Deep breaths....

This is going to be a bitch session post, so stop reading if you can't handle it. I gotta vent though. It's my blog. Work just plain sucks right now. I have been back since December 10th. This has been a harder adjustment for me then the times before I had to go back, and I am a bit off guard about that, hence my need to vent.

I wake up at 5 something every day so I can get myself ready, do a few chores, and then get the kids ready to go to my parents. This means dressing all three kids, brushing hair, brushing teeth, getting jackets on everyone, etc etc. I do this alone every day as the hubby works nights, so I am on my own if anyone wakes up, and doing the morning bit so I can get to work. Sometimes when Dave is off any home I can slip out while everyone is still asleep, other times when he is off but has court I still have to do it on my own as he sleeps until the last minute. Irritating...

So then on to work. Since I have come back all these new procedures have been implemented. While I was out this time no social worker was covering for me, as before. Though the units did do a lot of stuff that I normally do, I am still way behind on some things. It could be worse I guess. I have to do new assessments on every freaking patient we have, and then treatment plans on them. We had some of these due this week. One of my units, God Bless them, took it upon themselves to do my part of the assessments and treatment plans for those due this week, and those due previously. They didn't have to do this, but it made things easier for me. The other unit didn't have to do it, and hence it wasn't done but I still had to have them done this week. These things take a long time to do, and since I have not been there in freaking 12 weeks to know what the hell is going on with the people, I honestly was just either putting what I remembered what was going on with them 12 weeks ago and took some wild guesses. Yeah those assessments and Treatment plans suck. Now with the treatment plans we then have these mandatory meetings with the staff and patient in which we are supposed to present the treatment plan. I was told not to stress them since I am having to catch up, but I don't think they really meant it as when it comes time to my part I end up looking like a dumb ass. Sorry I don't know what the @#$$ is going on with these people currently, and this whole flipping procedure is new to me.

Then while I have busted but to get these assessments and TP's done, everyone and their sister is throwing requests at me. "So and so is leaving a nursing home and doesn't know where he's going to live", "So and So ride isn't coming on time", "so and so isn't quite managing their money right", "so and so lost their dentures", "so and so needs to travel in a couple of days and nothing is set up", "so and so is pissed at the Social worker for having a baby and not being here to get food baskets". Then because the unit closes down for Christmas, schedules at one unit need to be re-worked out for patients to come on different days. Basically, I am just not able to get it all done within the 6 days I have been back, and people are seeming to be expecing it and I want to throw things at them.

Factor in also I work between two units, and it always seems someone needs me at the other one. Also, girlfriend is PISSED that a great deal of these TP meetings are done on fridays. I put Laura in preschool on Fridays so I could take her and pick her up. But if a TP is scheduled I have to be there. I also have scheduled doc appointments for kids on fridays, and as her preschool has to have aparent helps in the classroom I have to be there on certain days I have signed up for. I still only work 4 days a week, but I always took fridays off, and set up my life to run that way.

Because I am stressed to the max at work teeny things are plucking my nerves... I am also sick and tired of nurses to expect the social worker to make life changing differences in the patients. I can make suggestions, give them advice, but ultimately they have to follow through. My job is not to counsel. I know that sounds crazy, but no I am not going to sit down and have a flipping therapy session with a patient. I AM NOT A THERAPIST AND PEOPLE NEED TO LEARN THE DIFFERENCE. I am not qualified/licensed to do that. That is what a freaking therapist is for. My whole freaking job role is case management. This means I am just trying to hold the person together if they need it. Make sure insurance is as stable as can be, make sure you get your meds, make sure if you need help, you know what your options are. Basically, I am there to give options, and push someone in the right direction. But since some of my patients would rather lick poo then do anything to help themselves even that is a struggle. Ultimately if you got some mental issues, you need to see a therapist, or try some new drugs. I might get that printed on a t-shirt.

I am hoping things will chill out once I am caught up on all the new procedures, and have adjusted. I will say my days go by fast though. No down time at all anymore. I have not even had time to really even catch up with co-workers, and I consider some of my co-workers to be my closest friends, so that's sad for me as I haven't even been able to catch up with them yet.

So then I go home at the end of the day stressed from the day, and I come home to my crazy household. I cook dinner, attempt to do some chores, attempt to play with kids, attempt to get Christmas stuff done, and about 11pm I can finally sit down. Despite all this running around, my house still isn't clean, I am not caught up yet at work, and I am not ready for Christmas, I don't get to enjoy my kids when I am home, and I basically just want to cry. And guess what idiot decieded to do a freaking holiday party at her house for family tomorrow... yeah I planned this before I went back to work, last thing I want be doing right about now...wont be happening again so hopefully everyone will take pictures so the record shows I had a holiday party in this lifetime.

Despite how frantic I may seem, I am actually a lot calmer which is scary, and is exactly why I am going to hit up my doctor to get on something. I think I need a combo of Speed and Zoloft, and gun to shoot the idiots in Washington for coming up with these new regulations at work.