Another pediatric code. Dang, this is way too regular. I have equaled my career total of pediatric codes in the past two weeks.
This one was a little different though, we never had a chance. The only reason it even came into our ER was because a child was involved. That makes it a bit easier to take, I think. To fight is to become emotionally invested. Just going through the motions on the outside chance something startling happens doesn't require much emotion. Just a numb sadness. Or perhaps, as Papa likes to say, my sensory strunods have been numbnetized.
After it was called I went back out to my other three patients. One has a heart rate of 30-35, one is a large man freaked out on PCP and one has a toothache. Yeah.
Can you guess which one was more demanding?
I've noticed a correlation. If it is a true emergency, nobody cares how long it takes. Nobody cares. Just please do whatever you have to do to make it right. It is the non-emergency that is demanding things hurry up. Why is this taking so long? Can't you see that I am in pain? 10/10 pain!
And as ridiculous as that seems when compared to the other patients, you can't let that get to you. You have to try to remember that their pain is the most important thing in the world to them, or they likely wouldn't be here.
It's hard though, sometimes. I don't care if you brought your mom. I don't care if ibuprofen doesn't work for you. I am devoting more time to you than a patient that has a legitimate risk of dying...tonight.
And if I don't smile, and don't show enough concern, they fill out a survey and I get in trouble.
Don't worry. I smiled, I effectively demonstrated my compassion while expressing as effectively as I could why they weren't getting admitted and sedated for their toothache.
It is amazing to me how much can happen in one 12 hour random ER shift. I have thought about writing one, but I don't think people would believe it who weren't ER nurses.
You know that feeling you get on a Friday after a busy work week? Hell yeah! I made it! I get that after every shift. I am always a little surprised I and at least most of my patients survived and nobody got fired.
So, I'm taking a couple days off. Maybe I'll post up about how I fixed my toilet next. Give everybody a break and talk about a different type of crap.
