arrghh.. got stuck back on early mornings again tomorrow..i thought I was done! I don't just hate the the early morning shifts because I have to get up early..i don't like them because I get stuck being the clinic nurse. this means that instead of me going to see them..the patients come to see me. In many ways it is easier...no driving around parking the car, walking to front doors, waiting for elevators, everything I could possibly need is right with in arms reach. I do the same kinds of things..wound care, IV's, PICC dressing changes, VAC therapy but I do it in the clinic. I don't like this because I am stuck in a building for 8 hours a day.
BUT...
this does not matter...we are really short staffed right now and patients need to be seen. I will go where ever I need to be to meet the needs of the people we see.
now you are probably thinking..yeah so what does this have to do with the animals?
well...it is the same here. we are not here to get personally attached to only a specific area or just to a certain group of animals, we are actually here to meet whatever the animals needs are no matter who or where on site they happen to be. of course I know not everyone is "trained" in each and every area but trust me the basics right across the board are the same....we clean, we scoop poop, we wash food and water bowls. the safety things are pretty much the same...keep doors and gates closed and don't let the animals wander out of their areas.
in rescue we miss the very real fact that when we learn somethings...we know somethings and we can take that knowledge and skill and use it in other places as well.
I only know how to do the dogs sounds pretty silly when the cats just need the same clean water, fresh food, floor swept and washed, bed linens changed and maybe a pet or a cuddle or two.
I don't know how to do chickens really doesn't fly when everyone can figure out how to scoop soiled shavings and dump a wheelbarrow and refill the water and food.
these are VERY basic and transferrable caring tasks that can make a world of difference to any of the animals every day.it is not rocket science here...it is fresh food, waters and clean/comfortable homes and beds. we might need to ask where certain things are or where some things go but we should be able to chip in pretty much anywhere that help is needed.
when I first started saints,,,i knew how to care for dogs, cats and rabbits. horses, cows, sheep, pigs, goats, ducks, chickens, llamas, donkeys, budgies and doves were all a new experience for me. but I already knew the basics..i knew how to clean, I knew all animals needed fresh food and water, I knew that they needed to be treated kindly and with respect and safety is important to all species. I knew quite a lot about aging in general and about illness and disease. and I mixed it all together in a big pot and kept on adding to it by continual learning.
there are no species here more important or more deserving of our attention and care than any of the others. and if the dogs are all covered but the cats are short, if the rabbits have caregivers but the chickens do not..then it behooves we as the humans to roll up our sleeves and get there and start helping.
shoveling cow patties out in the field may not be a rabbit caregivers perfect dream, scooping up dog poop from the front yard may not appeal all that much to the cat lovers. dog people may not think filling water buckets and scrubbing food bowls out at the barn is all that much fun either. but when we are short of care giving bodies in any area here... the ones who are waiting to receive some aren't all that picky about who actually shows up. they are just grateful that someone came and actually cared.
the folks that I saw in the clinic this week, don't care that I am usually out and about in the community and that is where I really like being. they were just glad that there was a nurse there in the clinic to do for them whatever it was that they needed to be done.
I am a nurse...and I can nurse anywhere in home health that has a patient that needs nursing.
here at saints, we are animal caregivers and we actually can give care where ever it is needed. all it takes is our willingness and flexibility to step up and pitch in.....even if it is not our favorite area.
no animals should ever have to do with less just because people are afraid to give them a chance.
so what is the point of all of this?
when folks see that the schedule is unbalanced...with 10 people out at the barn and only one in the mp building or 5 folks in with the cats and no one in with the dogs, or 6 in the house and no one in for the rabbits . think about giving a bit of a stretch...and maybe there is something that someone can do about it.
Love this post! It's very stressful on my end scheduling and seeing the huge gaps some days. I always give cyber hugs to the volunteers who week after week offer to come in an extra day or move to another area to help when they've finished their own area. There are also the amazing volunteers who aren't usually on the weekend schedule who I can reach out to and they always come in when they can.
All of you volunteers are amazing for what you do for saints so I am not discrediting any of you in the least. But there is a handful of you who go above and beyond time and time again. You simply see that help is needed and step up to do what you can - this does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.