Interesting Thanksgiving
I just finished working my 7 on at the ED. I generally work an 8 hour shift. Not so this past week. I think I got off on time once out of the 7. Many unusual things happened.
We had a young man brought in by ambulance that had "shot up" 8 Dilaudid and took 5 more by mouth and 4 Xanax. For those who don't know, to "shoot up" means to put the med directly into the vein with a needle. I understand, from the police , the newest street drug thrill for kids is Dilaudid. Gives them a quicker "high". In the ED, we give Dilaudid when other medications are not touching pain for kidney stones and occasionally for an acute heart attack (generally give Morphine). Another side note - dilaudid (laudnum), was the drug Doc Holiday (of the Wyatt Earp fame) was addicted to. It is a very additive drug. Anyway, this kid stated he wasn't trying to kill himself, he was just trying to get away from some of the pain he was going through from things happening in his life. I told him that by definition that was "attempted suicide". He was stabilized and sent to another hospital for psych evaluation.
On a happier but much more nerve racking note - we delivered a baby at 11:32 Thanksgiving night. Had a woman brought into ED with contractions 1 min apart. This was her 4th birth. As the ambulance drivers were transferring her to our bed, they informed us that her last sonogram showed the baby was breech. Understand, I work in a "country" ED. Years ago, this hospital stopped delivering babies, there are no labor and delivery docs, no surgical support for complications and no peds, also NO neonatal or pediatric RN support. Needless to say we became a little nervous. If this delivery was complicated it could have become a disaster.
I know I have been an ER nurse for many years, but I felt like Butterfly McQueen in Gone with the Wind. I don't know much about "birthing babies". That ain't my thing. Give me a full code, acute heart attack, somebody not breathing and I am cool and calm. I felt completely out of control with this. Thank goodness, we had staff in the ED to take over as I stood by helpless. Later, our unit secretary told me, "I have NEVER seen you like that, you are always in control." I learned a lot that night.
End of story, baby and mom are ok. We stabilized them and sent them to the hospital she was supposed to have been at for the delivery. On a good note, I got to ride in the back of the ambulance holding the baby and taking care of him. That was also a new experience for me. He was a beautiful baby.
I sure hope we get the "new" hospital we have been promised before too many more years pass. We will then have the much needed ancillary specialties available.
Hope your Thanksgivings were nice and much less harried than mine.
We had a young man brought in by ambulance that had "shot up" 8 Dilaudid and took 5 more by mouth and 4 Xanax. For those who don't know, to "shoot up" means to put the med directly into the vein with a needle. I understand, from the police , the newest street drug thrill for kids is Dilaudid. Gives them a quicker "high". In the ED, we give Dilaudid when other medications are not touching pain for kidney stones and occasionally for an acute heart attack (generally give Morphine). Another side note - dilaudid (laudnum), was the drug Doc Holiday (of the Wyatt Earp fame) was addicted to. It is a very additive drug. Anyway, this kid stated he wasn't trying to kill himself, he was just trying to get away from some of the pain he was going through from things happening in his life. I told him that by definition that was "attempted suicide". He was stabilized and sent to another hospital for psych evaluation.
On a happier but much more nerve racking note - we delivered a baby at 11:32 Thanksgiving night. Had a woman brought into ED with contractions 1 min apart. This was her 4th birth. As the ambulance drivers were transferring her to our bed, they informed us that her last sonogram showed the baby was breech. Understand, I work in a "country" ED. Years ago, this hospital stopped delivering babies, there are no labor and delivery docs, no surgical support for complications and no peds, also NO neonatal or pediatric RN support. Needless to say we became a little nervous. If this delivery was complicated it could have become a disaster.
I know I have been an ER nurse for many years, but I felt like Butterfly McQueen in Gone with the Wind. I don't know much about "birthing babies". That ain't my thing. Give me a full code, acute heart attack, somebody not breathing and I am cool and calm. I felt completely out of control with this. Thank goodness, we had staff in the ED to take over as I stood by helpless. Later, our unit secretary told me, "I have NEVER seen you like that, you are always in control." I learned a lot that night.
End of story, baby and mom are ok. We stabilized them and sent them to the hospital she was supposed to have been at for the delivery. On a good note, I got to ride in the back of the ambulance holding the baby and taking care of him. That was also a new experience for me. He was a beautiful baby.
I sure hope we get the "new" hospital we have been promised before too many more years pass. We will then have the much needed ancillary specialties available.
Hope your Thanksgivings were nice and much less harried than mine.
posted by Three C Farm at
9:01 AM
2 Comments:
I think what my life has been missing is a good supply of ancillary specialists!
Me too, Greg! :)
I'm so glad there are people who feel called to a ministry of serving in the medical field. I'm not one of them. But I'm ever so grateful for you and your kind, Elaine!!! :)
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home