CODE TEAM/WEEK 12

Just made it back to Temple after being in Houston for a couple of shifts! It was such a sigh of relief working with my family! Great to see familiar faces, equipment and charting! But, by the end of the 2nd shift I work...I remembered why I left! LMAO! The people I work with are invaluable! They are truly like a well oiled machine; during any type of situation (code, admission, patient in distress) everyone just falls into place and starts working quickly and efficiently! Communication is excellent and all of the nurses are capable of taking any patient on the unit at any given time; everyone is well versed with all of the devices and protocols! ITS A DREAM UNIT! So why did I leave???? Well, I just needed a change! Institutional cheaper changes and an uncanny amount of responsibility jeez where do I begin!? Playing the pharmacist, lab tech, transportation...gets old (especially since I know a different system...really makes me go hmmmmmmmmmmmm.....). I do not tolerate being irritated or unhappy for long...life is too short and other opportunities exist! One of the perks of nursing, you will always be able to find a job...well EXPERIENCED nurses lol! May not be as glamorous or prestigious but a change is always good...always offer opportunities to grow and maybe even help them grow!! Shout out to night crew on 6CA!

Code team! (Kimmy and I)
I have experienced more codes/deaths in the past couple of months than I have in my short career combined! To be honest, I do stay in the "thick" of things for learning experiences...but WHEW! I'm serious, every week its been averaging about 2.3 codes/deaths LOL! It may be the water, or fears coming sprouting from impending healthcare reform law (muahahahaha) but folks have been very sick all over! Either that or the units just have been dumped on jk jk jk jk!!! I feel like I could run ACLS algorithms in my sleep! But there have been some pretty funny moments...believe it or not! I still remember the 1st "mega" code I was ever involved in back at home: Sicily 1932....(love ya GGs) There was this patient on the unit who has very bad CMP/CHF, cardiogenic shock on an off the balloon etc etc. This patient had frequent runs of V-tach...to the point where you could almost pinpoint when the ICD would fire or the patient would pace themselves out of it...So this particular night this patient was doing their usual, when someone noticed the patient wasn't shocking out of the v-tach. Myself and another nurse ran to check on them...cpr was started while I went to get the crash cart and call the code. I was so excited this was my 1st code so I did the 100 meter dash across the unit to get the red card and push it into the room....as I pushed it into the room...I heard this THUD and an "OUCH" from one of other staff nurses...yes...I did it...I ran over a nurse with the crash cart! That had to have been one of the most embarrassing moments in my career!  I looked at her, she looked at me...it took all we had not to laugh...so the patient was shocked and the room filled up with minions in the long and short lab coats lol.. In an attempt to be "helpful" while another nurse was drawing labs, I decided I would prime flushes...with adrenaline still "pumping" as I primed a flush the top flew across the room and I sprayed one of the fellows with saline..."is it raining?!"...LOL! Yes I felt like just running away. So I responded with a nervous "yes" and offered a towel...:Oh the great memories!

Week 12 starts tomorrow evening and I'm just mentally preparing myself for anything! Being floated, crashing patients, new staff members...eh. Just the name of the game I guess, but its exactly what I signed up for! 2 jobs is rough! I will have to speak on this next post, im sleepy! Please feel free to make comments, and speak freely! Good night and wish me luck!

B.S RN