Thursday, July 8, 2010

The "S" Word

My day at work started off nice and quiet. No heart surgeries scheduled, 1 cath scheduled, and 6 patients. Lots of staff because two interns on orientation were there with their preceptors, along with two other nurses.

Then someone said the "S" word.

I'm sure it was just a casual mistake. A slip of the tongue. Probably didn't even realize what they'd said.

"I'm so glad we're slow today."

And then the other "S" word hit the fan.

Two CABG's hit the books, three scheduled cath's (and we got them all even though they sometimes go to the floor), two STEMI's came through the ED, along with a drug OD (47 y/o whose wife of 30 years left him.) Not to mention the 20 y/o woman with a history of lupus and ESRD who ended up tubed because she kept desatting. Turns out the "pneumonia" the docs were treating her for was actually bleeding in the lungs of unknown cause. She got a PICC line, a Quinton, and bronched. She had a rough morning.

At one point the nurse I was working with was tripled with the lupus/ESRD girl, a fresh CABG, and a fresh cath. They were rolling in faster than we could call staff in.

Rough day.

On a different note my wife and I started marriage counseling tonight. A step forward, but not an easy one.

And I'm getting sick with the snotties. But now I'm just being a baby.

7 comments:

  1. YIKES!!! Busy, busy.

    Good luck with the counseling and I hope you get to feeling better quickly. :)

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  2. The dreaded "S" word. Yep, someone learned a lesson.

    I've been married 34 years; marriage is work...but it's worth it. Hang in there; I wish you the best.

    Hope you feel better too.

    :)

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  3. That's as bad as the "B" word. :-/

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  4. Oh gosh that's as bad as the q word (quiet)...why do people always have to ruin our day?!?!

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  5. We don't say the Q word or the S word. People actually get mad when you do.

    Bunch of bullies. ;)

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  6. NETI POT!!!

    The very idea disgusted me. I'm transitioning from (pre-k to 8th) teaching to nursing, though; I ALWAYS catch the durn sniffles. A co-worker mentioned it to me so much that I went to the store and got a cheap one.

    Long story short: that sucka works. Gross to watch, but it works. Cuts snot time to a quarter of what it was. Check it out!

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  7. From what I hear, the "s" word (and the "q" word!) is BAD BAD BAD. Sounds like a really busy day!

    I'm proud of you and your wife for starting counseling. I hope that things improve. Thinking of you guys!

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