Tuesday, March 3, 2009

1-2-3-


While there were certainly lowlights, there were also some funny highlights of this three day work run. Just like the days themselves, the experiences this weekend were all over the map.


My boss struck first. During my review she had asked if there was any criticism or anything I wanted to bring up about her or her management style. We all know how I feel about the woman, so the only thing I could think of to complain about was the fact that her bottomless candy jar had no Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - my personal favorite. She said, "You know, I've always wondered if Administration even reads these things" and typed it into my official review. And when I came in Saturday, my cubby was full of Peanut Butter Cups. It was an auspicious - and caloric - beginning.


The final score was 2 to 1. We got spanked 2 days and had 1 nice one. Luckily, the middle day was the slow one, so we could regroup a little bit, but by Monday afternoon I was threatening to shoot out the tires on all the ambulances so they'd have to stop doing runs. People were laughing until they realized just how serious I was. I spent 12 hours in triage on Saturday. It never slowed down enough to pull me out. On Sunday I was walking toward triage to go out to the waiting room and one of the docs yelled out to ask me where I was going. I said the waiting room and he said, "Good. If you were heading out to triage I'd have had to break both of your legs. Anything to keep you out of there." Nice. That's Nurse Shit Magnet to you, Doctor.


Then on Sunday I had yet another in a string of cute young thang paramedic students following me around all day. They're with us mostly to work on their IV skills, so that's what we primarily focus on. On his first attempt with me he missed, because this woman had lousy veins. He looked at me with that deer in the headlights look that I remember so well - needle still hanging out of this gals arm - and asked me to take over. So I did. I pulled the needle most of the way out and went at it from a different angle - and a little deeper. I guess it was a little more aggressive than he'd seen before because he just blurted out "Oh, my god!", and then had to scramble big time when the patient looked at him with a WTF? expression on her face. Luckily, my hitting her vein at roughly the same time distracted her. Next guy we had also had rotten veins, but I let my student try anyway. No go. I tried. No go. Used to be this would freak me out. Now it just makes me mad. In the end I managed to get a line going in a teeny tiny little vein on this guy's thumb, a feat that ensured I walked around with my head too big for my britches all day long. My favorite doctor was working all weekend too, and when he saw that IV he told me that I had bigger balls than he did. Awww. My co-workers say the sweetest things, don't they?


All in all it was okay. Long, but okay. Peanut butter cups make anything bearable.

11 comments:

Maggie May said...

You seem to hold your own no matter what happen RC! Pressure seems to be the thing that keeps you going!
Just as well there are people around like you!

Kim said...

I have lousy veins. I promise to stay as far away from your ER as possible.

Katy said...

As a person with no veins and lost of experiance with getting IVs I fully apperchiate what you just said.

Although, I don't know if I would have let you tried to put one in my thumb. That HURTS like a bitch no matter how nice you are.

Daryl said...

Ah.. the memories this brought back .. my late mother always told the nurses how to get her blood, she had really well hidden veins ...

On behalf of people like my late mom, thank you for everything you do and put up with

laurie said...

my sister's veins were totally used up. she used to cry whenever she got an IV. there were only one or two nurses she trusted to stick her. i bet you would have been a third.

Mya said...

You should get a Peanut Butter Cup allowance - demand one now!I can't believe I missed your 'should I, shouldn't I call him?' post.
I think you should!Courage!
Mya x

Mimi said...

I'm cringing reading this- you brave person! What exactly are these peanut butter cups? I'm far side of the Atlantic, haven't got them here in Ireland- they do look good, mimi

Devon said...

I actually had a 5th semester nursing student follow me her entire semester when I worked in the ICU.

I am very patient and know how hard school is, but this chic was God awful! She was a flake, didn't show or came at wrong times, was so lost and covered it with tons of lies. Her teacher and I worked endlessly to help her, she finally decided that nursing was not for her and quit!

The only paramedic student I worked with was when my sneaky nurse asked if I minded having a student observer during the birth of my last child. She sprung it on me as I was about to start pushing... I didn't care if they were running it live on utube at that point!

I do recall seeing this strange man in the back of the room looking at my bejeje and feeling very much like a farm animal in a barn!

Anonymous said...

I agree, peanutbutter cups make everything better!

My veins look great, but it is so hard to get an IV in me. It was the worse part of giving birth. I now request novicaine.

Enjoy your time off.
XXXXX

Sage Ravenwood said...

I wish you were in the ER the last time I had to go in. The nurse punctured my vein, blood splattered all over the bed, me and dripped down my arm into a puddle on the floor. Then next day my daughter saw my arm and wanted to know who beat me up. Nice...

They actually do read those things? Who would of thought. Now you will have a sweet something to get you through the days. (Hugs)Indigo

LCM said...

That is a great picture. I will probably have to go out and buy some today.
I'm staying away too. I have small veins that move and usually when I head to the ER I am severely dehydrated. Ick...