Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Bridge, RN

Clock In
          Lower the drawbridge
          Bring it on, I am ready
          My hands are steady.

Dehydrated Patient
          Suspended saline
          Catheter into his vein
          Bridge to bring him back.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
          Fighting on the bridge,
          He threw a Lego grenade
          At the CNA.

Cancel the Code
          For it is ordered
          Do not resuscitate him.
          Let him cross the bridge.

Break Time
          What about a break?
          You're kidding.  Not in this place.
          Not here to play bridge.

Performance Evaluation
          Nurse who eats her own
          Sabotaging healing place
          Go jump off a bridge.

Teamwork
          All of us working
          With respect for each other -
          That's building bridges.

Clock Out
          I do love my job,
          But still the best bridge of all
          Is on the drive home.

16 comments:

  1. Good ones here, Libby. Love the title...so descriptive of the subject matter. Some joyful, some sad. The most moving, for me, was "Cancel the Code."

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    1. We're trained to react; sometimes it's hard to pull back and respect a patient's last wishes.

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  2. ha! The drive home. Yes, that is the best bridge.

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    1. I have to cross four physical bridges to get home. After this poetry prompt I'll be seeing them differently and probably love them even more.

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  3. I LOVE this!!!!!!! Love the glimpses of work and am so right there with you when "the best bridge is on the way home".

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    1. If only we could always just go hiking with wild things and write poetry!

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  4. Libby,

    A very real-world set of bridges, some difficult and others lifelines...I liked the bridge home at the end of a working day. As a former nurse, I can appreciate some of the challenges met along the way:)

    Eileen

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    1. Maybe one reason I like to read and write poetry is because it helps me disconnect from my all too real world.

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  5. "the best bridge of all is on he way home"... boy do I get that line! Thanks as always.

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    1. You're welcome. And thank you (and all you other poets) for your poetry I breath in when I get home. Better than going to an oxygen bar.

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  6. This is a wonderful glimpse into the world of a working nurse. Perhaps the saddest one to read is 'Performance Evaluation' It must be so hard to be a healing influence for your patients when you don't feel as though your environment is safe or nurturing. Great write!!

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    1. Yes, it's hard and it pisses me off. Thanks for letting me vent!

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  7. Oh Libby, this is so well done~
    I could feel so much balanced on these lines~
    I worked in Admissions in a hospital, only on the outskirts of the bridge. I so respect what you do! Thank you~

    I love the ending....beautiful!

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    1. First impressions are so important. Your job as an early impression could never have been that easy and I hope you never felt disrespected. I am sorry you felt on the outskirts.

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  8. A glimpse into the life of a nurse.....and yes the bridge home is always the best! :-)

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    1. Yes it is. Funny thing is it's the same bridge going the other direction too, but I didn't say anything about the drive to work!

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