h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So for some unknown reason I’m working in mental health, an 18 bedded acute women’s ward.
On Friday I did a 13 hour shift known as a ‘long day’,
one nurse on the early had to go at 12 (3 hours early) due to a home emergency another who started at 12 on the late had to go at 4 (4 hours early) injuried on shift by a patient,
we had to get maintenance in to remove all the poster/pin boards from the ward as the same patient had ripped one from the wall (think oversized A0 size) in order to use the screws as a weapon...
This left myself a learning disability nurse and one ‘preceptor’ nurse and a student with six hca’s staffing the ward.
IM ( inter muscular) lorazepam 1mg given to patient as rapid tranquillisation - which turned out to be as effective as sprinkling glitter on her...
Patient has 2 staff with her at all times to try and prevent further incidents
At 4.30 pm we have to manually lock the ward doors with the key rather than relying on the magnetic locks as patient is trying to force these open...

The shift end at 8.30 pm could not come quickly enough
Somehow no one else was injured the one nurse had to be collected by his wife and taken to the main hospital over a mile away for medical attention mine is a specialist mental health hospital we do not have physical health facilities we can’t do IV (inter venous) we don’t have X-ray or anything similar, we’ve even been told by management were not to canulate... (yes take a moment to enjoy the stupidity)

Some days I fear for my team, and my own safety... this was one of those days

"I’m working in mental health" Your only working inI've been in it for all my life

PS: I miss you and Joe/Khamsin

hope ALL of you (family) are in good health and all other aspects of life love

We’re hopping to move house soon, the eldest is due to start a new school hopefully some time in before Christmas or whenever the special schools panel meets to decide these things and we just keep plodding along,
I often joke that one day I will need a bed on the ward myself... some days the joke is more of an accurate commentary...

Hope your keeping out of trouble

My health issues are a problem at the moment nowt life threatening thoughwell! nowt to me that isfamily think different.

I wish nothing but success to you all sweetheart (as always)