My friend, Dr. Chemistry, was exactly as I predicted he would be. When I emailed him with my question about the reaction between ammonia and bleach, he said, "The simplest produces chlorine gas (which is poisonous):2NaOCl + 2NH3 -> 2NaONH3 + Cl2.Another poisonous and explosive product is nitrogen trichloride:3NaOCl + NH3 --> 3NaOH + NCl3Still another product is hydrazine N2H4 which is also explosive, when othernitrogen compounds are present." I have just enough of a chemistry background to understand that this is chemical formula and balanced equation for the chemical reaction between Ammonia and Bleach. So, I appreciated his explanation, the bold emphasis is mine.
In another email, he wrote, "here's a description of chlorine gas:"The gas tears into your nasal passages, trachea, and lungs by causing massive cellular damage."
Yikes.
The closet hypochondriac in me probably does not need this information, although the analytical, nurse side of me does have a morbid fascination. Hypochondriac won. I was sure that I had narrowly escaped the clutches of death. I laugh about it now but there was a span of 10 minutes when I was sure that if it were not for that terrible burning sensation I had and some very quick thinking to dump that mixture down the drain, I would have passed out and gotten very sick and possibly died.
This is one of those moments that I think God intervenes for my own ignorance. In all my 35+ years of living on this planet, I didn't know that you should not mix ammonia and bleach. Everyone I have talked to and told my tale said, "You didn't know that?" Which makes me feel even more silly and sure that if there is such a thing as a guardian angel, mine should have been paid double that day!
Now I know and will most likely never ever forget this lesson!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
My Accidental Experiment
I have cleaned up some pretty interesting messes/concoctions/experiments created by my children. There was the (uncooked) "Macaroni and Cheese in the blender", the "Hot chocolate-oatmeal-peanut butter in the blender", and an assortment of "(insert condiment here) on the (select from the following choices: table, coffee table, bathtub, couch, toy box)" experiments. Not to mention the numerous creations and artwork involving crayons, colored pencils, or markers that have covered walls, doors, arms and bellies or the inside of my van.
Bear with me here as I describe some of the other things I have had to clean up. I am setting the scene.
An ongoing issue, and one not uncommon when raising boys, is the correct, proper, sanitary, polite and eco-friendly use of the toilet. I have covered the gamut of topics:
-We do not pee in the closet
-Please put the seat up
-Please put the seat back down
-Please wipe off the seat if you miss
-AIM...Put your knees on the bowl and go deep
-Do not pee on the floor
-Do not pee in the trashcan
-Wipe, Flush and Wash
-Flush, flush, Flush.................Please, I'm begging you
-Who peed on my new rug?
-No you may NOT use Mommy's bathroom until you learn to use yours correctly
I learned today that I may need to return to some previous lectures as now the youngest, lets call him Peanut, who is recently potty trained but now feels confident enough to venture into the unexplored territory of "Target Practice ...and Let's See What Else my Penis can do". Big sigh.
Today's lecture is called: "Who peed in the trashcan in the closet?" with the subtitle "And let it sit for days...until it turned to Ammonia???" This lecture is followed by a chorus of "Not me", "I didn't" and "I don't know's". Maybe I need to go to police training on interrogation techniques. Substandard interrogation aside, my main suspect is Peanut.
So, grossing out, I took the offensive trash can to the kitchen to clean it but first I had to empty the other items of garbage in the bottom. Did I mention GROSS? That done, I them emptied it into the toilet and carried it back to the kitchen to pour some bleach in it, as I do when I clean the trashcans...I should have figured something was different when I poured Bleach in and all of a sudden it was white and foamy.
I thought, "hmmm, that's interesting" and began to pour some hot water in the can as well. Sometimes, I am slow to catch on. All of a sudden, my eyes started watering and I felt a gagging sensation in my throat...The light bulb went on. Maybe bleach and ammonia react and produce a noxious gas when mixed together. I am going to fire off an email to my friend who is a Professor of Chemistry. I'm sure he will answer my question politely, scientifically and in a fair amount of detail, and then go home and tell his wife and they will get a big laugh. That's ok. I laugh at myself.
So, perhaps my kids gift for experimentation is natural. They get it from me. Only I didn't plan it. Maybe they don't either.
Bear with me here as I describe some of the other things I have had to clean up. I am setting the scene.
An ongoing issue, and one not uncommon when raising boys, is the correct, proper, sanitary, polite and eco-friendly use of the toilet. I have covered the gamut of topics:
-We do not pee in the closet
-Please put the seat up
-Please put the seat back down
-Please wipe off the seat if you miss
-AIM...Put your knees on the bowl and go deep
-Do not pee on the floor
-Do not pee in the trashcan
-Wipe, Flush and Wash
-Flush, flush, Flush.................Please, I'm begging you
-Who peed on my new rug?
-No you may NOT use Mommy's bathroom until you learn to use yours correctly
I learned today that I may need to return to some previous lectures as now the youngest, lets call him Peanut, who is recently potty trained but now feels confident enough to venture into the unexplored territory of "Target Practice ...and Let's See What Else my Penis can do". Big sigh.
Today's lecture is called: "Who peed in the trashcan in the closet?" with the subtitle "And let it sit for days...until it turned to Ammonia???" This lecture is followed by a chorus of "Not me", "I didn't" and "I don't know's". Maybe I need to go to police training on interrogation techniques. Substandard interrogation aside, my main suspect is Peanut.
So, grossing out, I took the offensive trash can to the kitchen to clean it but first I had to empty the other items of garbage in the bottom. Did I mention GROSS? That done, I them emptied it into the toilet and carried it back to the kitchen to pour some bleach in it, as I do when I clean the trashcans...I should have figured something was different when I poured Bleach in and all of a sudden it was white and foamy.
I thought, "hmmm, that's interesting" and began to pour some hot water in the can as well. Sometimes, I am slow to catch on. All of a sudden, my eyes started watering and I felt a gagging sensation in my throat...The light bulb went on. Maybe bleach and ammonia react and produce a noxious gas when mixed together. I am going to fire off an email to my friend who is a Professor of Chemistry. I'm sure he will answer my question politely, scientifically and in a fair amount of detail, and then go home and tell his wife and they will get a big laugh. That's ok. I laugh at myself.
So, perhaps my kids gift for experimentation is natural. They get it from me. Only I didn't plan it. Maybe they don't either.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Snowstorm
This weekend was the first real serious snowstorm Minnesota has had this year...maybe even in a couple of years. It is also my last weekend to work on the weekend before I start my new job in 10 days (Monday-Friday...day hours...1 Saturday every 16 weeks). Wouldn't you know those two events would fall on the same weekend. No one ever said transitions would be easy.
I arrived at work to find that two staff were stuck on their 3rd shift, another stuck for a double. And for a short while, I was not only the freshest staff, but also the only licensed staff. Two of my other co-workers were either stuck in their driveways or stuck in a snow bank. I tried to make sense of how to divide the work of 7 people among 4 people and my head began to hurt. Looking back now, I remember that one of the best skills I was taught in school was to think critically. I had a big problem to solve. I began to think about the most basic needs that needed to be provided. I came up with two and I repeated them all day long--"Comfort and Safety". This helped me prioritize what needed to be done and what could be set aside. I also figured that my job, as the charge nurse, was to model being calm, cool and collected no matter what may come. And my attitude could make a difference in the perception of how things were going on our shift.
Halfway through the day, the two staff on triple shifts were able to go home. The night nurse was able to go home. And I had the director of nursing and my nurse manager working on the floor. Some of the staff were nervous to have these "big credentials" working on our unit, as if they would be criticized for what they were doing. I didn't see criticism. What I did see were people in high levels of authority get down in the trenches and do what needed to be done.
So many times, hospital policies come down to the unit staff and I hear grumbling and complaining, "If they only knew what it was really like...they would not ask us to do such and such." Today, they did see what it was like to do such and such. Maybe somethings will change. Maybe not. I wonder how the other staff I worked with today viewed it, other than feeling like they had to walk on eggshells and really make sure they were doing things correctly.
Even though these managers and directors have more seniority, experience and authority than me, they gave over some of their authority to me and continued to let me lead the unit the way I saw fit. Now that I sit here and think about it, it was a privilege and an honor. I may hear some constructive criticism in the days ahead but it is an opportunity for me to grow and do my job better. So, I am not dreading it but looking forward to the feedback.
When I left for work this morning, I thought my biggest challenge was going to be navigating the snow-covered streets, icy bridges and exit ramps. That turned out to be the least challenging part of my day.
I arrived at work to find that two staff were stuck on their 3rd shift, another stuck for a double. And for a short while, I was not only the freshest staff, but also the only licensed staff. Two of my other co-workers were either stuck in their driveways or stuck in a snow bank. I tried to make sense of how to divide the work of 7 people among 4 people and my head began to hurt. Looking back now, I remember that one of the best skills I was taught in school was to think critically. I had a big problem to solve. I began to think about the most basic needs that needed to be provided. I came up with two and I repeated them all day long--"Comfort and Safety". This helped me prioritize what needed to be done and what could be set aside. I also figured that my job, as the charge nurse, was to model being calm, cool and collected no matter what may come. And my attitude could make a difference in the perception of how things were going on our shift.
Halfway through the day, the two staff on triple shifts were able to go home. The night nurse was able to go home. And I had the director of nursing and my nurse manager working on the floor. Some of the staff were nervous to have these "big credentials" working on our unit, as if they would be criticized for what they were doing. I didn't see criticism. What I did see were people in high levels of authority get down in the trenches and do what needed to be done.
So many times, hospital policies come down to the unit staff and I hear grumbling and complaining, "If they only knew what it was really like...they would not ask us to do such and such." Today, they did see what it was like to do such and such. Maybe somethings will change. Maybe not. I wonder how the other staff I worked with today viewed it, other than feeling like they had to walk on eggshells and really make sure they were doing things correctly.
Even though these managers and directors have more seniority, experience and authority than me, they gave over some of their authority to me and continued to let me lead the unit the way I saw fit. Now that I sit here and think about it, it was a privilege and an honor. I may hear some constructive criticism in the days ahead but it is an opportunity for me to grow and do my job better. So, I am not dreading it but looking forward to the feedback.
When I left for work this morning, I thought my biggest challenge was going to be navigating the snow-covered streets, icy bridges and exit ramps. That turned out to be the least challenging part of my day.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
A quote I heard
I recently heard James Dobson on the radio and he was talking about raising a strong-willed child. Sometimes I wonder what life would be like without strong-willed children of my own. Probably boring...but I would probably get more sleep.
Anyway, he said that strong-willed children are like the night watchman who continuously checks the doorknobs. He wants the doors to be locked but sometimes, he finds one that isn't. That hit me hard. My 8 year old has been checking doorknobs since before he knew what a doorknob was. I know that this constant check of the rules and boundaries in his world provides him sense of security that my other kids never seem to question. After hearing this from Dr. Dobson, I felt better knowing that I am not alone and this is not a unique phenomena. But it also gave me a visual picture that helped increase my understanding of my child. And I am trying to use that new understanding as I try to train and teach him in a manner that is less frustrating and more productive for both of us.
Later that same day, as I was driving to work and beginning to shift gears, that quote continued to float around in my brain. I thought it applied to my patients with borderline and antisocial personality disorders. The line between my life at home and my life at work had once again been crossed. However, the analogy has worked and it has helped me explain the particular behaviors these patients exhibit to other staff members, and perhaps why these particular patients get on our nerves so quickly.
So, this quote, heard in 3 minutes on the radio on a seemingly random day, has impacted me in such a profound way that I have reached a better level of understanding at home dealing with a child with ADHD and at work with my mentally ill patients. Perhaps it was not such a random event but a way that the Lord used to help me understand some of the complicated areas in my life.
Anyway, he said that strong-willed children are like the night watchman who continuously checks the doorknobs. He wants the doors to be locked but sometimes, he finds one that isn't. That hit me hard. My 8 year old has been checking doorknobs since before he knew what a doorknob was. I know that this constant check of the rules and boundaries in his world provides him sense of security that my other kids never seem to question. After hearing this from Dr. Dobson, I felt better knowing that I am not alone and this is not a unique phenomena. But it also gave me a visual picture that helped increase my understanding of my child. And I am trying to use that new understanding as I try to train and teach him in a manner that is less frustrating and more productive for both of us.
Later that same day, as I was driving to work and beginning to shift gears, that quote continued to float around in my brain. I thought it applied to my patients with borderline and antisocial personality disorders. The line between my life at home and my life at work had once again been crossed. However, the analogy has worked and it has helped me explain the particular behaviors these patients exhibit to other staff members, and perhaps why these particular patients get on our nerves so quickly.
So, this quote, heard in 3 minutes on the radio on a seemingly random day, has impacted me in such a profound way that I have reached a better level of understanding at home dealing with a child with ADHD and at work with my mentally ill patients. Perhaps it was not such a random event but a way that the Lord used to help me understand some of the complicated areas in my life.
Why am I writing this?
I would like to say that I am an avid journaler. But the truth is that I dabble in journaling. My struggle is always the audience. I can't write unless I have an audience...someone I am telling the story too. "Dear Diary" is not personal enough to me. I can't picture who "Diary" is, what she looks like or why she cares what I have to say anyway. So, here I sit at my computer and I am picturing my friends and family reading this. Sometimes they laugh. Sometimes they are surprised. But at least it feels like a real audience.
My life has taken a curious twist. I am parenting 4 children who are 4, 5, 8 and 10. (3 Boys and 1 girl.) I am also a newly licensed RN. I have been working full-time as a psych nurse since July. And on too many occasions, I learn something at work that I can apply at home but even more surprising is that I learn something at home that can be applied to my job and my interactions with staff or with patients. So, I feel like I should write some of these profound moments down and perhaps ruminate a little on them, maybe get some feedback. In the end, I hope it makes me a better mom and a better nurse. That's not too hefty a goal, is it?
My life has taken a curious twist. I am parenting 4 children who are 4, 5, 8 and 10. (3 Boys and 1 girl.) I am also a newly licensed RN. I have been working full-time as a psych nurse since July. And on too many occasions, I learn something at work that I can apply at home but even more surprising is that I learn something at home that can be applied to my job and my interactions with staff or with patients. So, I feel like I should write some of these profound moments down and perhaps ruminate a little on them, maybe get some feedback. In the end, I hope it makes me a better mom and a better nurse. That's not too hefty a goal, is it?
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