10 posts tagged “hospital”
Oddly I woke this morning to dense dense fog. The entire town has disappeared. Amazing.
I sure wish i could sometimes find a more exciting title for life's little updates, but I don't think I'm that creative.
So, I did say that Florida Hosptial is a bit religious, eh? On my first day i came across this picture. It's Oil on what appears to be canvas. My personal thought is this is something that belongs on Black velvet and not in the hospital. I imagine some important someones neice or something painted it. It has the unfortunate effet of very soft porn and paint by numbers.
I finally got brave enough to snap a photo, which was a little hard to do as it is up in a main thoroughfare. SO here it is in all its, errr Glory.
Is it me or is this just a tad wierd?.
I seem to have survived my first week out in the Emergency Deparment of East the Beast. It has been a bit nutty.
My first day in my first hour I had to put in a NasoGastric tube....its a simple procedure, but it hurts most patients. They dislike it and I really hate doing them...
Luckily the person who got it was relatively easy to get it into and things went along pretty smoothly for the rest of the day.
On day two I woke up with a Migraine from Hell. I get migraines but usually only occasionally, like once every 3-4 years. This one was horrible. I am still in awe of it.
But because it was orientation week, I couldn't call out sick. SO I spent the day trying to remain up right, vomiting a little and trying to stay on top of all the charting etc. It would be that day that our 31 yr old with abdominal pain turned out to be having an MI and was flown out to the other hospital. Well, I learned alot about flying people out. THen joy of joys, i got to put in another NG tube!!!
My third day was better, though by the end I was wiped out from running around trying to be sure everything was done. no ng's but I did get to assist with a pelvic (other least favorite thing) and do some other fun stuff.
The staff are really nice and I think I am going to enjoy working there. The computer program they are using is somewhat fragmented and not as good as it could be. It's the one thing that slows me down. The cohesiveness they demonstrate as a team is really cool. I don;t know how they built it but I like it and I would like to learn how they did do it, because its so lacking in many other places. Mondays are classically the busiest days in the Emergency arena the Nation over. so this hospital feeds the staff each and every Monday for free. It really is nice.
Tomorro is my first day "alone" as it were. I have fear that I might just die as it is busy and there are some odd things I need to remember (steps for admission)...but... I am hoping it all goes well.
I am blown away by the focus on Religion though by the hospital. it is a Seventh Day Adventist hospital, the Mission is "TO extend the healing ministry of Christ" There is prayer each morning and then extra prayer some days over the intercom...on the white wipe off boards there are a variety of biblical quotes and I was shocked and amazed, (and a little amused ) to purchase "Florida Hospital" water...with this label.
There is more Godliness to the place. It's odd but at the same time, at least they do what they say they do...if you know what I mean?
Hopefully I can survive my Sunday and Monday. I'm still scared.
Oh yes, I got a 98% on the test!!!
I finished my second day at the hospital yesterday. it was much much better than the first. The first had me very alarmed for variety of reasons, but thats over now.
The emegency area is not all that busy perse, but there are a few things in the culture that are going to drive me nuts. firstly it takes forever for a bed to open up upstairs. I held a patient in the ER for 13 hours, waiting on a bed. She had been admitted on paper at 11:30 at night, and was still in the Emergency Dept at 7 am when I came on. I got her admitted sometime after lunch. We get real hospital beds for these patients, so it isnt that bad, and actually she went from a very nice private ER room to a semi private upstairs, so not so sure her husband would have complained so much if he knew that! So those admit and hold patients take up a ton of space. If we could move them within a few hours, we would almost never have anyone in the waiting room.
Secondly, I think it takes inexcusably long for a doctor to go see the patient. The docs in general are a little pompous. They fit in well with this population who have that expectation that the doctor is going to be "all knowing" etc. so it isn't that they are necessarily rude, but they definitely are not very collaborative with the nurses. I am used to working with docs, not for them, so this should be different. Since we are not able to start a patient with labs etc, we have to wait for the doc to write the orders. So I might see a guy with a moderate complaint, start an IV, draw the blood, and then it is siting in the lab doing nothing for 30-45 min waiting on the Doctor to see the patient. If thye would let me order the stuff and sign off on it (as is practice in many many places) by the time the do moseyed in there, he might have all the values back. I know tha sounds like i am overstepping my bouds, but it is very very common practice because we seem the same stuff everyday, we know what tests are going to be done.
Thirdly: there is very little teamwork between the nurses. Admittedly, people are very busy with their own patients, but I always like to help out when I can. My first day the other guy working my "side" with me kept thanking me prousely because I came in and helped with some stuff when I had time. I know why now, people just somehow remain blissfully unaware of the other patients in the department, but well, thats all fine. I think over time I can actually change that part of the culture by continuing to help out and then expecting it in return. Over the past 2 days I've noted that the nurses are surprised at that, but that they do readily come and help me if I specifically ask. Sooo, we'll see.i have no major plans to change culture, but it will be an interestng experiment.
The acuity of the patients is in general high. The population is mostly eldery and of course with the elderly everything is more severe. If they fall they really hurt themselves, fi they get a respiratory infection or a urinary infection it can rapidly lead to all sorts of complications. So, most of the patients I worked with ended up being admitted.
good things are that in general the nurses are nice and friendly. It's one of the few places where people have not questoned me extensively about my background. They seem glad to have the help, and happy to tell me places to go and do stuff in the state.
Coffee is FREE for employees!!!!!! I especially like this fact. My favorite thing to do around 4 pm is have a cup of coffee, so I now do not have to spend 1.75 anymore.
There are enough supplies to get stuff done. and the rooms are actually stocked and set up for emergent stuff.
The PA's are younger and so far are fun to work with, smart and more collaborative with the nurses. thir role is super limited though, probably by the pompous doctors!
I have yet to see an infant with an uncontrolled fever. Yaaaay!
the patients do know their history and their medications for the most part, making everything easier.
Not sure I am going to love the pace and everything, but this seems to be do-able for thirteen weeks.
Now today i must go and get a cable splitter...so I can watch tv and use the internet (Laxy me) and contact the NTI and see how much they want to charge me for their services....
Lovely weather!!!
So, I've completed two days (nights) of work now at my new job. It's an interesting place.
My only complaint is that it's pretty far from my Apartment, so when driving there I worry about being late, and then when coming home, I worry about sleeping while driving. It would help if there was a good coffee shop on the way home, but NO!
The Nursing Staff of the ED are not as fun as the hospital in NH, which is unfortunate. Most are actually ladies in their later sixties, so that makes for an interesting mix. To them, I seem very very young. They have been very helpful and are pleased to have travelers (Another woman, in her late 60's of course started with me). They are friendly, but they think I am strange for running and exersising...I will add, not as a snarky comment, that they are almost without exception overweight. I am hoping I can convince a few to start moderate exercise. (slowly though)...
The Physicians are almost all Locum's which means they are generally not the older family physician types I worked with in NH. They are board certified in Emergency Medicine and I discovered this means they play by the established Emergency Medicine "Rules" I feel much much more confident in them than I did in the other physicians in NH. So far, I can see that they are following the national protocols for Chest Pain/Stroke, etc and this is a good good thing.
So, I think I will enjoy my situation, as long as I can adjust to nights. The adjustment so far has been difficult, making me not feel like doing much after one AM, but of course there are still occasional patients.
So, the job is fine.
I'm feeling better about my running/diet/exercise situation. I am looking into a half marathon in the future, but my biggest challenge is to decide which one, because it will undoubtably need to be where my next contract is. I'm not really sure where I want to go.
But this may call for a new post for the "Let's Run" group!!!
We are smack dab in the middle of a huge outbreak of the Norovirus. It's making work incredibly hectic, during our already busy time. Supposedly, it shouldn't make people too sick, except for the frail elderly and the very young. But we have been seeing people from all walks of life who are incredibly dehydrated and febrile. And its very contagious so alot of staff is also out with the same symptoms.
I started to get a very wonky stomach myself today during my first trip to the treadmill. So of course, like a smart trained medical person that I am, I promptly decided to go to Burger King and indulge in a BK stacker and some fries. This was brilliant, as now if I do get sick, I won't know if its the Norovirus, or just the fact that I ate fast food for the first time in months.
Of course, feeling guilty, I went back to the gym in the afternoon. I finished off 6 miles total. My calves don't feel right. and I feel pretty tired. I so hope that this is a temporary setback.
I still have a long long run to do this week. We'll see what happens.
Oh and everyone....Wash your hands. Don't use that Purell stuff, it doesn't kill Norovirus. So soap and water....and lots of it frequently!!!!!! It prevents such a nasty experience!!!
Happy CHristmas Everyone!
It's raining lots here. I am feeling not at all Christmassy. I got up today, got ready for work as usual, gave the dog an extra bone for Christmas, and opened a few gifts.
I'm really missing my family. This is the third year I have to work in some capacity and be away from them. I was not that upset when I was in Africa, but being in NC is not the same. My sister and her husband are in their new house and she apparently did some decorating magic, and I really missed it all. They have snow too!
I will be making holiday pay today which is a bonus, and the traffic in the deparment should be only sick people, not people with colds and mild sore throats who have energy to yell at the nurses for things like "I need a soda now, a telephone now, slipper socks now, narcotics now.... (sometimes its hard to get the slipper socks folks, when I am also running about tyring to medicate for a heart problem...)
I am finding myself wishing for something special to happen today. (Sort of a selfish wish) I have no idea what, but just something extra special and nice.
Overall though it should be a really good day. The department is probably more like my family than my real family. When i was in Africa, they sent me a HUGE box, of CHristmas lights, tinsel, a small tree, holiday themed books, and candles and candy.
SO Before you feel too sorry for whingy me this is probably how my day will go.
Arrive, Get report on the poor souls that have to be sick. Take care of them. By ten am, there should be really goo smells coming from the Middle lounge area. C, the aide will be cooking part of our Christmas dinner. We will be having all sorts of food. Some things that are expected: Pecan Pie, COllards and black eyed peas, ham, turkey, stuffing, green beans, chicken necks (its the south baby, we eat soul food too.), sweet potatos in a variety of fashions, C's famous cuke salad (YUM!), various cookies, cakes, and other candies. Candied yams. Lasange, Nut bread....
By 12:30 or so this stuff will be laid out. In addition, some small deparmental gifts will be going around (this year we got Trauma SHears....probably because none of us have had them at critical shearing moments...but nice all the same). So, in between caring for patients, there will be this stuff to nibble on as well as egg nog and holiday music. We even have our own tree, which all the staff contribute a new ornament to each year.
I must say, I am a lucky person to work in such a unique and caring environment.
I do feel as if other people seem to get a bit of a breather at this time of year, with days off and such, but that really is not entirely true, I mean, working retail must be a nightmare, so I'll just suck it up, and hopefully not eat too much...
when you hear the pounding of hooves.
this is one of those sayings they teach med students in training. This is because with people usually they show up with symptoms that represent exactly what he problem is. At some point, though, you need to look beyond the obvious.
Patient today who spoke very little English, an older person from a former SOviet Block country. She had a bloody nose. (a very severely bleeding nose). This got fixed, but unfortunately she also had a heart rate of 178. SHe got admitted to cardiology and would have never come to the hospital if it weren't for her bloody nose, but her heart is in serious need of a tune up. Doctor today found it difficult to move beyond bloody nose. I found it amazing that she didn't recognie the other heart problem. It all got taken care of though.
Had a good day overall. Busy, interesting pleasant patients. Good staffing.
I ate no sugar and had a lot of coffee.
2 more days of work and looking forward to a little time off.
Must get on the holiday shopping.
Oye my day...
I worked all day on the trauma side. No trauma, but sick people. All day long. I ran folks upstairs. Only 3 of my patients all day could speak in intelligible terms, 2 went to the ICU basically at the same time...which made for interesting nursing. Somewhere in there I did a "moderate"sedation in G5... with a hysterical woman...and several muscle bound ortho docs. At least it was my favorite Physician today. I yelled at him and got ry cranky and he later said, "Oh come on, we go back furthr than this and Love conquers all" which made me giggle intensely. So not all bad, but busy and some unbelievable things....
For example: an 85 yr old man with a fever of 103.3, and a heart rate in the 140's, come in by EMS. He is from a nursing home, but it wasn't the nursing home that called, it was the wife. Apparently the nursing home felt he was ok. He ended up going to one of our fine ICU's septic as all get out. It was upsetting, especially when she asked if she had not called would he have died, and I had to say that was a possibility.....wild, I tell you.
I finally got out of work at 8pm and was looking forward to a nice dinner, and relaxing to com home and find my poor dog had had an accident in the crate. I should not have dewormed him today....I should have done it on a day when I was at home. So. Bathed the dog, and then took the entire crate apart and drug it into the side shower and scrubbed it, gagging all the way. Dog of course protested, and I of course insisted. I feel entirely yukky. I'm going to have to do some major cleaning and vaccuuming on Wednesday,my next day off...
Ok enough grousing. Must keep on keeping on.....
