Floated

For an overflow ward like our ward (read: overflow ward means we are handling some patients who are not accepted by female medical ward, female surgical ward, and paediatric wards due to high census and other reasons approved by the administration), we are expected that we can handle any type of patients, be it a surgical case, a medical case, and paediatric cases. Due to this reason, everytime our census is low, and sometimes, even if it is high, when one of the other wards would need extra staff, the nursing supervisor on duty will ask one from us to be "floated" to that ward.

The nursing supervisors would say that the New Female Medical Ward (our ward) staff are the only staff from among the different wards who are capable of handling all types of patients that is why they would always get the floater from our ward. It is very seldom that our ward would have a floater from other wards. Yes, we feel honored because it means they can see our hardships, but we also feel that we are being abused especially when our census is high, and they will leave only two staff because "you can manage" even if you're only two, but in fact, we are only trying to survive the 12-hour shift running from one patient to another, giving patient care and answering every call bells.

Indeed, it is a a very challenging experience being in the ward not my own--from working with staff I only knew that day and have never worked with before to handling cases which are alien to me--makes me feel like I am "new" in our hospital. I have to learn their routine works and the different procedures that we never perform in our ward. And to top it all, I have to be extra careful with everything I am doing. Not that I am not being one. I just have to spend a little time making sure I am doing the correct thing so that they will not say anything against me. Well, some people believes first impression lasts, so I have to leave a good one, haha.

But being a floater has its own advantages also. First, I handle new cases, which means new learnings. I wouldn't just be confined on the usual cases at our ward. Next, I meet new people, which means new friends. That's not all. I meet fellow Bicolanas and Bicolanos and even speak our own dialect! And the last thing is, they will consider that you're only a floater, and they would give you easy cases, not all the time though. Once I was floated to the busiest of all wards, Female Surgical Ward and I was given easy cases only, but at the end of the day, I had the most number of patients because of my three admissions! When I was also floated to Male Surgical Ward, they gave me a day 3 post tonsillectomy patient (an easy one and one of the cases in our "home" ward) but in the middle of our shift, he developed active bleeding and we have had emergency OR to cauterize the bleeder. That was the first time I was assigned to MSW so you can imagine how hard it was.

Now, Male Surgical Ward is under complete renovation and they are closed. They transferred to our ward. Of course, MSW staff are more used to handling surgical cases that is why they transferred to our ward also. The result? We are being floated for more than a month now. It is quite hard. We don't know where we will be floated unless we will see our assignment sheet upon arrival at the hospital. And at the ward where you were floated, you never met the patient before, so you have to read his/her chart from his medical history up to present.

At Newborn Nursery. He's adorable, yes?

Now I am getting used to it. If before the MSW renovation, we were dreading every expected duties where we will be floated, now we are getting excited to seeing where we will be assigned. That is the only thing we can do anyway.

Wondering which ward I will be tomorrow.

Sand, Sun, and Fun

When I was invited by my colleagues to join them to go to the desert and do motorbiking, I didn't even blinked an eye and I agreed. For a fun and adventure-lover like me, who wouldn't join? Anyway, it rarely happens, and for my almost seven months here in this desert country, I've never really seen real sand dunes and real desert. I mean, the vast sea-like desert because I am living in the city.

We were fetched by our "drivers" at past eight in the morning, but we were able to leave Silver Tower thirty minutes after because our companions just came from 7pm-7am duty. From Silver Tower, we went to Gulf Centre to fetch our other colleagues, so we were able to leave Al-Khobar at around past nine.

On the way, we were amazed by the cleanliness of the ocean, just a few feet from the road. The ride is long. It seemed that we are passing endless beaches and sands. We arrived at the place (I don't know the name) at around ten. The sand is scorchingly hot. 

As we are approaching, we saw some cars "playing" in the sand. Some are even moving backwards, making the sand fly into the air.

At first, we cannot see any motorbike so we thought we were lost. The long terrain of sand made us all feel giddy excitement. This is it. We will be experiencing the fun under the sun!

Upon arrival, we bargained with the owner of the motorbikes with the price and the number of hour we are going to use. Since one motorbike can hold two person, and we are six, we decided to rent three bikes and agreed who our partners will be. We agreed to rent only the bikes for thirty minutes because of the intense hotness.

Green, eh?

Baba (as we call old men), the owner poses with mommy Joanne after the payment.

The partners ready for the "practice":  Ate Bebe Roxy and me, Ate Karen and Mommy Joanne, Ate April and Ate Gladys (the one who took this photo)

Before we were allowed to go to the sand dunes, we were asked first to try it out in the cemented practice area. Baba taught us how to operate the bikes. Kind of easy, but I didn't tried. I never tried to drive motorbikes alone. When I was at Bicol, one of my friends taught me the basics, but I never really tried. When we thought we are ready for the sand, we asked if we can remove our abayas since it is difficult to drive the bike wearing abaya, and he said we can. So, there, we removed our abaya and exposed ourselves under the ten o'clock sun. Of course, we put on first our SPF 50 sun block lotion, courtesy of the hospital, haha!

Unfortunately though, sand storm started. But that sand storm didn't stopped us from having fun. We put on our caps and shades and battled against the "zero visibility" as Ate Bebe Roxy calls it.

Sand! Excited much!

Me and Ate Bebe Roxy

Ate Karen and Mommy Joanne

Ate April and Ate Gladys

We had so much fun while going up and down the sea of sand. We didn't mind the heat. The heat seems to have weaken while we were enjoying, but I can feel that the metal rim of my shades is becoming hot, too. We were all shouting at the top of our lungs, tasting the saltiness of the sand. Because I'm not driving, I'm holding the camera and taking pictures. Even the camera has gotten warm.

Supposedly a jump shot but ate Bebe Roxy cannot capture me while jumping. Fail!

There were times when we were stuck at the sand dunes, and the owner's assistant, who always follows us (for security and safety purposes, I think) is always ready to the rescue. Once, while we were going up, we really had difficulty removing the bike when it was stucked, and brother-whatever-his-name-is readily helped us. We were riding the bike while he is pushing us, but still, we cannot move the bike. I volunteered to get out of the bike because ate Bebe Roxy is the one driving but brother-whatever-his-name is said in Arabic that I stay in the bike, and ate Bebe Roxy will get out because she is big. Ate Bebe Roxy laughed while getting out of the bike, so I was left alone, trying to manipulate while brother is pushing, but to no avail. As a result, I get out of the bike and leave brother alone. So, here he is:

Ready to the rescue! Thanks so much, brother!

Thirty minutes passed fast. We didn't noticed the time. When we were going back to the flat area, Ate Bebe Roxy said that I try too, and I agreed. During that time, three or more male Arabs has started to come and they were going in circles towards us as if they were playing with us. We were trying our best to avoid them. I am the one driving then. Me and ate Bebe Roxy are the only ones left in the sand because our companions are already returning the bikes to it's places, so I'm driving fast. Then, in a blink of an eye, one Arab man riding his bike is approaching us. I tried to avoid him and in a spur of a moment, I felt that we are going upside down. All we can do was shout in terror. I found ourselves lying on the sand, with our bodies aching especially on our foot. I looked on my foot and noticed that the bike is above our feet. Petrified,I asked ate Bebe Roxy if she is okay and she answered yes. And I didn't know we are thinking the same thing. The bike might cut our feet so we did was we kicked the bike so that it will be away from us. While doing so, the Arab men removed the bike from us and assisted us to get up. Our companions have heard us shouting so they came towards us.

I did tried to drive. The last photo taken before the accident.

I felt dizzy when I get up and my right foot is aching. Ate Bebe Roxy assisted me walking. She keeps on asking if I am okay and I said I was just dizzy. We are walking already when our companions arrived in our place and asked in concerned manner if we were okay. They assisted me together while walking. Then  I heard a chorused scream. I didn't know what happened next. When I woke up, I even thought "what time is it? I still have a duty. I think I'm late!" When I opened my eyes, saw that brother-whatever-his-name-is is holding my feet. Only then I realized that I am floating from the ground and my colleagues are carrying me. When they saw that I am awake, they put me to the ground and assisted me walking. While walking, I asked, "did I faint?", making my colleagues laugh at me because I didn't really knew what happened, although at the back of my mind, I knew that I did. Mommy Joanne answered "yes". Ate Gladys advised that I be assisted to the car. They put me on the front sit. I asked again, "how many minutes did I fainted?" Ate April jokingly answered, "one month". And we are all laughing. Just like that. Except for the slight pain on my legs and a shallow abrasion on my right elbow, it's as if nothing had happened. Oh, the sand all over my clothes and hair also. :)

Ouchess!!!

Look at the smile. Seems like nothing happened, eh?

We enjoyed our "brunch" at Ikea Restaurant after. A mere 45-minute-drive from the dessert.

Mommy Joanne, me, and Ate April

Our food.. Yum! Yum!

A pose after enjoying the meal

Her second plate. Guess who! :D

And the Queen of Text goes to..... tantadaaaan! Me! lol. This was my reaction upon receiving the concerned text from my bestfriend's mom when she learned what happened. I never told my own mom that I have had an accident, but my Mama Salve knows! Blame Baian for immediately reporting it to her mom.. Tss!

After eating, we strolled around Ikea and bought some stuff.

Ate Gladys to Ate Karen: Congratulations on your graduation! (referring to our "togas") :D

Bunch of laughters. See? Do I look like I was injured? :)

After a while, we decided to go home because I will still be having my night duty. And I am longing to take a dive on my own bed.

Dead tired, but was able to sleep with a smile on my face even if there is a band-aid on my right arm. :)
Till next adventure... :D