Trusting you instincts

Over the years we have learned to trust our instincts-except for last night....

When I call you Dr. Resident to look at your patient that I say "I think she's a little sicker than you thought" it is because SHE IS! Don't tell me she'll be ok with a bp in the 60's and o2 sat in the mid 80's-just fucking do something or I will......So I gave her a liter bolus and put her on 100% o2-even though she "didn't need it" and miracle of all miracles her bp came up as did her oxygen. ms crumpet avoided the black shroud again....geesh...I should have went to lunch.

Example 2: A new and I mean NEW medic rushes through the door (yelling mind you) MA'AM I think HE's CRASHING! and i give the old goober the once over and think bullshit but go a head and stick him in resus anyway....Normal bp nsr on ekg o2 perfect on room air GCS 15! The medic said "I can't get a radial pulse" and of course I was a smart ass and said "did ya check his wrist-on the radial side?" geesh....and at that point-I moved goober to a regular room and WENT TO LUNCH!
*medic later said "im new and i panicked a little" I fought the urge to roll my eyes and say "yah think?" so as not to squash the newbie. I said "that's ok-he's fine and you did ok-don't worry about it" HOW UNCHARACTARISTIC OF ME! I was proud of myself....

Important lesson: TRUST your instincts!

Pain!

Pain-without love-Pain-I can't get enough-Pain-I like it rough cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all .....

We've all heard the urban legends...

• I swear I was making a salad in the kitchen naked-and just slipped-I don't know how it ended up in there...
• I passed out because someone put cocaine in my drink and when I woke up, it was there
• I was rowing and it just slipped (my personal fav) Were you naked rowing?
  
• slipped in the shower and landed on a shampoo bottle....

Come on folks! We don't believe it any more than your mum or best friend will! If your gonna play these games-someone please invent a safety string or something to retrieve it so nurses like me aren't stuck in one room for 90 minutes why the residents fumble with a concious sedation to remove the foreign object....No I DO NOT want to take a lunch now....

Jesus and the President

Not much to tell over the last few shifts.....

But I did meet Jesus and the President. It's amazing when people finally break because they are always someone famous. No one ever thinks they are a butcher, baker or candlestick maker. No, this weekend, I met Jesus and the President. I wished I could have intro'd them to eachother! Now that would have been something to write about.

Just ask any ER folks you know, the psych patients always talk about sex and/or religion....Why? who knows-but it is a proven scientific fact!

The juice

For folks who aren't medical....
Sometimes your heart can beat funny. We have many tricks up our sleeves to talk your heart into beating right again. Most of us prefer to do it with medications....except Dr. Wrong.

Dr. Wrong was probably beaten as a child. He probably had the worst luck of anyone, anywhere. Why would I come to this conclusion? He is probably the most miserable toad alive... He is feared by all for his biting attitude (ok feared by the newbie-us oldies roll our eyes alot)

Anyway-Dr. Wrong prefers the juice....

Zap him!
But doc-he's awake...
Charge it anyway....
But shouldn't we medicate???
I said charge it!
I don't think this is...
Do it!!!
ZAP!
UGH!

And of course it DIDN'T work-so what do we do? UP the juice!
Which didn't work.....so what did we do?????

(INSISTED ON MEDS)

Score 1 for the nurse and patient (Singed)
We may have won the battle-but I fear we're losing the war....

Mum on seeing dead people

It was a rainy afternoon and not much to do but set on the porch swing and reflect. We were sitting silently for a while when mum stuck up the conversation...

My thoughts in italics

Mum: Do you see dead people?
Me: like in the movie?
Mum: No, I mean like when the ambulance men bring them in.
Me: yeah (now where the hell is this going)
Mum: Oh, I never knew you had to see them
Me: yeah, I do
Mum: Do you have to touch them?
Me: sometimes, you know when your giving CPR or something
Mum: oh, I never thought about that. Have you ever seen someone die?
Me: yeah, a few times (like over 13 years in the er, and last night saw 2 traumas catch the Jesus train)
Mum: How awful for you!
Me: it was worse for them. Mum, you know I work in the ER. What do you think I do?
Mum: You know, give shots and help the doctors.
Me: yeah, that's usually what I do

Now, for those of you who don't know mum-southern genteel lady who teaches primary school and has never ever thought of seeing someone dead.....
Sad part is-I think mum's assessment of what I do at work is shared by way to many people in the general public. So nurses are either handmaidens or whores to the doctors....gotta love it

mrs. DR. Posh

A new doctor, exciting! Along with a new doctor comes "the wife" ahhh the sterotypes playing through my mind. Just so happens Dr. Posh was working a few nights ago. Who would happen in you ask? Why mrs. DR. Posh. (just happened to be at the posh resturant with posh friends and stopped by the posh er with a posh goodie bag for the poor working husband)

No, I am not standing here to eye you or your husband mrs. DR. Posh-I want your husband the DR. to address this lady's hypotension and the nurse in line behind me wants him to address the potassium level of 1.8. No mrs DR. Posh-we do NOT want to flirt or otherwise mingle with your husband. Contrary to what your mama taught you, not all women are out to marry, sleep with or otherwise molest a man because he is a DOCTOR! To be honest, he's not even mediocre looking and he's certainly not the sharpest guy I've ever met...IN FACT you couldn't even double his salary to make him attractive enough for me! ha-take that mrs. DR Posh. Besides, most gals I work with are married to cops or firemen/medics. Something about a pysically fit guy in a uniform....So DR's wives rest assured! We DO NOT want your husbands! We've seen them at the best and their worst (usually the worst) and we are all to happy to send them right back home to you at the end of the shift!

A new start

This year, I've promised myself I'd do some new things I've been wanting to try. (blogging for one) I have been a long term blog fan but haven't had the time or energy to devote to anything else. So this is a new start to a new blog for me.

Some background: I have been a nurse for 13 years. I've mainly worked in emergency departments. Some big-some not so big. The "customers" are all the same. I thought being a nurse meant "helping people" HA! About 3 or 4 a month actually want/need your help (sorry to my ethics professor) the rest have another angle all together (drugs, attention from family, ect)

Why I continue to be a nurse: for those 3 or 4 a month that actually want/need help, mortgage, feeding my kids......

Now onto the trauma drama!
I love trauma. Always have. (hey, someone's gotta do it) I love the "emergent factor". Maybe that's why people like me stay. I like never knowing what's coming through the door. I like chaos and madness, and yes, sometimes the drama of it all.....

Most nights, it's all I can do to stay awake. Of course, there is the usual patients-excuse me administration "customers" between the interesting stuff....

• Yes sir, I know your mother wants a drink of water and I know I have explained why she can't have anything until her CT is done for the tenth time but right now I am trying to get this man's BP above 50/12 and that is more urgent! UGH!
  

• Yes ma'am, I know you've waited for an hour to be seen for these cold symptoms you've had for 6 days, but right now we are doing CPR on someone. No, I don't know how long it will take!

• It's called "being on your period" It happens every 28 days or so, yes, you will bleed and have cramps for a few days. No, you are not dying. Yes, it's normal.