Just thought I'd make an update.

Well..I'm working now, so I guess that is my largest update ^^
I got into my Traineeship, and I've been working in Belmont now for 2 weeks. And I'm telling you it is hard work but it is also so worthwhile.

I have to do a minimum of 15 hours a week but I'm probably doing more like 20-30 a week, because I love taking on the extra shifts; I got nothing else to be using my time with, and I could use the money And also, I want to show them how keen I am to do it, and they appreciate me taking on shifts that are under-staffed (of which there are plenty, unfortunately)

I'll be having my very first night shift next week..never worked the night shift before. These are the way the shifts run:

Morning
7am - 3pm (standard full morning shift)
7am - 1:30pm
9am - 3pm
7am - 11am

Afternoon
3pm - 11pm (standard afternoon shift)
4pm - 8pm
5pm - 9pm

Night
11pm - 7am (standard night shift)

The standard times are your full-shifts, and the others are shorter, but usually run in the really peak hours of the day - where you are working much more than others. So you can't really think a short shift, involves less work - just less hours
Peak hours are generally in the morning, during breakfast - feeding everyone, and showering for the day. Takes a lot of time and work, and a lot of hands, to get done.
Especially with the residents who are not mobile at all, and require the use of hoists to get to and from bed, to the toilet and to sit down. Just doing something simple like getting them to their wheelchair, can take forever.
And feeding residents who are not quite with it anymore, or have a very slow reaction time - it takes a lot of patience, and a very calm nature, I think, to work with them and have a bit of understanding with them.

I'd rather work a longer morning shift, myself
Lots of work, but you get in 8 hours, and because I'm paid by the hour, not by the amount of work - I'd rather work longer to make up that extra money. And I like morning shifts because you get up early, you work hard - get home at 3pm - and you have the rest of the day to yourself. Afternoon and Night shifts will throw me out of whack a bit more, I think. But I'll find out end of this week and next week, I guess - I'm working nearly every day, a different time each day...gonna be hectic, lol!

I'm enjoying it so far though, it carries a certain amount of pride for doing it, and self-satisfaction. You come home feeling good about what you've done for the day, I guess. I can't imagine having that feeling when you work in an office, or in sales or something of that line.. just saying good morning to the residents, and getting a smile back, makes you feel good really - and when they thank you for things.
I find it really quite sweet when I can get a smile or laugh out of them, which I try to do as much as possible it makes things much less awkward, considering how close you have to be with these people - I want to try and make them -and me- feel comfortable, really.

----

Today, I ended up in the Dementia Unit of the facility, which they call "Duggan" the facility itself is separated into three sections: 'Sutcliffe', the first half of the rooms, 'Craig' is the back half, and 'Duggan' is the Dementia specific unit which is sectioned off from the other two.
They were all named after surnames of the family who owned the facility, apparently.
I've never been into Duggan before today and I have to admit - I was a little scared about going in there. I've never seen anyone with Dementia before, let alone had to deal so closely with them. I've heard a lot of stories.. and was a bit unsure of what to expect from the residents there.

I think what scares me is their unpredictability, there behaviors all share a certain similarity, but uniquely they all behave different and have different ways in which there Dementia displays itself. Some are violent.. some are very tactile, and will just want to touch and feel everything, some will ramble or make a lot of noise. A lot of them are just in their own world entirely, while others are more lucid - but tend to be quite aggressive and physically abusive.

I had pretty much all of those today.. I had a woman try to bite me, pinch me and scratch me as I was putting her in the hoist, and I had to take care of a man who is well known, to have violent outbursts with female carers.. and he scared me the most. He isn't mobile with his legs, but you work so closely with them, he could easily have an outburst and grab me with his hands. He has been known to punch female carers, and be very abusive to them..
I'm only a small girl - I weigh 48kg - and this guy scares me, because I couldn't do much to defend myself really. Luckily he had been sedated through the night, and in the morning was still quite groggy.

I commend any nurse or carer who can work everyday in the dementia specific areas. I don't think I could cope - I like to be able to communicate with my residents, and be able to reassure them - and with Dementia you just can't. They have no comprehension.
I don't like not being able to predict their behavior really.
Maybe after a few more years of Nursing but right now, I don't think I'm emotionally equipped to deal with them well enough.. it was a hard day, to say the least.

Not much else is going on in my life, really.
I'm pretty much jst working, working, working - maybe 4-5 shifts a week and then resting on the days I have off. Then get back into work. I'm trying to fit in as many hours as I can without burning myself out.

I'm sad about Kira going back to Norway in a few days.. I won't have my only sister for another 3 months again. And I don't really have anyone else - ever since I was little, she's really sort of been my best friend - I don't have any other brothers and sisters and I'm the 'baby' of the family, so I pretty much stuck as close to her as I could.
I'll miss her immensely...

and I won't even be able to say goodbye properly, because I'll be working 3 days straight before she goes. And then on the day she leaves for the airport I have a compulsory training session, that I must attend. I can't get out of it :/ *sigh*

I hope you are all doing well, in any case.
Enjoy yourselves
~ Shan