Feeling More than My Age

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's ......
SUPER NURSE.
She gets from nursing home to nursing home in a single bound.
She can lift computer cases full of files and laptops.
She can walk all over a facility, talk to residents and staff, audit charts in a split second.
She can......

No she can't.

I just found out from one of my Regional Nurses that she will be sitting in one of her buildings for the next two weeks. I already have one Regional Nurse acting as DON in one of her buildings. Where does that leave me - covering two regions, having nightmares about work and scarfing down Advil for the back pain.

People forget that I'm 60 - I forget that I'm 60.
I get home and I'm too tired to do anything but nuke my supper, read the mail and get into jammies. Writing is almost out of the question.

I need some time at Camp Taylor in an RV along the lake with the Lakota Wolf Preserve a short walk up the hill. But somehow I have less time coming to me than I thought I did. I have no clue and I won't fight it - too tired.

I'll just keep being Super Nurse until I get at least one of my Regional Nurses back.
Then I'll go back to being The Last RN - how I feel, how many RNs feel - especially the ones who are doing everything and working double shifts and feeling unappreciated.

National Nurses Week is coming soon.
Have you thanked a nurse this year?
Better do it before we're all gone.
As in: Up, up and Awaaaaaaaaaaaay!