell at 2:30, so we gave him a bed alarm. 413 has an infection in his incision, and is constantly ringing for pain medication, which can't happen because he had all his ordered medications," I'm in for a long night I thought to myself as she told me the 414 has been having seizures because he's refusing his medications, 415 is hysterical because her family left her, apparently she's in from a fall at the nursing home that broke her right hip and lovely 416. A quiet tiny old woman, who came in from a fall and has been sleeping all day.

"You got all that? We're also gonna need you to play CNA when you have time, okay?" I nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah, you can go now, Suzie." I ran to the nearest mobile computer and stuck a sticker with my name on it to the bottom of the monitor. Computers are hard to find on the surgical unit. I checked on all of my patients, checked the doctor's orders, then headed to the medication room to get all the necessary medications for the night.

I had 42 different meds divided between six different drawers ranging from a pill to an IV bag. I sighed and started making my rounds. I stopped in 410 first. "Hi, Mr. Boscoe, my name is Lailah, I'm gonna be your-" I was cut off by a flying plastic bedpan. I ducked just in time and thankfully, it was empty. "Do you want your-" I was cut off again by a pen. "I'm going to take that as a no." I backed out of his room and marked refused on his meds.

411 was next. The screams only got louder as I walked into his room. "Mr. Dayland, are you okay?" He screamed something incoherent. "Mr. Dayland, my name is Lailah, I'm gonna be your nurse for tonight. I have some medication for you." He looked at me for a few minutes then muttered okay. "Why have you been screaming, Mr. Dayland?" He looked at me, thought for a second then answered. "I'm in pain and nobody will give me anything to help with it." I smiled softly. "I have some morphine for you, it should help with your pain." He smiled in relief. "Please, give me that first." After doing a quick pain assessment and giving him his medications, Mr. Dayland was grateful. "Thank you, young lady. Hopefully, this morphine kicks in soon." I smiled sweetly. "I hope so too. Ring your call bell if you need anything." I said as I left his room.

412-415 took all their medications without protest and without screaming. I finally made it into 416. "Mrs. Bell?" I gently tapped her shoulder to wake her up. She smiled instantly. "Lailah, you're back." "Of course, Mrs. Bell, I missed you too much." She grinned her half-toothless grin and took the medicine cup. "I have some pills for you. Two pain pills, a laxative, 3 vitamins, and your blood pressure pill." She took the medication then sipped some water.