May 14, 2012

The 10,000 steps

I've heard somewhere that everyone should strive for at least 10,000 steps a day.  Reason:  it's physical activity that anyone and everyone can work into their life.

Since I've started the Psych ER job, I've been on my feet a lot.  Even though time at the Y has been scaled back due to working two jobs, my weight loss has also sped up due to more activity and less lunch at work (now down 13 pounds since Boxing Day).  I'm curious to see how many steps a day during an average day at work, so I got a pedometer.  For the next three days, I will see how many steps I rack up, then figure out what the average number of steps per day is.

I put the pedometer on after getting dressed.  Day 1--in the ER--resulted in...10,132 steps.  And the day isn't done yet:  it's only 1830.  Though since I'm beat, I may just take the pedometer off, take a bath and call it a night since I have to do it again tomorrow.

Wow.  I knew this new job had me on my feet a lot but I didn't realize how much.

Got to hang with the LVNs today.  There was a glut of RNs in the ER so I was one of the ones sent to be a LVN...well, to do the LVN stuff in the ER, plus a few RN assessments.  I was glad for the change of pace, especially after seeing how many patients kept rolling through triage.   I mean, the LVNs work very hard and then some, but they (we?) don't have to deal with the endless triaging and initial assessments.  The LVN day in the ER is more like being on an inpatient ICU/Stepdown.

I got to leave on time since I had my work and my patients squared away by 1500.  Maybe I'll get to be a LVN tomorrow too, that'd be nice...no, I can't see lightening striking twice.