Where I drag my fat old carcass in to the hospital for one twelve hour shift ( or two short shifts as I have been rostered this week) they have to face at least three long shifts a week and invariably during the month have to cope with one week of four!
As the grip of flu lays low an increasing number of patients, Intensive care has gone mental.
We have staffing, space and resources for 8 patients...yesterday we had 13 and today the number was 11.
I was rostered to work in theatre recovery with two patients of my own and had to really roll my sleeves up to help the non ITU trained staff cope with another seriously ill and ventilated patient who was admitted via A&E.
The unit has been under this kind of pressure for a couple of weeks now, and still the full time staff are rolling into work with rather tired good humour........after my short and horrible shift today....I marvel at their strength and dedication in dealing with everything that was thrown at them.
I was due to finish my shift at 1pm. The managers asked me to stay but I couldn't (in the end I stayed until 2pm) That's the problem with having animals. In the daytime they all need a feeding and they all need watering. And when you are the lone carer, the buck generally stops with you.
Chris had kindly let the birds out from their coops first thing, and had given the dogs a brief walk before leaving them in the cottage ( but NOT in the kitchen as I had requested )
When I got home ( all slightly fraught at feeling as though I had let work down for not doing any overtime) a certain undisciplined bulldog had opened her bowels AND bladder all over the living room!
Obviously thinking this was a spiffing kind of game, a couple of the terriers had followed suit and had compounded the "dirty" protest by joining in with a couple of puddles and shits of their own and all this had been merrily ground into the shagpile, obviously during the canine hysteria which always precedes the arrival of the postman.
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| William (butter wouldn't melt) |
I walked the dogs around the village,(with rather thin lips)
and then put them into the car whilst I fed and watered the birds then shampooed the living room carpets ( and the bloody landing which had also been given the poo and wee treatment).....
And now you know, just why I generally work night shift! leave an animal unattended and shit (literally) happens.
I am working Friday morning and already have arranged for neighbour Mandy to let the birds out and other neighbours Ewan and Carol to babysit the dogs in their huge garden!........a basketful of eggs for each is nothing to pay for the peace of mind ( and maintaining the fragrance of our carpets)
Bloody hell, I am so lucky and am so grateful for not working full time....if I did....the dogs and birds would have to go
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| A "guilty" George hides on the passenger seat |
One would think they were making you pay for leaving them alone. The little devils. I am currently dealing with a cat that suddenly thinks it's perfectly wonderful for him to relieve his bowels on the dog bed!!!! I've had some serious discussions with him.........
ReplyDeleteSounds like a veritable shit fest. Must have been awful for you but it did make me laugh.
ReplyDeleteOh no! This would make my lady slightly nutso. Just what you don't need when returning home from work. She said that she could easily forgive all the little poopers when they look as cute as your dogs do. Dog do? Tee hee. Whoops...sorry. xxxx ooooo
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, John. I would have gone ballistic if I had come home to something like that.
ReplyDeleteSaid animal would be banished outdoors or gone altogether.
You are definitely made of a stern, loving heart, I think. And I would definitely pay a basketful or two of eggs for peace of mind!
I hope the rest of your week treats you better. ♥
I can see the international news headline now.
ReplyDeleteMan found babbling in middle of field full of dead foul, while mate and four dogs are found strangled in the home. One lone cat was found in the garden.
Gad, John, how awful to come home from a frantic shift to find that! And then having to shampoo the carpet plus all the usual tending to the birds, etc. At least my flock of sheep keeps to the paddock!
ReplyDeleteIt must be Constance having a bad influence!
Poor you John...you don't deserve that...
ReplyDeleteMercy me I would have cried for sure if I had come home to all that!
ReplyDeletePS. honeyman and I have said many times, if I worked a full time job the animals and a lot of the gardening and canning would not be going on. I would be doing good to just keep the house and laundry at that point.
ReplyDeleteSorry but have to giggle. hee hee
ReplyDeleteBeen there done that when we raised Boxers years ago. Ugh!
I like what Sharon said! That was funny. :)
Now that you have cleaned the house, relax! You deserve it!! xoxo
Oh dear, what a welcome home present! When our Frances asked for a dog a few years back, I bought her a stuffed one with batteries. It yelped and turned tipple tale but never shat on the carpet. Perhaps you could convert Constance into a battery-powered canine - far less trouble and you don't have to walk them. Just an idea.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it with dogs, mine have sulked and piddled everywhere today! I've gone back to work and they've gone on the piss!
ReplyDeleteSods.
ReplyDeleteI had inside dogs for years, but like you, my schedule worked around them, or I took them to work with me, since I worked for a vet.
When the last of my Yorkshire Terriers died, and my work schedule became more hectic, I stuck with two cats.
I miss having an inside dog, but having to rush off from work, because you know the dog needs letting out, and a little package will be waiting otherwise, is not something I enjoy.
I'ts a matter of confining Constance and her bowels to a room with a forgiving material on the floor, if she has an accident, then a mop and bucket will take care of the mess.
I commend you and yours alike in the nursing profession, the clock means very little, if the job isn't finished.
Have a little talk to our girl Constance !!
Hugs,
Jo
x
OMG! Poor John! Yes you are so lucky to not have to work full time.....you couldn't do all that you do and there's be no blog!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHow can we blame the critters.....we can't . It almost always goes back to the humans!! Hope you are having/had a good rest.
Jim
That pic of 'guilty' George says it all! Really made me laugh, those eyes!
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for carpet cleaners, good neighbours and you only working part time.
Shit may happen but the occasional mishap is worth all the love that they bring - bet you weren't thinking that when you got home to the mess though ;-)
Crikey just what you needed after an ITU shift!
ReplyDeleteI do empathise with you as if I did not have a very animal orientated partner my birds and guinea pig would have to go too. I am up and away at 7 when it is still dark and back between 6-6.30 pm and rely on Paul sorting the animals out Mon to Fri. Luckily the dogs are his domain so he sorts them.
Been trying to find neonatal cots for most of the day as we have babes with H1N1 :( and have also relied on the goodwill (what's left of it) of midwives to do extra shifts too
Jane
My hat goes off to all nurses. I sure couldn't do it.
ReplyDeleteJohn, you need some puppy training pads to leave at the back door in case you are going to be late. They have a plastic backing and are scented with something that makes the dogs go right to them. Come home, pick them up and toss. I use them all the time. Great invention!
Ouch. The thing that annoys me most about such incidents is that they immediately look guilty as soon as you walk through the door. If you knew you shouldn't do it the WHY DID YOU DO IT???
ReplyDeleteWow, all that after a hard long day. I can certainly see why you would want night shift. Shit does happen.
ReplyDeletePoor John - I felt guilty when I smiled reading this, but you do make me laugh. Glad your little parcel cheered you up. You remind me often why we dont have a pet! xxxx
ReplyDeleteGood Lord, I've stumbled across a zoo! Anywhere with that many dogs is good for me.
ReplyDeleteYep, that's a lot to come home to after a hard day. How do you know Constance started the poo-fest? George looks mighty guilty.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the "poo painting" party. Our dogs have held that event in my home too! It always happens at the worst possible time (not that there's a good time). As far as the recommendation of puppy pads, they work as long as your dogs don't get bored. If they're bored they're constipated for days as the chewed up puppy pads with the lovely plastic backing is clogging up their system! I think the friends helping out is the best way to go - thank goodness for them!
ReplyDeleteStaci
Hi John! I think anyone who has ever had pets has had this kind of 'welcome' when coming home after a long day. I know how disappointing it is--Just know that if I'd been there, I would have helped you clean it up! (do you believe that?) I do hope the rest of your day has been an enjoyable one!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awful thing to come home to, especially when you'd had a bad day at work. You have my sympathy.
ReplyDeleteOh I know well what you arrived home to! It is the most awful scene and what an effort to clean up, the towels, the heated water, the numerous passes over the messes with the carpet shampooer, re-towels, laundry, NOT FUN!!! And the dogs skulking about,.....
ReplyDeleteFeel your pain, has happened to me too.... I too am a part-timer and work 15 minutes from home but little rascally Jeter MUST be kennelled when I am not home if I am away for more than 1 hour.... The others are perfectly fine, even old Halle, quite a trouper!
Posts like this remind to never get another dog! Mind you, it must be worth it in the long run!
ReplyDeleteDang, how shitful. I`ve been in the poop myself a time or two or thirty....never fun!
ReplyDeleteThe title of this post could have been shift or shit happens
ReplyDeleteDogs have a way of giving you 'pay back'. We just had four days up at "The Camp" and because of the crowd of campers we kept Denny on a leash. He didn't like it and refused to shit for three days, despite how many walks we took him on and how much we varied them to suit his usual bowel relief requirements. This morning I walked him before we packed up to come home and he could not hold it in any longer. He did this humongous, soft, very smelly poo smack bang in the middle of a group of campers! I had to scrape it into the plastic bag amid many "Ewwws!" and "Phewwws"!
ReplyDeleteAAAAAAUGH!!! One of the reasons I hate carpeting - it doesn't mix well with pets! Poor you, what a nightmare to come home to. But damn sweet dog photos!
ReplyDeleteYou "could" have wept? Why didn't you?! I would have totally lost it. I hope the flu season is short this year for your sake. Don't you have a dog door for them? I thought I remember a post where you talked about the slugs coming into the house through it. :-) (Those are the kinds of details I just love!)
ReplyDelete