I'm Back
Its been awhile. As some of you have (wisely) said, life comes first. Personally, things are all over the place. Its hard to find a true direction. I am trying to keep my integrity intact and stay positive. Some days that is harder than others.
From a work standpoint... it is the first of the intern year again. As I have cautioned, they are out there, younger and more naive than ever. I took my customary few days off around new doctor day and my birthday... a move I consider more and more brilliant every year.
The Sheriff's Deputy from the accident died. She was in the hospital for ortho surgery and we think she threw a PE. They last saw her at 4am for meds/vitals and she was found dead on ortho rounds at 6am. One of the OLD nurses who pseudo-retired but still works weekly has been put to pasture. Details aside, (I was in triage, only to pick up her zone at 2300) she had a septic patient that she didn't recognize how sick she was. A bp of 50 for over an hour may register with most of us, but not her. When I got there at 2300 I was just in time to work a 90 minute code.
The ER has been going on diversion daily. There is a new electronic charting system that the docs have to use that has slowed things considerably. Not to mention, the interns. I had to remind one to sign her prescriptions the other day. Management has been letting us stay off diversion until our census is in the triple digits. It was one such night when I wheeled back a 75 year old, semi-conscious with known history of SBO and heart disease. As I waited in line for a room (behind the homicidal schizophrenic and copperhead bite) a fight broke out in one of the rooms. Yelling, screaming thumps and bumps.... a pile of police and one skinny white kid in handcuffs falls out of the room. The kid was on either meth or pcp and was going after the officer's gun. My old friend and I were booking it backwards down the hall when PD tazed his ass in the middle of the hallway. Not a flinch from our friend. He was hauled off in cuffs with 8 of the city and university's finest.
That same night I had a 26 year old who bailed on a $250.00 bar tab. He ran out, got in a fight, when the bouncers broke up the fight and went after another, he and his buddy hopped in the car and took off. After a pursuit with PD he wrecked and then proceeded to blame the driver for both the tab and the boot scoot outta there.
So I'm hanging on. The stories are getting more interesting as we get more and more busy. The medic proceeds to bring me more and more winners. Can't say what my next move is going to be. Still want to fly, could always go somewhere warm. We will have to see.
From a work standpoint... it is the first of the intern year again. As I have cautioned, they are out there, younger and more naive than ever. I took my customary few days off around new doctor day and my birthday... a move I consider more and more brilliant every year.
The Sheriff's Deputy from the accident died. She was in the hospital for ortho surgery and we think she threw a PE. They last saw her at 4am for meds/vitals and she was found dead on ortho rounds at 6am. One of the OLD nurses who pseudo-retired but still works weekly has been put to pasture. Details aside, (I was in triage, only to pick up her zone at 2300) she had a septic patient that she didn't recognize how sick she was. A bp of 50 for over an hour may register with most of us, but not her. When I got there at 2300 I was just in time to work a 90 minute code.
The ER has been going on diversion daily. There is a new electronic charting system that the docs have to use that has slowed things considerably. Not to mention, the interns. I had to remind one to sign her prescriptions the other day. Management has been letting us stay off diversion until our census is in the triple digits. It was one such night when I wheeled back a 75 year old, semi-conscious with known history of SBO and heart disease. As I waited in line for a room (behind the homicidal schizophrenic and copperhead bite) a fight broke out in one of the rooms. Yelling, screaming thumps and bumps.... a pile of police and one skinny white kid in handcuffs falls out of the room. The kid was on either meth or pcp and was going after the officer's gun. My old friend and I were booking it backwards down the hall when PD tazed his ass in the middle of the hallway. Not a flinch from our friend. He was hauled off in cuffs with 8 of the city and university's finest.
That same night I had a 26 year old who bailed on a $250.00 bar tab. He ran out, got in a fight, when the bouncers broke up the fight and went after another, he and his buddy hopped in the car and took off. After a pursuit with PD he wrecked and then proceeded to blame the driver for both the tab and the boot scoot outta there.
So I'm hanging on. The stories are getting more interesting as we get more and more busy. The medic proceeds to bring me more and more winners. Can't say what my next move is going to be. Still want to fly, could always go somewhere warm. We will have to see.
posted by jeepgirl at 06:26
2 Comments:
I have been reading your blog and it brings back a lot of memories. At first I was thinking...."She must be writing about UW." Over time, ER life finally got to me. Was tired of being assaulted physically and verbally, tired of entitlement, tired of system abuse....just tired. I left one month ago and am still holding onto the remaining shreds of pride i had as an ER nurse. Slowly the anger is fading, the pace, the reactive nature...all fading. It's been nice. As you already know, nurses can go anywhere. My choice? Cancer treatment center: it's outpatient, a whole new knowledge base, and the people thank you for administering toxic drugs. Crazy.
You're blog is good. Thanks for the read. Katie
That's a good idea to take some time off around the time of new residents. I don't usually have to deal too much with them in my current position but in past positions that would have been great.
I remember having a 6'3" schizophrenic patient who was hallucinating and had punch a security guard in the chest before we got him in restraints. When I called to request some ativan the resident suggest 0.5mg. My response was "dude, have you seen this patient?" He admitted that no he hadn't and I suggested we start with 2mg and go from there. He asked if that was an ok dose and then agreed that might be the best plan.
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