Life in NY: Another week come and gone!

Hey all!

Well this one time a week updating is something I hope to break soon! Between my internet not working in my new apartment, making a visit home and working quite a bit, I've had trouble finding time to write updates. Besides the lack of internet, my new apartment is working out well and the night shift at work is really great. Every day I meet a new challenge-- whether it is communicating with frustrated or grieving families, not being able to manage a patient's pain, encountering medically acute situations or just not having enough time to do everything--I am learning so much and continue to feel extremely blessed for this opportunity. This past week I started working entirely on my own (no more preceptors/mentors watching over me). It's definitely a feeling of freedom, being able to care for patients in the order and system that best works for me but I am also continually fearful of making a mistake....I find myself being extra thorough and staying late on most days to finish all the work. But this is all part of being a new nurse, the first few months are usually extremely stressful, busy and a bit frightening--the other nurses all agree it gets better with time. I am also forming a lot of great relationships with the other nurses, doctors and medical assistants on the unit. I continue to really enjoy the oncology unit--I am constantly challenged and pushed, but I always leave feeling like I have impacted at least a few lives. For the past three nights I cared for a man with end stage liver cancer, he was going home to hospice care tomorrow; I'll never forget him telling me, "I'll be your angel soon in heaven since you've been my angel here on earth."

Last week a patient and I were watching the sunrise together at 5am (sleep was not happening for him that night), I asked if I could take a picture of his room's window...I've posted it below.