My big move

Saturday was the day when the ward moved from the second floor of the hospital to the ground floor. The ward now is the old CCU. Although it was my day off, I turned in for a few hours to help out. The move was simple in its outlay- move the patients, their lockers and the tables- from the bay, down the corridor, into the lift (which was kept open by the head porters and had notices on asking the public to use the other lifts due to the ward move), down the ground floor corridor and to the left into the new ward, then place the patient in the bay area which corresponded to where they were in the original ward. In reality, what happened was that the side room patients were in different side room numbers which caused some people to go to a different numbered bed, and to compound this there was no bed 13 (somebody was superstitious. I kid ye not, it went bed 11, 12, and 14 in the bay). What this meant in real terms was that for every one patient moved, three journeys were involved- one with two people (sometimes only one) moving the patient on the bed, one for the locker and one for the bedside tables. This took time, I moved about 8 patients in some role of the above categories. This was harder then it seems (which with going up the stairs after each run), not to mention taking equipment and supplies between the wards (hoists, dynamap’s-though not sure why as they always are buggered in my bay- chairs, crates with paperwork in were all moved by myself), as well as helping with the patients (buzzers still went off, medication was still given etc) as well as removing cardboard into a cage which was for disposal, taking chairs from the new ward to the ward where that was moving to, and taking the hot-lock for the patients meals down to the catering department with one of the housekeepers as the porters which were plentiful in the morning were talking about some finishing at 1pm, which they indeed did from which time it was impossible to find one for love nor money. I was remarked as being “always walking through the ward pushing something big and heavy” so at least people saw me doing some work (for a change- normally I was in the end so saw little of other staff). I also taped up the new bed numbers (a senior HCA took on the role of assistant ward clerk- and I, having micropore tape in my pocket was able to take on the job of affixing bed numbers, which helped gain an understanding of the ward layout which was handy when I took one of “my regular” patients back to their correct bed as we were all a bit lost with where we all were supposed to be.

I was knackered by the end of it all and had a splitting headache. Still, at least the ward manager thanked me for turning in which is nice. However, when I got home I checked my essay feedback. While I thourght at new essay feedback would show up as an added number, I checked under the original listing (which read Deferred) and it has passed with a good mark which I am happy with.