I preceded my husband into nursing by several years. I trained as an acute hemodialysis nurse and found myself suited to the work, enjoying the challenge and autonomy. Acute dialysis patients receive their care in hospital, going to outpatient dialysis centers when they are well. Naturally, patients on dialysis are not immune to health care problems experienced by the the rest of us. Unfortunately, they may be more complicated. Hubby’s early career was in the oilfield. Due to economic changes, he saw the writing on the wall and realized he’d need to retrain. He made the difficult decision to go to nursing school.
I’d trained and worked with many nurses coming from the oilfield. I knew Bud would do well. Like them, he was smart, technically savvy, accustomed to long hours, motivated, and happy to be out of the elements. Comfortable with exchanging exposure to mud and grease for bodily fluids, most did really well in acute hemodialysis, the intensive care unit, and the emergency room.
Since I was in hemodialysis and Bud worked on a Physical Rehabilitation Unit, we shared many patients. Of course, it didn’t take patients long to ask about our link. I am of a talkative nature, warm and friendly, greeting each patient by name as they arrived. Bud is friendly, but reserved. Hemodialysis is a typically a four hour treatment, so if patients felt like visiting, there was plenty of time for that. One grumpy patient must have wished I’d hush. When she got back to Bud’s floor, she asked him. “Is that your wife working down there in dialysis?”
“Sure is,” he admitted. “Did she take good care of you?”
“Yeah.” She admitted. “But she talks too much! And ever’ time I go to sleep she comes over and gits my blood pressure.”
“Well, I guess you better tell her she talks too much, but you do know she has to take your blood pressure every fifteen minutes, don’t you?”
The next time she came to me, I greeted her like always. “Good morning, Mrs. Smith.(not her name) Let me get you all settled in. Now you know I have to get your blood pressure every fifteen minutes, but I’ll try to keep quiet and let you get a good nap. I know I talk too much.”.
“You shore do.” she said. “Now, put a pillow behind my back, git me another blanket, a cuppa ice an’ switch that TV to “Price is Right,” Turn off that light.” With this, she nodded off. I didn’t wake her if I could help it.
Bud greeted her when she returned to his care. “How are you? Mrs. Smith. Did your treatment go okay today?”
“Yeah, but they keep it like a freezer down there. Git me some blankets an’ a cuppa coffee.” She snapped.”
“Yes ma’am, as soon as I get your vital signs. He got to work.
“Is that all y’all Betheas can do? Talk and git my pressure. Git me some blankets.” He did. I was happy for him.
Nutsrok 