As 2010 ends, I can't help reflect. One moment it was January 2009, and then I blinked.
Life and death is part of every day life, which is emphasized in this profession. I couldn't count how many people I have seen take their last breath, how many febrile seizing children have been handed to me, nor the countless heartbroken families that have been told that their loved one is critical. however, with the death and sorrow that comes into the emergency room, life, relief, and joy walk out those doors. I can count the number of births, 2 girls and 1 boy. I have seen the relief on families faces when the have realized their family is going be okay. At the end of this year, I am thankful that I work were I do. I am bless to work with great doctors, nurses, paramedics, techs, and secretaries, who are always their for each other and our patients.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
What not to do or say in the ER
1. As a 1st year resident on a student visa, yell at the nurse when you have no idea what the heck you are talking about. Result will be the nurses taking up a collection for your one way ticket back home and handing it to you in front of your attending, who by the way loves us.
2. Don't say while you are attempting to place an ET Tube, "Damn my tube is huge and her mouth is too small." Result will be the perverted nurse laughing her butt off and everyone in the room catching the giggles.
3. Don't play a practical joke on the charge nurse because it makes you fair game. Result will be your coffee cup dermabonded to the desk.
All kidding aside...
Do remember when you are having a bad day that we are in it together, we have your back as you have ours. If you are new to the ER setting, most of us working in the department have worked together so long that we are family. We have are times that we love to hate each other, but in the end we are there for each other.
Monday, July 19, 2010
There comes a time....
There comes a time when a person must take responsibility for themselves. If they do not then their care takers need to buck up and make responsible choices.
I have a 39 year old male that lived with his mother his entire life. His mother was ill and had him placed in a nursing home 2 months earlier. However, the nursing home had set up independent living for him complete with 24 hour aid to help care for him. Sounds great, but here is the catch.
When he presented to me, he came into the ER on a SWAT teams flat bed truck, he was soaked head to toe with urine, fecal matter, and unknown debris. He had fired his aid 2 days earlier and had no one to care for him, which he was completely bedridden. All of his medical conditions and his current condition was completely due to one modifiable condition. His weight. He came in weighing 894lbs. according to his medical records he has had and average yearly weight gain of 150lbs over the last 4 years. In talking to him, I felt sorry for him. In front of me laid a man that was able to walk, bathe, or even find his penis to urinate all because he was overweight. Earlier this year, he had a trach placed because the weight was causing breathing problems. I wondered how he could have gotten to this point and if he had any medical condition, which caused him to gain weight. There was none, he was overweight by choice. In talking to him, he believed that if he broke the Genesis book record for the heaviest man, then he would become famous and never have to work. So, I would say he had a mental disorder there!!!
Now here is where responsibility for ones self should kick in. Once he started developing medical problems, he should have gone on a diet. Once he was unable to do anything for himself, he should have rethought his idea of being the worlds heaviest man.
Responsibility as the care taker (his mother). If your son is so overweight you have to wipe his butt at the age of 39. Then put him on a diet. Seeing that his mother had to take total care of him, why did she keep feeding him everything that he wanted? He reported that breakfast normal consist of 1lb bacon, 6 sausages, pancakes and a dozen eggs... does anyone see the problem here I wanted to say to his family. Now back to the live in aid. He fired he because she made the diet that the doctor had ordered. He instructed her to leave the phone by the bed, his wallet by the bed and the front door unlocked. Over the few days that he was without help, he ordered and average of 40 pizzas a day, side order of wings, and bread sticks. He was worried about food and did not care about his toileting needs. The only reason that 911 was called was because the one night he had ordered Chinese, well the delivery guy call 911 due to the condition of the patient and truly believed that someone was dead in the house due to the smell.
What gets better is that he refused medical care when EMS arrived. Police had to be called and adult protective services had to file and emergency order of custody. Then the fun part came. How to get this guy out of his home and to the hospital. It is just sad, but people need a wake up call. After all was said and done, he still insists that he needs to keep to 10,000 calories a day to reach his weight goal.
As a side note, is it really right for tax payer to foot the bill for his selfinflicted medical conditions? He is on SSID, all of his meds are paid for, foodstamps supply him with a portion of his food, medical bills are paid, and he had HUD housing. To me there comes a time that we need to just cut the umblical cord. If he wants this life and he is doing it on purpose, let him. Just let him foot his own bill!
I have a 39 year old male that lived with his mother his entire life. His mother was ill and had him placed in a nursing home 2 months earlier. However, the nursing home had set up independent living for him complete with 24 hour aid to help care for him. Sounds great, but here is the catch.
When he presented to me, he came into the ER on a SWAT teams flat bed truck, he was soaked head to toe with urine, fecal matter, and unknown debris. He had fired his aid 2 days earlier and had no one to care for him, which he was completely bedridden. All of his medical conditions and his current condition was completely due to one modifiable condition. His weight. He came in weighing 894lbs. according to his medical records he has had and average yearly weight gain of 150lbs over the last 4 years. In talking to him, I felt sorry for him. In front of me laid a man that was able to walk, bathe, or even find his penis to urinate all because he was overweight. Earlier this year, he had a trach placed because the weight was causing breathing problems. I wondered how he could have gotten to this point and if he had any medical condition, which caused him to gain weight. There was none, he was overweight by choice. In talking to him, he believed that if he broke the Genesis book record for the heaviest man, then he would become famous and never have to work. So, I would say he had a mental disorder there!!!
Now here is where responsibility for ones self should kick in. Once he started developing medical problems, he should have gone on a diet. Once he was unable to do anything for himself, he should have rethought his idea of being the worlds heaviest man.
Responsibility as the care taker (his mother). If your son is so overweight you have to wipe his butt at the age of 39. Then put him on a diet. Seeing that his mother had to take total care of him, why did she keep feeding him everything that he wanted? He reported that breakfast normal consist of 1lb bacon, 6 sausages, pancakes and a dozen eggs... does anyone see the problem here I wanted to say to his family. Now back to the live in aid. He fired he because she made the diet that the doctor had ordered. He instructed her to leave the phone by the bed, his wallet by the bed and the front door unlocked. Over the few days that he was without help, he ordered and average of 40 pizzas a day, side order of wings, and bread sticks. He was worried about food and did not care about his toileting needs. The only reason that 911 was called was because the one night he had ordered Chinese, well the delivery guy call 911 due to the condition of the patient and truly believed that someone was dead in the house due to the smell.
What gets better is that he refused medical care when EMS arrived. Police had to be called and adult protective services had to file and emergency order of custody. Then the fun part came. How to get this guy out of his home and to the hospital. It is just sad, but people need a wake up call. After all was said and done, he still insists that he needs to keep to 10,000 calories a day to reach his weight goal.
As a side note, is it really right for tax payer to foot the bill for his selfinflicted medical conditions? He is on SSID, all of his meds are paid for, foodstamps supply him with a portion of his food, medical bills are paid, and he had HUD housing. To me there comes a time that we need to just cut the umblical cord. If he wants this life and he is doing it on purpose, let him. Just let him foot his own bill!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
ER work note
Patient of the day award goes to this guy. I could not resist putting works into animation. I am just too under paid to pay for it to have real charters or a scene setting:)
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6792243/
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6792243/
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Talking in Tongues
Starting an hep-lock, the guy started saying something, yet I couldn't hear him. So, asked him to repeat himself. His wife jumped in and said he was praying. Now, I couldn't understand what the heck he was saying. Instead of just letting it lay, I asked what language is he specking. You think I would have learned by now not to ask people anything anymore. His wife became highly upset, yelled that she wanted another nurse and the supervisor. Well, I am the supervisor, and explained that, but she wanted someone else who could recognize the holy spirit talking through them. Apparently, he was speaking in tongues and I was the antichrist.
Nurse asked me, "where is the prostate in a women?" No shit are you serious I asked, it just slipped, but come on!!!
Nurse asked me, "where is the prostate in a women?" No shit are you serious I asked, it just slipped, but come on!!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Post 100 My day
For a couple of weeks I have been debating of what to post as my 100th post. Then I realized that it really did not matter because I was not posting at all while I was debating on what to post.
So, what the hell, I am just going to post about my day because my day was laughable when I look back on it.
Events:
1. Get to work and realize scrubs are on inside out.
2. grab husbands coffee instead of mine, not a good thing
3. Broke my Rosary, yes I carry one, I am superstition and everything goes bad when I do not have it. The doctors had bought it for me from Rome and they too believe that the day will go to hell if it is not in my pocket. ( It has become a running joke in the ER)No, I don't preach and never have it out, but it was my security blanket that I kept tucked away for comfort)
4. Had a resident stick me when we were holding down a child for stitches (thankful it was a clean needle)
5. vomited on and took 30 minutes to find scrubs
6. gun shot to the chest ended with me being sprayed with 500ml of blood when chest tube was placed. (dang undies even got socked, ended up running around all day with no undies, which was found quite funny to my co-workers)
7.ran over by a linen cart with my diet cherry limeade in my hands, which ended up in yet another change of scrubs.
8. peed on by a drunk, yup you guessed it, another change of scrubs.
9. finally, had a another code. problem is, I had changed scrubs so many times that I only could find an XL top the last time. I wear XS bottoms and S or M top. Well, just a warning to all women at there, if you have to do a code in a top that is too big, you boobs will be exposed during compressions and you really don't have the time to put them back up.
What I learned today,
1. Get a new Rosary!!!!
2. Be thankful that I have great co-workers, even if all were guys today. My partner in crime 1st tucked the girls back in by pulling scrub top back up, then took off his under shirt for me to swim in under the XL top! Now that is a buddy for life.
3.Bring at-least 4 sets of extra scrubs to stash in locker.
4. I really do know way too many 4 letter words!
even though the day just would not go right, I still enjoy my job an love my co-workers. Looking back on it, I really should have stayed in bed, but the chain of events that unfolded were hilarious even if I was the butt of the joke though out the day.
So, what the hell, I am just going to post about my day because my day was laughable when I look back on it.
Events:
1. Get to work and realize scrubs are on inside out.
2. grab husbands coffee instead of mine, not a good thing
3. Broke my Rosary, yes I carry one, I am superstition and everything goes bad when I do not have it. The doctors had bought it for me from Rome and they too believe that the day will go to hell if it is not in my pocket. ( It has become a running joke in the ER)No, I don't preach and never have it out, but it was my security blanket that I kept tucked away for comfort)
4. Had a resident stick me when we were holding down a child for stitches (thankful it was a clean needle)
5. vomited on and took 30 minutes to find scrubs
6. gun shot to the chest ended with me being sprayed with 500ml of blood when chest tube was placed. (dang undies even got socked, ended up running around all day with no undies, which was found quite funny to my co-workers)
7.ran over by a linen cart with my diet cherry limeade in my hands, which ended up in yet another change of scrubs.
8. peed on by a drunk, yup you guessed it, another change of scrubs.
9. finally, had a another code. problem is, I had changed scrubs so many times that I only could find an XL top the last time. I wear XS bottoms and S or M top. Well, just a warning to all women at there, if you have to do a code in a top that is too big, you boobs will be exposed during compressions and you really don't have the time to put them back up.
What I learned today,
1. Get a new Rosary!!!!
2. Be thankful that I have great co-workers, even if all were guys today. My partner in crime 1st tucked the girls back in by pulling scrub top back up, then took off his under shirt for me to swim in under the XL top! Now that is a buddy for life.
3.Bring at-least 4 sets of extra scrubs to stash in locker.
4. I really do know way too many 4 letter words!
even though the day just would not go right, I still enjoy my job an love my co-workers. Looking back on it, I really should have stayed in bed, but the chain of events that unfolded were hilarious even if I was the butt of the joke though out the day.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Deleted Comments
I went to delete portions of a few comments because they had email address in them. I thought that maybe these people did not want me to post their emails for the world to see. Unfortunately I ended up deleting their entire posts, and a way for me to contact them. I your comments were one of the ones I deleted. I am sorry, it was completely an accident. and now I do not have your emails to contact you by.
Nursing Bloopers
ER Doctors and nurses are human, and working together day in and out we get comfortable with each other,and end up doing something stupid at some point. So here are my op 3 bloopers of the year.
1. While sitting down, reached for IV cart that was behind me. Problem was that a male nurse was standing behind me and I ended up grabbing his family jewels. Funny part was that I didn't register what I had grabbed and squeezed trying to figure out what I was holding. (He seemed happy, but I was mortified and still have not lived it down)
2. One of my coworkers has lost a ton of weight, yet has not bought any new scrubs. During a code, she was doing compressions and her scrub bottoms slipped right down and exposed her Minnie mouse bottoms. (Her new nick name is Minnie).
3. Bored one night, which does not happen often, stretcher surfing somehow got started. Well there is a ramp outside of the EMS doors. Long story shorten. Doc, who was winning, ended up flying down the hall, unable to make the turn and out the door he went and down the ramp into a dumpster he landed. Lucky he was not hurt, but we now call him Oscar (You know, from sesame street)
1. While sitting down, reached for IV cart that was behind me. Problem was that a male nurse was standing behind me and I ended up grabbing his family jewels. Funny part was that I didn't register what I had grabbed and squeezed trying to figure out what I was holding. (He seemed happy, but I was mortified and still have not lived it down)
2. One of my coworkers has lost a ton of weight, yet has not bought any new scrubs. During a code, she was doing compressions and her scrub bottoms slipped right down and exposed her Minnie mouse bottoms. (Her new nick name is Minnie).
3. Bored one night, which does not happen often, stretcher surfing somehow got started. Well there is a ramp outside of the EMS doors. Long story shorten. Doc, who was winning, ended up flying down the hall, unable to make the turn and out the door he went and down the ramp into a dumpster he landed. Lucky he was not hurt, but we now call him Oscar (You know, from sesame street)
Monday, June 14, 2010
Code 3 Sunburn
Radio report:
29 year old male...... sunburn related itching
What the ED status was:
42 rooms filled, 20 in waiting room, 3 EMS reports coming in
As the poor EMS rolled in, we saw:
Wife rubbing lotion on Pt's back in tears saying he is going to die with out pain meds. PT on his belly screaming and yelling that it itches soooooooooooo bad!
My response:
Walked over, saw a very minor sunburn that was covered in about 2 large bottles of coco butter and globs. Asked the PT if he had any other injuries,
"nope just itching like crazy, it's going to kill me."
Are you allergic to anything, like maybe coco butter?
"Nope use it all the time, but right now it isn't helping! Are you going to give me Xanax or Valium now? That is the only thing that helps my itching!"
Can you walk?
"Yup"
Okay, you can go though those double doors to your left and check in at triage.
Pt's wife then screams are me,"we want straight back that is why we called 911!
4 hours later, triage calls me because a PT wants to file a complaint
Guess who... sunburn guy
his complaint was that he was treated for sunburn and discharged with out pain meds. Wife wanted him admitted and placed on a Dilaudid drip. Conversation just went downhill from there. At one point I could not help but to ask more questions for entertainment!
29 year old male...... sunburn related itching
What the ED status was:
42 rooms filled, 20 in waiting room, 3 EMS reports coming in
As the poor EMS rolled in, we saw:
Wife rubbing lotion on Pt's back in tears saying he is going to die with out pain meds. PT on his belly screaming and yelling that it itches soooooooooooo bad!
My response:
Walked over, saw a very minor sunburn that was covered in about 2 large bottles of coco butter and globs. Asked the PT if he had any other injuries,
"nope just itching like crazy, it's going to kill me."
Are you allergic to anything, like maybe coco butter?
"Nope use it all the time, but right now it isn't helping! Are you going to give me Xanax or Valium now? That is the only thing that helps my itching!"
Can you walk?
"Yup"
Okay, you can go though those double doors to your left and check in at triage.
Pt's wife then screams are me,"we want straight back that is why we called 911!
4 hours later, triage calls me because a PT wants to file a complaint
Guess who... sunburn guy
his complaint was that he was treated for sunburn and discharged with out pain meds. Wife wanted him admitted and placed on a Dilaudid drip. Conversation just went downhill from there. At one point I could not help but to ask more questions for entertainment!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Funnies of the day
Patient calls in and tells me that he can't get the toilet paper out of his wound. Once again, I had to ask.... Why is there toilet paper in your wound, Well doc had done an I&D and packed it, the packing looked like skinny worms, so he pulled it out and stuff it with toilet paper....
child presents with c/o fever, during triage she doesn't have a fever and everything else came back normal, mom asks if we can admit her baby for a few hours.... once again I ask why, apparently mom had a lunch date....
another call, women wanted to know if she could eat nutella with a nut allergy if she pretreated herself with her epi pen.... I so wanted to say sure, not a problem. see ya in 30 minutes.
However, my favorite call of the day was a little boy calling to see if I could xray his dogs leg. The dog was limping and he was worried that it had hurt his leg. What is funnier was that the little boy was my son!!! and yes we xray the leg and ended up with a sucker-for-kids er doc, splinting a dogs broken leg till we could take him to the vet. Thankful I did not have to pay the $100 co-pay my insurance charges:)
child presents with c/o fever, during triage she doesn't have a fever and everything else came back normal, mom asks if we can admit her baby for a few hours.... once again I ask why, apparently mom had a lunch date....
another call, women wanted to know if she could eat nutella with a nut allergy if she pretreated herself with her epi pen.... I so wanted to say sure, not a problem. see ya in 30 minutes.
However, my favorite call of the day was a little boy calling to see if I could xray his dogs leg. The dog was limping and he was worried that it had hurt his leg. What is funnier was that the little boy was my son!!! and yes we xray the leg and ended up with a sucker-for-kids er doc, splinting a dogs broken leg till we could take him to the vet. Thankful I did not have to pay the $100 co-pay my insurance charges:)
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Carrot cake
I get immune to the sounds of the emergency room. Call lights, alarms, shouts, vomiting, babies crying, and so on. However, for some reason they stuck out today. It all started when my code pager went off. I took off from triage and sprinted towards the back. it went something like this:
pager alarming, beeping from the badge scanner to get through locked doors, pages over head for code team stat to room 6, pyxis door buzzing as it opens, ran past a crying baby, women complaining about wait time, man asking for blanket, and what sticks out the most is in room 9 I overheard the doc agreeing with the alzheimer's patient that carrot cake was the best. Not really sure why I thought this was so funny or even worth blogging about. To me it just demonstrates how many different things are going on at the same time in the er, and most of them have nothing to do with each other.
pager alarming, beeping from the badge scanner to get through locked doors, pages over head for code team stat to room 6, pyxis door buzzing as it opens, ran past a crying baby, women complaining about wait time, man asking for blanket, and what sticks out the most is in room 9 I overheard the doc agreeing with the alzheimer's patient that carrot cake was the best. Not really sure why I thought this was so funny or even worth blogging about. To me it just demonstrates how many different things are going on at the same time in the er, and most of them have nothing to do with each other.
Friday, May 28, 2010
How to get told to F%$k off 3 times in 10 minutes or less and still feel so appreciated
Case #1
Patient: "I need a note to excuse me from community service"
Me: Why?
Patient: "Because they want me to work out side and I sunburn easy"
Me: "Sorry we do not write notes to excuse people from community service, you need to go to your primary care doctor or walk in clinic"
Patient: "That is BullS*!t, F%^k you"
Case #2
Patient: After walking in "How long is the wait?"
Me: "It depends on your acuity level, we will triage you and see what is going on"
Patient: "I have had this mole for a year now and I think it might be cancer, you need to take me right back before I die"
Me: "Ma"am, you are not going to die right now because of that mole, we will get you back as soon as possible, but with the increase in patients, we must take back those who need immediate medaicl intervention right now" (as my tech was wheeling back a patient with pulse ox of 78%)"
Patient: "You insenative B!@#h, F%$k off!"
Patients family member: "I need in to room 2"
Me: "I can let you back, but you can't take food back, I can hold it up here for you"
Patient family member: "But it for the patient"
Me: "Sorry, but you father can't eat right now, he is getting ready for surgery, after surgery he can eat and we will provide him a heart health tray because the hospital don't allow outside food"
Patients family member: "this place is insane! everyone else would let me take it back, you are just being a snobby c@#t, go F#$k yourself" She then threw her Wendy's bag across the counter with one of the containers of chili exploding all over me. She was escorted out and I enjoyed the other bowl of chili:)
What really touched me was when a 98 year old man came up to me with some flowers from the gift shop. I asked him which room he would like. He said no, I do not need to get back there. I made a wrong turn a while ago when I went up to visit a friend and it seemed like you were having a bad day, so on my way done I thought a few petals would brighten it up. I almost teared up, it really was not a bad day, just a few patients behaving badly. I tried to explain that sometimes people just get upset due to the stress of being sick or hurt. He just nodded his head and told me that I was someones wife, mother, sister, and daughter and that no one should ever treat another that way. He gave me the flowers and thanked me for being a nurse. After he left I had to take a break, this little old man's sweetness made me tear up. It is not often that people see us that work in the ER as humans with feelings.
Patient: "I need a note to excuse me from community service"
Me: Why?
Patient: "Because they want me to work out side and I sunburn easy"
Me: "Sorry we do not write notes to excuse people from community service, you need to go to your primary care doctor or walk in clinic"
Patient: "That is BullS*!t, F%^k you"
Case #2
Patient: After walking in "How long is the wait?"
Me: "It depends on your acuity level, we will triage you and see what is going on"
Patient: "I have had this mole for a year now and I think it might be cancer, you need to take me right back before I die"
Me: "Ma"am, you are not going to die right now because of that mole, we will get you back as soon as possible, but with the increase in patients, we must take back those who need immediate medaicl intervention right now" (as my tech was wheeling back a patient with pulse ox of 78%)"
Patient: "You insenative B!@#h, F%$k off!"
Patients family member: "I need in to room 2"
Me: "I can let you back, but you can't take food back, I can hold it up here for you"
Patient family member: "But it for the patient"
Me: "Sorry, but you father can't eat right now, he is getting ready for surgery, after surgery he can eat and we will provide him a heart health tray because the hospital don't allow outside food"
Patients family member: "this place is insane! everyone else would let me take it back, you are just being a snobby c@#t, go F#$k yourself" She then threw her Wendy's bag across the counter with one of the containers of chili exploding all over me. She was escorted out and I enjoyed the other bowl of chili:)
What really touched me was when a 98 year old man came up to me with some flowers from the gift shop. I asked him which room he would like. He said no, I do not need to get back there. I made a wrong turn a while ago when I went up to visit a friend and it seemed like you were having a bad day, so on my way done I thought a few petals would brighten it up. I almost teared up, it really was not a bad day, just a few patients behaving badly. I tried to explain that sometimes people just get upset due to the stress of being sick or hurt. He just nodded his head and told me that I was someones wife, mother, sister, and daughter and that no one should ever treat another that way. He gave me the flowers and thanked me for being a nurse. After he left I had to take a break, this little old man's sweetness made me tear up. It is not often that people see us that work in the ER as humans with feelings.
What to do????
I have a chance to change jobs and I really do not know what to do. I am scared and excited all at once and I feel like I am going to pop out of my skin. I was offered a flight nurse position with better benefits, less work, and more money. In order to attain the position I have a medical test with drip rates, ekg's, and 5 mega codes. On the other hand, I am loyal to my ER, I have been there since 2003 and have a love hate relationship with the typical er stuff we see. I know grass is not greener on the other side, but do I pass up this opportunity and stay because it is what I know? Or do I take a leap and go flying around? I love my er, but I also love helicopters and and I can nurse in both! So there is my choices just don't know what to do.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
To the back of the rack you go!!!!
Top 3 ways of the day to get your chart moved to the back of the rack.
1. Come in to the ER reporting that you missed your appointment at the methadone clinic and need it now. Then make an butt out of your self because the doctor has not come into the room after you being there for 4 minutes. After all you are dying!!! They other guy is already dead on the other side of the curtain, which is why according to you we are wasting our time doing compressions when you are alive and need your methadone. Oh and by the way, telling us you missed your appointment because they made it too late and you needed to score prior going to your appointment, will not gain any sympathy!
2. Check into the er for dental pain and once you get to your room you demand (not request) that we fax a letter to the court stating that you are in the er and can't make it to court. All of this after your call your nurse a B@%!#h. Guess what, after obtaining you court time, I will personally insure that you are discharged 10 minutes prior to you court time, which is 5 hours from now, and will fax the letter to the court stating what you requested. It will go something like this, "Dear sir/ Ma'am, Mrs. Crack head was in so and so ER from this time to this time." Seeing that the court house is across the street, you will have ample time to attend your hearing and be detained as your lawyer has told will happen.
3. Check into the er with complaint of cramping and abdominal pain at 10 weeks pregnant. After we find out you are not pregnant and you tell your nurse that you really just wanted a preg test and that your best friend told you to lie to get back faster.
1. Come in to the ER reporting that you missed your appointment at the methadone clinic and need it now. Then make an butt out of your self because the doctor has not come into the room after you being there for 4 minutes. After all you are dying!!! They other guy is already dead on the other side of the curtain, which is why according to you we are wasting our time doing compressions when you are alive and need your methadone. Oh and by the way, telling us you missed your appointment because they made it too late and you needed to score prior going to your appointment, will not gain any sympathy!
2. Check into the er for dental pain and once you get to your room you demand (not request) that we fax a letter to the court stating that you are in the er and can't make it to court. All of this after your call your nurse a B@%!#h. Guess what, after obtaining you court time, I will personally insure that you are discharged 10 minutes prior to you court time, which is 5 hours from now, and will fax the letter to the court stating what you requested. It will go something like this, "Dear sir/ Ma'am, Mrs. Crack head was in so and so ER from this time to this time." Seeing that the court house is across the street, you will have ample time to attend your hearing and be detained as your lawyer has told will happen.
3. Check into the er with complaint of cramping and abdominal pain at 10 weeks pregnant. After we find out you are not pregnant and you tell your nurse that you really just wanted a preg test and that your best friend told you to lie to get back faster.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Bucket
After working in the emergency department for as long as I have, you think I would know what questions not to ask. However, I am a curious person and can;t resist asking the unaskable. For example, I have learned not to ask what is is your pocket, what is under your coat, what position where you in, and so on. You think that I would no better to ask what is in the bucket??? Nope, not I. I just have to know! Well a client came in with fracture arm after falling at the creek. He came in in swim shorts and muck boots.... that should have been my first clue. His attire included a 5 gallon bucket with the lid on tight that had small pin holes in top... That should have been my second clue, but no. My curiosity and the egging on from less bold co-workers lead me to ask the loaded question! What's in the bucket???? My first thought that it was bait, but when I picked up the bucket to move it it was heavy and no swishing of fluid. so I really had no clue and had developed increasing curiosity by the minute. The patient told me to go ahead and open it. Nope I have learned that lesson, which is an entirely different but related story. Anyway, he opened it for me and I nealy died. In the bucket was 17 diamond back rattlers!!! Just rattling away when he lifted the lid. Why did he have them, he was collecting them or research when he fell and broke his arm. Why did he bring them into the ER? He did not want them to die in his car. What would I have done if they were my snakes????? Had one hell of a barbecue, but definitely would not have caught, touched, and been anywhere near them while they were alive!!! Will I learn my lesson and stop asking always loaded, "what do you have there question?" nope, but will never open any container on my own!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Freaky Friday
Questions of the day.....
29 year old female presented with pelvic pain. After finding out that she had a small vaginal tear, her husband requested that we exam him. Why? Because as he pointed out (pun intended) his penis was way too small to cause any type of tear. He wanted us to measure and prove that his wife was cheating on him... He even offered to get it hard for us to measure.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Life
I ran away awhile from life. Or at least I tried, with no success I would add. I needed time to reflect on life, my life in particular. I had too many children die on me this year. Nothing that we did could save them and one begged to just let her go, she was tired of the fight. As a nurse that works in the ED, we have pretty thick skins, yet sometimes things get to us. I felt mentally and emotionally exhausted.I think I had to just mourn a bit for those that I never knew, but took care of in their last moments. Sometimes people forget that we are human because we have to maintain our composure when hell breaks out, but many of us do care and carry a piece of our patients around with us. I ended up just shutting down emotionally, not depressed, but on autopilot. However, auto pilot does not seem to work too well for me. I love nursing. Having myself shut off to the emotional aspect of my work lead to me not enjoying it. Yes, death is sad, children death is heart wrenching, yet there is more to being a nurse then just the sad aspects. So now I a back to posting silly patients, sad stories, and stupid things that I do.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Drug Reps and Food
As a nurse, there is little time to eat when you are getting you butt kicked in the emergency room. It is a blessing when the drug reps come in with their bags of food. However, I find it funny as all heck when a drug rep comes in peddling their cholesterol medication while giving us baby back ribs, tators, coleslaw, and apple pie. What ever happened to a heart healthy diet??? either way, as a nurse, food is food and we are all very thankful
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Cyanosis vs Eye Shadow
Women presented with c/o SOB that has a history of COPD. Attempting to triage her was difficult due to the blue eyeshadow that was in a giant circle around her mouth and on her lips. However, she was insistent that it was related to her SOB. Pulse ox was 99% on room air and lungs were clear.
So what do we do as we choke on our giggles.....
We rush her back because it is the policy to take everyone back. Shoot a chest xray than proceed to do a cardiac work up because she now has chest pain with a cardiac history.
We did everything we could to give her an out. We asked if she had been eating anything blue... nope she says. We ask if she could have gotten make up on her pillow, which would have transferred to her face while she slept.... nope, nope, she states, I am blue because I am dying and you are doing nothing to save me. Family is surrounding her and must not have a brain between them because they see the same as we do. Blue glittery make up painted around the woman's face. Finally, I give up and grab a wash cloth and wipe. Who knew it would wash right off???? She was ticked because she reported the cool water gave her a chill and would make her sicker, and all hubby could say was, "holy crap the blue comes off!!" Without thinking, I point to the women's open purse and say, it should it is the same color as the eye Shadow sitting on top of her meds that she made me pull out." Needless to say, she was discharged after a psych eval.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
As a patient... A bit manic depressive.. humor me
As a patient, I become more and more frustrated. Every time things start going right and everything is in the right socket, something happens. I hate having EDS, yet up till now I knew that no matter what I would be okay. I knew what to expect. I knew what risks, side effects, and symptoms to expect. However, It feels like the wind was knocked out of me a few days ago. All of my joints have given me trouble and I was under the impression that there would be no more surprises, I was wrong. Apparently, the three bones in a person ear make up a joint. With any joint in a person that has sever EDS, it can become hypermobile and lead to hearing loss. Over the past year, I have hid from my decreasing hearing and increasing buzzing sound in my left ear. Finally, family and friends sat me down and made me go my hearing checked out. I am 90% deaf in the ear and my right ear is starting to act up. I have always seen a silver lining to whatever was thrown at me, yet this one has come out of left field and I do not see a positive. Every other problem a brace, pin, or joint replacement has fixed. Yet with this, a hearing aid could work, but not for long. Not even sure my insurance will cover them. What will happen to me in the end? This actually scares me, and much does not rattle me. Up till now, I have not let EDS interfere with my personal or professional goals, but how is this not going to effect my life? I have 10 weeks left for my BSN and was excepted in APN. How in the hell will I be able to be an APN, or even a nurse with out hearing? I love nursing and patient care. It sounds selfish, but I just turned 34 in march and do not see any part of this disease as fair!Yes, I know life is not fair, but I feel that there as to be some kind of balance. I know this posting is a bit manic depressive, I am just frustrated and scared. My plan is to spend the next few days curled up in bed, head under the covers with a ton of chocolate then I guess I will just have to deal with it and get on with living life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
