Can't we all just get along

Since starting my job as a resource nurse and being all over my hospital I've seen lots of things from basically all prospectives.  I was never one that fell into that whole dept against dept thing anyway but now it annoys me even more.  Aren't we all here for the patients instead of to be against each other?

The other night I spent 7 of my 10 hour shift working in the ER due to them being so short staffed and so busy.  The only dinner they got was the tray of day old sandwiches, chips and coffee I got them from the cafeteria as no one had a chance to go to the bathroom never mind get food.  As I'm in the cafeteria I hear a tele nurse say something to the effect of "the ER needs to quit whining."  

I so wanted to say something to defend them as I knew firsthand how busy they were.    Ambulance after ambulance pulling up, multiple stabbings, chest pains, an acute MI, etc, etc.  But then I got to thinking of the nights that the tele floor gets 6 admissions from the ER in an 8 hour shift and they bring them up one after another without enough time to get the first one settled in and the next one is arriving.  I've been up on the tele floor helping them when this happens and overheard the ER later saying something about the tele floor nurses whining too.  

And it's certainly not just the tele floor...ICU was giving the ER a hard time the last night I worked too.  It's all around.  Basically on every floor.  No one understands what the other floors go through.  The floors don't understand that the ER cannot refuse ambulances and have to find room for them when they arrive.  And the ER doesn't understand that the floors have 6-9 patients apiece that includes confused, busy, rude, heavy, etc patients and their family members.

So, again I ask..........aren't we all here for the patient?  And can we all not just get along?

Why I couldn't be an ER nurse

I've been spending a lot of time down in the ED since starting my new job.  I like it in small chunks but couldn't do it full time.  Not that there aren't bad things that happen in nursing all over but the things I've seen in the ED seem to just top them for me.  Although I guess L&D would have worse but luckily I don't have to go there!!

A week or so ago I was down there about 2 am when a MVA came in.  It involved a woman in her early 30's and her 3 yo son.  The boy wasn't hurt too bad at all....just a few minor scratches.  The mom was fully boarded and collared.  And FREAKING out.  At first I thought that she was freaking because she and her little one had been in the accident as I would be.  I mean they would have to tie me down to keep me away from making sure my kid was ok you know!!

Well, turns out she was freaking because she was drunk.  Her BAL was .20!  Our legal limit here is .08.  And that was just the beginning.  Her DAILY meds included ativan, vicodin and percocet.  Yup, on top of the alcohol.  Wait it gets worse........

The carseat was improperly installed and had come loose in the accident so it was by the Grace of God that kid wasn't hurt more.  Think I'm done............

Her license had recently been suspended too!!

OMGosh!   I'm not sure if I could have taken care of her.  I know in nursing we aren't supposed to be judgmental and usually I'm pretty good about that.  But I was really struggling with it in this case.  The ED is definitely not for me!!

P.S.  Wondering how bad mom was hurt?  She fractured her lower back where the lumbar and thoracic vertebra meet.  And the kiddo went home with Dad who wasn't married to mom anymore.

I've been listed!

I got an email the other day that my blog has been listed on a top 100 list!!

Lots of others that I read are on it too.  You can check it out at rncentral.

Thanks for reading me!!

My first month

I've just about finished my first month in my new job as a MET/resource nurse.  I really love my new job!!  It's great for someone who is social and loves action.

The first two weeks were fairly mellow but now that staff knows we are here (I work three 12 hour night shifts and my partner works four 10 hour night shifts) we are being called upon much more often.

My first week started with a bang in that I transferred two patients to my old floor (CCU) on my first night!  But then the second night I had not one page!!  Then the third night I helped in the ED with a code on a 40 yo that we pulled through who died a few days later in the ICU.  In my down time (which there was a lot of this week) I mentored the new GNs and introduced myself and my position to the staff.

My second week started out with 4 Code Mr. Greens (extremely agitated patient) in the same 12 hour shift!!  Not my cup of tea!  But then had a trauma code, several METs and a BAT (stroke).  

The last two weeks things have really picked up and I have had quite a few more METs and just clinical calls in general.  The hospitalists are getting to know my partner and I better and are giving us more leeway in judgment calls which is nice.  The staff is excited to have us around and the ADNs are glad to have another set of hands in the hospital to help them too.

All in all the position is working out great!  I'm quite happy with it so far. :0)

What is your blog film rated?

I found this on another blog and figured I'd try it.  I wasn't sure what mine would come back as since sometimes I tend to rant!!  But it bases it purely on the words used.

Here is my rating:

Created by OnePlusYou - Online Dating

It's only issue was with my usage of the word pain.........interesting!

An interesting shirt

 
Tonight I had to go to our locked inpatient psych unit to relieve them for break since there is only 2 RNs there at night.  I've done it before and it has always gone well with all the patients sleeping the whole time I'm there.

 

Tonight 3 patients were still awake when I got there at 12:30 am.  They were conversing quietly at a table in the common area.  I just sat at the nurse's desk while 1 RN when to break.  All was fine.  Then 1 patient gets up and I happen to notice his shirt.  It was a black tee shirt and on the back it said "Caution does not play well with others"!!!  And the not was underlined!! 

 

I about fell out of my chair and had a really hard time not laughing!!!  To see a psych patient with that shirt on just seemed hysterical to me!  Maybe I'm the only one though.....I'm not sure!

Quiz.........a or b?

I know I haven't been blogging here for a little while and I plan on doing an update of my new job quite soon but had an incident the other night that I have to quiz everyone on:

Which is the correct situation for an anesthesiologist to teach a hospitalist to intubate?

a) a controlled OR setting

or

b) a setting where the patient is in flash pulmonary edema with a pH of 6.8 and CO2 of 100

Please leave your answer in the comments section.  I imagine you can guess which one happened to me the other night.  Grrrr.

One night left

I just finished my second to last shift in CCU.  Then I have a week of vacation before starting my new job.  For those that aren't sure what my new job is see this post.

It is bitter sweet really.  I'm sad to leave CCU and all my coworkers.  But at the same time I'm excited to try something new and have a new challenge.  I'm nervously excited!!!

This past week has been all about tying up loose ends for the new job.  Getting a new locker in a new area, getting a new boss, finding out what will be involved in the self-orientation, etc.

The first two weeks will be a self-orientation period for myself and the other gal that will be working the 4 nights I'm not.  We are pioneering this position at our hospital so that is quite exciting that we can shape this into what we want it to be along with the expectations that management has for it.  I'm sure at times it will be frustrating but I'm looking forward to the challenges it will bring.

Does it really matter at that point???

We get this patient in DT's (alcohol withdrawal) and my coworker that is assigned to her asks her, as part of the admission assessment, how much she drinks. The patient tells her that she drinks 1L (yes 1 liter!!) of vodka daily.

Now I was taught in nursing school that with cigarrettes and alcohol the patient rarely admits to the actual amount and that the general rule of thumb for both is to double it and then you are closer to the acutal amount.

Does this mean that this woman actually drinks 2L of vodka daily? And if it is 1L or 2L does the difference really matter at that point? She's pickling her liver either way and currently in DT's so, I ask again........when it's THAT much does the actual amount really matter?

It didn't to us then but it just got me thinking..............

A new blog for me

I wanted to post the link for my newest blog here. I started one that is more about my personal life rather than my nursing life. No personal identifying details though so if anyone likes my writing style and it interested in reading it then feel free. You can find it at http://seeingdoublesob.wordpress.com. It's still a work in progress and only has one post but more will come!!