Before we forget

Having returned to work after a brief respite outside CAMIE followed by Chinese New Year break, I was sent for my long overdue training course entitled "Understanding Persons with Dementia (PWD) and Person-Centered Care (PCC)". And there, I learnt of this interesting website entitled 'Before We Forget' and would like to take the opportunity to share the URL here:

www.beforeweforget.org

My sincere appreciation to those who identify with caregivers in the journey in caring for PWDs, as well as those who strive to make their challenges known. Kudos to the young authors of this book and their movie production. God bless you!

Respite at work

You won't believe respite at work for me come in the form of being transferred to the more acute section of the ward where manpower is scarce and patients' acuity is higher. The past 6 months of working permanently in the CAMIE cubicle has caused me so much distress (coupled with stress from my part time studies, of course) and frustration because I felt totally unlike a nurse. Many a times, I actually felt like I was working in a mental health institution. Sigh... I concluded, though my nurse managers would beg to differ, that nursing persons with dementia (long term) is definitely not my cup of tea.

So, with much anticipation, I was allowed to be 'let out' of CAMIE for 2 weeks. While I was afraid I'd be 'slow to react' after losing touch with the acute section for so long, I couldn't hold back that inner joy that I'd be busy administering IV drugs, doing fluid challenges, performing cannulation, serving controlled meds, blah, blah, blah...

Yesterday was just day 2 and I ended work late for AM shift on a Monday morning. Yet, I was happy!!! I'm not sure where this would lead me. But I hope to get some answers by the end of this 2-week respite session. God, guide me with Your wisdom, give me Your strength. And I pray something good would come out of this. Amen.