Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Videos
So my hubby (who is also a RN) has been in school the past two years and it is finally coming to an end. We are so excited. Enjoy the videos about what his new job entails:)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Attitude
So I have been complaining about work a lot lately. I think we all wish that our jobs could be better. Always looking for the perfect place to work, with perfect people, perfect surrounding, perfect hours, etc.
I've had to change my attitude and be thankful that I have a job...lots of people don't. Not only do I have a job, it's a good job. I have many perks that most don't. Here are a few...
I am able to just work on Friday and Saturday nights.
By working only those two nights, I am able to have full-time benefits for my family.
I am also able to provide for our family, pay bills, and put food on the table.
I am able to change my schedule if I need one of those nights off.
I can also come in early or leave early if needed.
I can usually work anytime during the week for a few hours of over time.
I get to wear on comfortable scrubs, tennies, and throw my hair in a ponytail.
I also actually enjoy what I do. There are nights when I hate my job. But on those nights...I remember my new attitude of gratitude.
However, I do look forward to retirement. It's only 149 days away. I look forward to regular sleep and not looking into sad faces as I leave for work.
(most of you who know me know that I could never retire...but it's still nice to think about)
So my challenge to you...be thankful for the job you have!!!
I've had to change my attitude and be thankful that I have a job...lots of people don't. Not only do I have a job, it's a good job. I have many perks that most don't. Here are a few...
I am able to just work on Friday and Saturday nights.
By working only those two nights, I am able to have full-time benefits for my family.
I am also able to provide for our family, pay bills, and put food on the table.
I am able to change my schedule if I need one of those nights off.
I can also come in early or leave early if needed.
I can usually work anytime during the week for a few hours of over time.
I get to wear on comfortable scrubs, tennies, and throw my hair in a ponytail.
I also actually enjoy what I do. There are nights when I hate my job. But on those nights...I remember my new attitude of gratitude.
However, I do look forward to retirement. It's only 149 days away. I look forward to regular sleep and not looking into sad faces as I leave for work.
(most of you who know me know that I could never retire...but it's still nice to think about)
So my challenge to you...be thankful for the job you have!!!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
How long have you been married?
So I took care of a patient tonight who was 92. His wife was by his side. I love to ask these "old timers" how long they have been married....his reply "72 years". My next question is always...do you have a secret. His wife replied...
"He was gone a lot!"
(and it is true, he was a pilot)
Love it and hey, it worked for them :)
"He was gone a lot!"
(and it is true, he was a pilot)
Love it and hey, it worked for them :)
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Death
So someone asked me the other day if I ever encounter death of my patients. The last weekend that I had worked I experienced it each night.
Friday night. Mr Smith, age 76, He saw his doctor earlier that day and then worked out at the gym as he does three times a week. His wife heard him "snoring" in bed and went to check on him. She found him hardly breathing and called 911. The paramedics did CPR and shocked his heart. They got his heart beating again. I took care of him for a very long 4 hours in the ED. His heart continued to beat on his own. We breathed for him with a breathing tube and I gave him medication to sustain his blood pressure. His wife was devastated and kept saying that she can't lose him. They had been married for 58 years. In my mind I was torn as to if he would pull through or not. Since he had gone the 4 hours with his heart working on its own, I thought maybe he had a chance. I finally was able to take him to the ICU and about 30 minutes later we heard "code blue ICU." My heart sank and I knew that it was my patient. The ER doc went up and pronounced his death.
Saturday night. Mr. Jones, age 94 comes into the ER after fainting at home. He was talking to the paramedics on the way in and then his heart stopped. I personally did CPR on his chest. After a round of medications, his heart started to beat on its own. Again, I took care of him. We breathed for him with a breathing tube but his heart continued to beat and he maintained a good blood pressure without medication. I updated the family and let them know that it didn't look good for Mr. Jones. I later took him to the ICU. The next day I called the ICU, expecting them to tell me that he hadn't made it. Surprisingly they told me that they had removed the breathing tube and that he was sitting up in bed doing well. Crazy! We had saved a 94 year old's life after performing CPR. That just doesn't happen all that often. All I could do was smile:)
The thing is...I truly believe that God only calls his children home when it is their time and not a minute sooner! We do all that we can to save every patient that comes through the door, but it isn't really up to us if they make it or not.
Believing this is how I cope with loss in the ED. Now with that said, it's not always easy. When it is a child or younger person it is difficult. I just have to remind myself that God needs them more than we do.
Friday night. Mr Smith, age 76, He saw his doctor earlier that day and then worked out at the gym as he does three times a week. His wife heard him "snoring" in bed and went to check on him. She found him hardly breathing and called 911. The paramedics did CPR and shocked his heart. They got his heart beating again. I took care of him for a very long 4 hours in the ED. His heart continued to beat on his own. We breathed for him with a breathing tube and I gave him medication to sustain his blood pressure. His wife was devastated and kept saying that she can't lose him. They had been married for 58 years. In my mind I was torn as to if he would pull through or not. Since he had gone the 4 hours with his heart working on its own, I thought maybe he had a chance. I finally was able to take him to the ICU and about 30 minutes later we heard "code blue ICU." My heart sank and I knew that it was my patient. The ER doc went up and pronounced his death.
Saturday night. Mr. Jones, age 94 comes into the ER after fainting at home. He was talking to the paramedics on the way in and then his heart stopped. I personally did CPR on his chest. After a round of medications, his heart started to beat on its own. Again, I took care of him. We breathed for him with a breathing tube but his heart continued to beat and he maintained a good blood pressure without medication. I updated the family and let them know that it didn't look good for Mr. Jones. I later took him to the ICU. The next day I called the ICU, expecting them to tell me that he hadn't made it. Surprisingly they told me that they had removed the breathing tube and that he was sitting up in bed doing well. Crazy! We had saved a 94 year old's life after performing CPR. That just doesn't happen all that often. All I could do was smile:)
The thing is...I truly believe that God only calls his children home when it is their time and not a minute sooner! We do all that we can to save every patient that comes through the door, but it isn't really up to us if they make it or not.
Believing this is how I cope with loss in the ED. Now with that said, it's not always easy. When it is a child or younger person it is difficult. I just have to remind myself that God needs them more than we do.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Henry
So I will never forget a little boy by the name of Henry. This happened back in 2005 when I was 8 months pregnant. My sister and niece were visiting and we had just gone to Target and were on our way back to our house. We were right outside our subdivision when I saw that an accident had just happened. My sister stayed in the car with the kids and I ran over to the car. A truck that was pulling a stucco machine was traveling one way when the trailer came unattached and hit a car head on traveling the opposite direction. There was a lady in the drivers seat , young boy in the passenger, baby in the back car seat and then Henry in the rear passenger seat. He looked the worse as he was barely breathing. I had some men pull him out and lay him on the ground. I began CPR (along with mouth to mouth which I had never done before) and soon another RN came by and began to help me. It seemed like forever until the firemen/police arrived. They continued to work on Henry and they wanted to stop efforts (it was pretty obvious that he was not going to make it). However, I have seniority over them and I wouldn't let them. I couldn't bare the thought of leaving him dead in the middle of the street. He was flown by chopper to a near by trauma center and pronounced dead upon arrival. Being a mom, I would want everything to be done to save my child's life. Even though flying him to the hospital did not change the outcome, I'm hoping it helped the mom realize that we really did everything possible to save his life. All others in the car survived without life threatening injuries. I found out that Henry died of
1. subdural hematoma (bleeding on the brain)
2. cerebral edema (swelling around the brain)
3. laceration of the spinal cord (spinal cord snapped in half)
4. transection of the spinal aorta (major blood vessel cut in half)
5. massive hemoperitoneam (Bleeding in the abdomen)
6. hypoxia- ischemic injury to the intestines (gut died due to lack of oxygen)
7. rib fractures (possibly caused by CPR, that is very common)
8. partial avulsion of the lt kidney (part of the kidney tore off)
Last I heard they were still deciding if they were going to press charges against the driver of the truck and owner of the company. Two weeks prior to the accident the company had been cited for a faulty emergency trailer brake and lack of safety chains. Every time I pass a truck pulling a trailer I look to see if the safety chain is being used and it's amazing how often there is no safety. I get so mad every time I see that! That safety chain is so important!
Henry was wearing his seat belt but it was only a lap belt. This experience has made me realize how important that shoulder strap really is. The experience was very sad. It reminded me of how fragile life is. How our earthly time can be over in an instant.
I'm glad that I was driving by just at the right time. I'm glad that I was able to do all that I knew how to save Henry's life. I'm sad that I was not able to save him. But it was his time.
I try to remember the importance of this life and the good that each one of us can do.
1. subdural hematoma (bleeding on the brain)
2. cerebral edema (swelling around the brain)
3. laceration of the spinal cord (spinal cord snapped in half)
4. transection of the spinal aorta (major blood vessel cut in half)
5. massive hemoperitoneam (Bleeding in the abdomen)
6. hypoxia- ischemic injury to the intestines (gut died due to lack of oxygen)
7. rib fractures (possibly caused by CPR, that is very common)
8. partial avulsion of the lt kidney (part of the kidney tore off)
Last I heard they were still deciding if they were going to press charges against the driver of the truck and owner of the company. Two weeks prior to the accident the company had been cited for a faulty emergency trailer brake and lack of safety chains. Every time I pass a truck pulling a trailer I look to see if the safety chain is being used and it's amazing how often there is no safety. I get so mad every time I see that! That safety chain is so important!
Henry was wearing his seat belt but it was only a lap belt. This experience has made me realize how important that shoulder strap really is. The experience was very sad. It reminded me of how fragile life is. How our earthly time can be over in an instant.
I'm glad that I was driving by just at the right time. I'm glad that I was able to do all that I knew how to save Henry's life. I'm sad that I was not able to save him. But it was his time.
I try to remember the importance of this life and the good that each one of us can do.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Not all medical errors end up being bad.
Well my wife has been after me for a long time to post a blog on the internet. So I’ve decided I would hijack her blog and post one of my E.R. stories. When I was 16 I worked at the local hospital in the Lab drawing blood after school. As part of my job I often would draw blood and perform 12 lead EKGs on patients in the E.R. I remember one busy night while working I received a request to come down to the E.R. and perform an EKG. I had been doing this for several months and didn’t think anything of it. As I looked at the request I realized the patient was a girl that I went to school with. For the non medical readers of this blog you have to realize that in order to perform an EKG you have to have the patients remove their shirt and bra. Normally this test is performed on older individuals so it was never a big deal. I had never done this on a younger person especially a female that I knew and went to school with.
Luckily I didn’t work alone I had a supervisor. So I decided I would have him do it. Within a few moments I discovered that he was trying to get some blood from a new born infant that was critically ill. I remember telling myself normally EKG’s aren’t things that have to be done immediately so I decided I would put the procedure off until my supervisor returned from drawing the blood. Just then the phone rang. It was the E.R. They were calling to inform me the patient was going to surgery so we needed to hurry up all of her test. I couldn’t believe it nothing was going right. I knew that if I performed this procedure it would be not only embarrassing and awkward for me but also for her. After a minuet I just told myself, “This is your job, you’re a professional you can do this and it is really no big deal.”
So I grabbed my machine and headed to the E.R., as I walked down the hall I passed the respiratory therapist who asked me who I was going to do an EKG on. I told him, he replied that’s strange that their doing an EKG on someone so young. I told him that she’s going to surgery and maybe it had something to with that.
I then went into the patient’s room. I performed the test. Just like I expected it was very embarrassing and awkward, but I did it. As I walked out of the room I saw the respiratory therapist running towards me yelling stop don’t do the EKG. My heart dropped, I asked what’s wrong. He told me that someone had marked the wrong box on the order sheet. The Dr had ordered an HCG AKA a pregnancy test, a standard test for all women going to surgery and not an EKG. Just then the Patients mother heard the commotion and stepped out of the room to find out what was going on. Luckily the mother was very understanding and actually thought it was a little funny. Actually all of the staff thought it was very funny. Me, I was just pissed off. I wanted to know who would make such a stupid mistake as confusing an HCG for EKG.
I grabbed my machine and headed back to the lab even more embarrassed then when I headed to the E.R. A few moments later a girl in scrubs came to the lab and introduced herself she said that she was the new E.R. tech and came to apologies for making the mistake with the orders. I accepted her apology while thinking to myself how dumb is this person that they can’t even fill out an order sheet correctly
Well ultimately I did truly forgive her, and found out she was pretty smart. A few months later we started dating and a few years after that we got married and now ten years later I have to admit not all medical errors are bad.
Luckily I didn’t work alone I had a supervisor. So I decided I would have him do it. Within a few moments I discovered that he was trying to get some blood from a new born infant that was critically ill. I remember telling myself normally EKG’s aren’t things that have to be done immediately so I decided I would put the procedure off until my supervisor returned from drawing the blood. Just then the phone rang. It was the E.R. They were calling to inform me the patient was going to surgery so we needed to hurry up all of her test. I couldn’t believe it nothing was going right. I knew that if I performed this procedure it would be not only embarrassing and awkward for me but also for her. After a minuet I just told myself, “This is your job, you’re a professional you can do this and it is really no big deal.”
So I grabbed my machine and headed to the E.R., as I walked down the hall I passed the respiratory therapist who asked me who I was going to do an EKG on. I told him, he replied that’s strange that their doing an EKG on someone so young. I told him that she’s going to surgery and maybe it had something to with that.
I then went into the patient’s room. I performed the test. Just like I expected it was very embarrassing and awkward, but I did it. As I walked out of the room I saw the respiratory therapist running towards me yelling stop don’t do the EKG. My heart dropped, I asked what’s wrong. He told me that someone had marked the wrong box on the order sheet. The Dr had ordered an HCG AKA a pregnancy test, a standard test for all women going to surgery and not an EKG. Just then the Patients mother heard the commotion and stepped out of the room to find out what was going on. Luckily the mother was very understanding and actually thought it was a little funny. Actually all of the staff thought it was very funny. Me, I was just pissed off. I wanted to know who would make such a stupid mistake as confusing an HCG for EKG.
I grabbed my machine and headed back to the lab even more embarrassed then when I headed to the E.R. A few moments later a girl in scrubs came to the lab and introduced herself she said that she was the new E.R. tech and came to apologies for making the mistake with the orders. I accepted her apology while thinking to myself how dumb is this person that they can’t even fill out an order sheet correctly
Well ultimately I did truly forgive her, and found out she was pretty smart. A few months later we started dating and a few years after that we got married and now ten years later I have to admit not all medical errors are bad.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Gratuity Included
So here is the deal. Why is it that almost every profession in this world expects to be tipped (okay not every but there is a lot). This is on my mind for two reasons. #1 I just got back from a trip to DC and here is a list of who wanted a tip...
* Curb side check in
* Super Shuttle Driver
* Doorman at the hotel
* Tour bus driver
* Waitress/waiter
* cab driver
#2 Tonight, I was being the kind nurse that I always am :) and I wheeled a patient out to his car as he had a sprained ankle and no one with him to be of assistance. So I get him to the car and he asks if I would accept a "small tip" as he tries to hand me two 20 dollar bills. I graciously decline, telling him I was glad to help him and would not take his money. (As health care providers we are not allowed to take money from the patients.) I've actually been offered money quite a few times and as tempting as it is to take, I know deep down, I would not accept it even if it was allowed. I did have one patient ask for my address (I know what you are thinking but it was an old man in his 80's and I took care of his sweet wife for 2 days while she waited in the ER for inpatient bed) and he sent me a beautiful hand carved roadrunner. I have it sitting on my entertainment center.
Anyways, I really don't want tips...I've just decided that when it comes to the nurses...the gratuity is included!
* Curb side check in
* Super Shuttle Driver
* Doorman at the hotel
* Tour bus driver
* Waitress/waiter
* cab driver
#2 Tonight, I was being the kind nurse that I always am :) and I wheeled a patient out to his car as he had a sprained ankle and no one with him to be of assistance. So I get him to the car and he asks if I would accept a "small tip" as he tries to hand me two 20 dollar bills. I graciously decline, telling him I was glad to help him and would not take his money. (As health care providers we are not allowed to take money from the patients.) I've actually been offered money quite a few times and as tempting as it is to take, I know deep down, I would not accept it even if it was allowed. I did have one patient ask for my address (I know what you are thinking but it was an old man in his 80's and I took care of his sweet wife for 2 days while she waited in the ER for inpatient bed) and he sent me a beautiful hand carved roadrunner. I have it sitting on my entertainment center.
Anyways, I really don't want tips...I've just decided that when it comes to the nurses...the gratuity is included!
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