Maya - This is my story.
 

So I've always noticed how people write on here about their experiences being IP. But I've never noticed anyone write for a nurses POV. So i'm going to put out there a prologue that I've written and I'd like your feedback please.


My name’s Maya a 27 year old Mental Health nurse and I’ve been working at Windsor Lodge’s youth ward for a year now. This is my story.
It’s a story of my childhood and the countless hours I spent laying in hospital beds, in psych wards just like the one I work in now and the endless sessions of therapy. But I’m better now and on a day to day basis I deal teens that are just like who I used to be; struggling, unhealthy and at the end of their tether. My job is to care for youth who are about as unstable as anyone could be, to care and nurture for them, while they receive a crash course of therapy while under 24/7 surveillance. It’s not the best job at times, but this is all I’ve ever want to do since my recovery; I want to let these kids know that life can get better; that where they are now isn’t the end of the road. This is my life and I’d like to let you in.

So thank you for reading, i'd just like to know a few things. Do you like the fact that there are MH issues behind the character or would it be better if it just involved her work and personal life. Because what I'm aiming at is not a story of a girl who relapses through her work; I'm looking to tell this girls past present and future.
I hope you like and please read and review :)

I like that you are writing it from a nurses point of view. Its something new.

Awh thanks guys. I'll try writing some more tonight. x

I really like this idea your putting forward, and the fact that it will be from a much different perspective
I think it would be good being around the nurses life, how she finds working with the youths who do yet want help, and also how she feels when she makes a difference

...I also know though teaghan that this will be very difficult to do, esp as I know your struggling so much

I only hope that writing this will help you get through, and lead you to a new chapter of life, one where your both happy and free from your illness

love you hunni

So this is the first chapter of the story, the snippet that I posted before was the prologue and I hope you like the first chapter. I just feel I'm missing important parts from it.


Let me describe Windsor Lodge’s youth ward to you; it is a brand new state of the art facility that features modern living areas and rooms. The old historic building, the ‘original’ Windsor Lodge is still used by the adult Mental Health patients, but the youth are here with me and the other nurses. On this floor there are 15 rooms all with their own bright colour themes and we try to match each patient to a colour they like. There is a wall down the hallway dedicated to all the teens that have stayed here and recuperated throughout the past 8months of the facility being open. There are handprints and names all over this wall; this is our pride and joy. Down towards the nurse’s station is the lounge area which features lounges and a TV. Further down the open hallway is another room named ‘the common room’ this room has books, individual Lay-Z-Boy’s, big bean bags and board games. The level that I’m on the teens usually have anywhere between 10 minute observations to twenty minute ob’s. This part of the ward can be eventful at times and keeps the nurses on their toes at all times.
On another floor are the restricted observations. These are the kids who need 1:1 basis observations or five minute observations; they tend to try and bump up the observations as quick as possible as being within 2 metres at any time of a nurse can be quite distressing for anyone, let alone someone who has mental health issues. At the end of this floor there are 3 seclusion rooms, they are rooms with padded ceilings, floors and walls; even the door is padded and cannot be opened from the inside. These three rooms are only used in extreme circumstances and are generally just ‘chill out’ rooms as we try not to leave any one in there more than a few hours as this is extremely detrimental to someone’s health.
I work the day shift, which is a 10 hour shift on mon-fri it consists of breakfast from 7-8am and those with eating disorders are expected to finish by 8.30 and are asked to be in the dining room by 7am. But before breakfast is where patients wake up and use the showers, although they are communal showers they are much like the ones experienced at camps or swimming pools. This is usually the hardest part of the day for many of our patients. It seemed particularly hard today for one girl named Louise.

Louise is rocking back and forth on her chair this morning, I can see thoughts rushing through her head as they used to when I faced this part of the day. I know the rocking and shaking isn’t helping her at all and it’s just making things worse so I place my hand on her shoulder and whisper to her “Come sit at a table without anyone else and you can just focus on yourself and me, I’ll even grab a piece of fruit if it makes you feel better with me eating at the same time as you.”
I see her shake her head in appreciation and slowly unwind herself from the ball she had entwined herself in as I stand up and grab her tray and head over to the breakfast trolley and grab an apple. Louise is by my side in an instant and quietly asks “can we sit in the corner in the sun? I miss seeing it everyday”
I nod merrily and exclaim “I know you do, it may be winter but that is when the sun is most appreciated I feel, plus I guess Windsor isn’t the brightest of places is it?” Louise quietly nods and sits down across from me as I hand her the tray. She begins to play as usual occasionally taking nibbles of food as I devour the apple in my hand, by 8.30 she has eaten all of her breakfast.
I look at her and whisper quietly “well done, I know that would be hard” she mumbles thanks lightly and stumbles off out of the room. As I’m leaving the room I remember to write on her notes that someone should sit alone with her at meal times as she is able to focus on the food easier then.

It kills me every day to see some of these kids, and that’s exactly what they are – none of them are truly adults yet and somehow a lot of them have more life experience than some of the nurses here. But seeing the outcomes and the letters some of the nurses receive makes it all worth it at the end of the day.

Awwww, i love it hun, looking forward to more.

Okay so chapter two. I'm not sure how much potential this story has, but during this chapter we're starting to get down to business as Maya experiences a hectic morning.


After breakfast I walk out to the nurses’ station which looks directly into the Lounge room and you can see the common room down the hall. This is the part of the day that most of the nurses dread, report. Half of us have report at the beginning the others have it at the end of the day, I for one have it at the start.

“Okay so it was fairly quiet night last night” Informs Dianna (Di) “apart from Louise” she continues “Lou seemed to be extremely restless and couldn’t sleep, she ended up spending half the night sitting on the lounge rocking and wouldn’t talk to anyone. A re-assesment of her Observations by the end of the day will be done for her own safety” Di stops abruptly as I enter in the usual report argument.

“Why should she be re-assessed? Okay so maybe she’s not dealing well at the moment, but she’s not in any way a danger to herself. I saw that much too clearly this morning at breakfast” But before I can continue further two of our beepers go off and we run for room 11, this room belongs to Nicole a well known Self Harmer and Anorexic on the ward; who I’ve grown quite fond of, as we reach the door it’s far worse than we suspected.

Nicole is laying on her bed with gashes all up her arms bleeding profusely, I hit the emergency button and quickly rush over to the bed. I grab a towel laying on the end of the bed and grab her arms and put them above her head with the towel wrapped tightly around them. Nicole is gasping for air as the other nurses enter not a minute later, I yell “Get towels anything absorbent enough for this, we also need the Oxy as she’s struggling to breathe. Di can you call an ambulance; she’s too far gone for us to deal with.” I then lean into Nicole and begin whispering in her ear as another nurse takes her other arm and holds that above her head with a towel “It’s okay hunny, you’re safe you’ve just got to stay with us okay? We’ll get some oxygen on you in a sec just try calm down and focus on my voice okay? I’m here next to you, I’m holding your arm above your head and you’re going to be fine, you’re in perfectly good hands.”

Di returns then on the phone with an operator and mouths to me five minutes, I nod thanks and she brings over the oxy tank and mask and I get to work trying to put it on Nicole’s face as I hold her arm still. After struggling for a while the another nurse comes and puts pressure on the arm I’m holding so I’m able to secure the oxy mask to her face and turn the canister on. I then begin to mumble to her again “Okay Nicole this is going to help, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth okay? Big deep breaths; the ambulance will be here in a couple of minutes and I’ll be with you the whole time.” I see Di nod from across the room, a nurse always has to accompany a patient to hospital at all times as they are still considered IP at Windsor. I then look at Nicole and see she’s gone ghostly white and she’s smiling at me, but the smile quickly fades as she slips into unconsciousness.

I quickly check her pulse and notice its weak but there and she’s still breathing, harshly but she’s still breathing. Then as if on cue the Ambos’ walk in the room with their medical packs and begin to take charge. I give them a brief rundown of Nicole’s history. “16 year old Anorexic, underweight on meal replacement shakes, has slashed her arms. She is bleeding profusely from both but the left seems to be worse as she’s right hand dominant. Tool used unknown, and her breathing has been harsh and uneven from when we discovered her. Weak pulse but there; she went unconscious around a minute ago. Anything else; My name’s Maya by the way, I’m the nurse on her observations and I’ll be riding with you” I finish quickly as Di hands me Nicole’s notes.

The Ambo closest to me who has just begun wrapping Nicole’s arms with gauze and pressure bandages introduces himself as Dave and asks me “Any medications we need to know about?” I answer quickly “No, she’s just been refusing meds for the past couple of days so there should be none in her system, but she’s usually on mood stabilisers and sleeping pills at night.”
At that point the other Ambo who has been working on putting an IV into Nicole’s arm speaks up “damn it Dave I can’t get a vein, I’m going to have to try her leg, I think she’s losing too much from her arms to even get one through there.” Dave nod’s in agreement and they begin looking for veins on her legs occasionally slapping the skin trying discover one. Eventually they both give up and Dave exclaims “screw it we’ll have to get her in the van and try then, if not the hospital can try its far too much pressure and I don’t want to get it wrong.”

I grab hold of Nicole’s hand as Dave moves aside and the other man scoots out the room to go get the gurney. I squeeze it tightly and whisper “I’m still here honey, you’re not getting away from us this easily.”

As Always read and review please :D

oooo, i Love it!!!! Cant wait for more hun, great update :):-D

Ha ha ha. This seemes framilear. I am woried i have stolen your idea for my latest story now. Sorry.

This is good thouhgh! Really really good! AND IM IMPATIENT FOR MORE PLEASE!!!! when ever your ready of course

It's really good :) keep going :) x

This is really good, please write more.

*taps foot* I'm getting impatient lol.

really love this too hun xx

Oooh this is really good

This is really good hun. Cant wait for more.

Hope your okay :)

great update hunni
love you xx

I know this thread is really old (I mean really) but is anyone willing to read and give me some feedback on this at all? I've written quite a lot more and am looking for some constructive criticism. If not just ignore the thread and let it float back down to the bottom of the page somewhere :)