Tragic

Tonight one mother is waiting while her little boy receives a heart transplant that he has been waiting for his entire life. 100 miles away another mother watches over her child that is in the intensive care unit after a lung transplant. 2 other mothers are holding their children after their liver transplants while other mothers around the state are thankful for having another day with their child after their transplants. Tonight 14 children have received organs because of one tragic event.

a mother took her child while she committed a crime. The victim fought back and fired at the mother's car. The victim did not know there was a 14 month old in the car and the bullet went into one side of the child's head and out the other. We did everything that we could do to help and it was determined that the child was brain dead. The loss of this child is a tragic event. Some believe that some children would be better off dead, yet every child deserves a chance no matter what type of parents they have. In this case, this child did not have a chance. However, the loss of this soul has saved 14 other souls. Sometimes thing do not make any sense in the ED, this is one of them. Thankfully, something good has come of this tragic event. There might not be any family to mourn the loss of this soul, but everyone in our department feels the loss and mourns for her.

Busy

Busy week, for some reason we are hold patients in the ED and still excepting transfers. This is just crazy. There are not enough nurses to cover all of the beds on the floors, so we hold them. Yet, no one seems to be concerned that we in the er, don't have the nurses to handle the same amount of er patients, plus hold floor patients. Crap, I have patients stacked in the halls and 4o deep in the waiting room. i really do not know how long we can keep at this before everything breaks down further.

Anyway, completing some papers for school and getting butt kicked at work. thought i would at least post today. Sorry if not interesting:)

Grab Ass: Only some will relate

Okay, only some of my followers will understand what I am talking about and hopefully all will find the humor.

My hips are acting up, in and out they slip. Not really all the way out, but I feel the ligaments slip over and joint come out just a bit, than ligament slips back over and they go back in. This combined with the cold and the arthritis it is very uncomfortable.

anyway, my ortho saw how I was walking when he came to admit another patient in the er. When he asked e were it hurt, he just was not getting the picture. So, I took his hands and placed them where it hurt. Now for those that suffer hip pain, the pain is normally not on the outside of the hips, but right where the butt meets the top of your leg. That is where mine is. After 15 years of him fixing me, I am use to him and he is very professional, but his med student, not familiar with the history turn the brightest shade of red and even ask my dear doc if I was hitting on him... My doc shared that little bit of info later with me and we laughed so hard that I about peed my pants. So for those with pain in what could be sensitive areas, please be aware that some new doctors will not understand you grabbing their hands and having them grab your ass.

For the record..... pain is right were the finger tips are in the above picture... lol

Urine Sample

Patient comes in confused, but has stayed confused for longer than expected. We attempt to get a urine sample from he, but are unable.

Picture this...
all nursing and doctor staff sitting around desk and talking, patient comes out of room. I attempt to get him back in room. There is a large column that block the view from the doctors desk, yet they hear me say, "no, no, put that back in your pants." At that time patient is whipping out his dick and proving his urine sample all over the chair that I was just sitting in, which of course bounces back up onto desk and into my fresh coffee. He than zips up and everyone is gaping at him. I am trying to get him back into room while everyone is just looking at him and me like he is crazy, which he was. It took me saying, "hey, how about a little help here prior to the male doctors and male nurses snapped out of it and came to my aid or the pissing patient.

First diet, than quit smoking and than someone pees in my coffee

Revenge: ER Style

I have ranted and rave about having EDS and the pain in the butt, or should I say the pain in the joints it is. Well my EDS help get a little sweet revenge on a new ER Doc today. With the help of a few other Docs:)

A few weeks ago, a new Doctor started. I have no clue where he is from, but I am positive the nurses held a party after he left.He some how believes that nurses only live to follow his commands. He does not understand that we as nurses follow protocols, which allows for nurses to order tests, give certain medications, and yes, even perform a full code with out the help of a doctor. (Not that we want to, but we can if we have to).

After making the last few weeks hell, the doctor's and us(nurses) developed a plan to teach this doc some manners. He has the habit of not looking when talking to the nurses and roughly handing the charts to us. Sort of slapping the charts in our hands, or down next to us. We have told him many times not to do that, but he just doesn't care.

This is where my EDS comes into play. Just for the record, it was not my idea, I just went along with it. I can dislocate most of my joints on demand, and at times the doctors have relocated me after having a few good laughs when I can't relocate myself.

Here is the set-up:
1. take ring braces off fingers and wait till new doc is not looking and slaps a chart down next to me.

2. Hyper-extend/ dislocate fingers and yell

3. When old doc, who is in on it, looks down holds hand and pretends to exam dislocated fingers, pop the shoulder out

4. Old doc calls over new doc, and asks him why he slapped my hand with the chart.

5. Wait till new doc looks at hand and grabs hand to exam to yell that he is pulling shoulder out.

6. New doc than sees shoulder is out, give him a few minutes of thinking he abused some poor nurse.... than pop shoulder back in, flex fingers back, and tell him to stop slapping charts down at the nurses.

It is comical to watch the emotions that crossed his face, but he has not slapped a chart in the hands or next to any nurse since then.

only draw back was that my ortho got called in for another patient and the doctors let the gag slip out of the bag to my ortho, who in turn gave me a lecture (another) on the hazards of voluntarily dislocations. Some how the doctors never let it slip that it was THEIR idea.

Withdrawls

My name is Mel-Lee and I am an nicotineholic. That is how everyone that I know who are non smokers make me feel. What jerks! Right now, I feel as if I am going to DIE. WTF!!!! I am on Chantix, which is supposed to help with withdrawals symptoms, yet it is blocking all of my nicotine receptors so that even when I smoke, I STILL DO NOT GET THE NICOTINE. Going through withdrawals, night sweats, chills, and feeling like my insides are going to be ripped out. It is like being on antabuse and drinking with the severe sickness. Okay, there is my bitch of the day.

Soliciting the pity vote

Okay, I have been nominated for Doc D's nursing blog award, which is a great feeling because people do actually read my crazy rants. However, I am only second in the running, that is second to LAST.

So, come go on over to the Doc, and vote

Check out some of the other blogger, they are truly funny and while you are there read through some of our dear Doctor D's posts at Ask An MD They are very honest, which is at times hard to come by this day and age

Warning: What not to do in a Snow and Ice Strom

Well, I live in the south/ mid west, if that makes any sense. Anyway, we do not get many snow storms. Our average snow fall a year is less than an inch. We get plenty of Ice storms, but it is too cold for people to really go out and do dumb things. So, bring on the snow and all the idiots come out. This past week we had 4 to 8 inches of snow dependant on area. People did not know what to do!!!

1st pet peeve:
I had 5 of my 9 nurses call out of work.... for the week, not just the day! I figure if I live 40 miles from work and had double the amount of snow than those who live two blocks away that they should be able to make it if I did.... Not the case

2nd pet peeve:
If a person is spinning on a ice road, why do you decide to keep going once you hit the ditch??? Watch 2 of these geniuses from the shallow gene pool do just that.

WTF are these patient thinking????

We have all seen what happens when a person sticks their tongue to a frozen poll, yet I took care of at least ten patients that did that one thing. What is amazing is that nine of them were over the age of 30!

I have an idea, why not have billy-bob hook a metal drum lid to the back of the tractor and go down the hill??? What happens is the lid picks up speed and rear ends the tractor resulting in 2 broken arms.

Let's take the 4-wheeler and try to cross the creek. Hell it is covered in snow...so it must be frozen.... Nope, billy-bob was lucky, the creek was only a foot deep.


Let's bury our friend in the snow like they do on the beach with sand, I know it is in the middle of a snow storm, but it will be a a great picture.... with all the snow falling, they lost poor Billy-bob and search dogs had to locate him under 4 feet of snow, which they had piled on top of him.... No worries, a touch of hypothermia doesn't kill everyone.

My personal favorite....
Women with deformity to left ankle screaming that she wants pictures so she can sue the landlord for not clearing her driveway.... We took picture, but included the 4 inch stilettos that the women was wearing in them... Must be Billy-Bob's Sister