MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'thoughts from the night shift' source. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:30:44 +0100 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2009/01/bitchy-nurses.html Nurses in my ED have a reputation for being notoriously bitchy. I remember being scared of them when I ran EMS. I wonder if it's because we get hit, chased, bitten and generally abused by out patients on a regular basis. Yes, we take it... most of the time, but we can dish it out and then some. I can play the charming southern girl, but can flip into Linda Blair from 'The Exorcist' at the drop of a hat. Now that I'm back in the ER full-time I have noticed that some people don't need an excuse to be bitchy. I am happy when I go into work...I blast the radio (sometimes the songs predict my night... 'Highway to Hell' does not bode well!), drink my Starbucks and generally smile about my cool job.I work with nurses that come in hating life. They are bitchy, treat the patients poorly and general... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2084439 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:46:00 +0100 2084439 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2009/01/drunk-101.html Also known as "Why I Hate Drunk People"I have been fortunate in the last 7+ years to NOT have to work New Year's Eve. There have been plenty of people with children that want Christmas off so I have always traded. I have never been a big partier, so New Year's has usually consisted of staying home with the cop, the dog(s) and a bottle of wine. This year all of the detectives had to work drunk hours (7p-3a) so I traded a friend so he could have the night off with his wife.The roads were almost empty and the only fast moving cars were the two state troopers that zoomed past me, switched lanes and waved out the windows. (being a cop's wife AND an ER nurse has its benefits!) The ER was almost empty too... which was was a little eerie. I was walking the green mile in my least fav zone. All was ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2078342 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:59:00 +0100 2078342 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/12/smells-like.html I got my ass whooped last night. We had an incredible team... the same team that was on last Friday when we had 15 traumas in just under 4 hours. It was painful! So last night started with a couple of teenagers that rolled their cars. Nice patients, nice families. Not sure I even know what to do with those anymore. No huge injuries... couple of broken bones but nothing big.We got a trauma from the area that my helicopter used to be in. Female had her door briken down and was shit several times in each leg in front of her 7 year old. She was hypotensive and combative on arrival and not a small girl. We gave her 4 units of blood which she bled out just as fast as they went in. When she went to the OR she had multiple vascular injuries that tied up the trauma team for HOURS. The next couple o... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2075521 Sun, 28 Dec 2008 13:31:00 +0100 2075521 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/12/merry-christmas-charlie-brown.html Merry Christmas friends. I was off the 23 and 24 and (naturally) my back started to ache yesterday morning. I'm not one to take more than motrin and tylenol, but this was bad. I had to break into the percocet and skelexin. Even THAT didn't do it. I'm not one to show up at the ED for "back pain" but the thought definitely crossed my mind. I would have let them shoot me in the ass just so I could get through Christmas Eve with the family at my house.My sisters and their boyfriends and my mom came over for food, wine etc. It was wonderful. Its interesting hearing my mom's take on Christmas these days. She has said that she is so happy to now have adult children. I think she is finally able to relax and enjoy the holiday. Even my in-laws came by this year while they were out looking at lights.... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065762 Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:47:00 +0100 2065762 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/12/curtain-call.html This morning at work, sitting in the trauma room I emailed my supervisors with the helicopter company and turned in my resignation effective immediately. I knew it was coming, just had to do it when I was good and ready. The cop said something this weekend that really cut to the core. He said.."if they are treating you like crap now, what are they going to do if something happens to you at work? How will they handle me if you were to crash?" I think that is what did it. My gut kept saying "get out" and its about time I listened.So I'm going to watch a pirated version of "The Dark Knight" have a beer and unwind. Thank you all for your love and support through this. I appreciate you all! (Source: thoughts from the night shift) thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011809 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:28:00 +0100 2011809 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/12/happy-granny-dump-days.html A couple of months ago one of the flight nurses from our competition approached me with an idea. He is the coordinator for a critical care transport course for paramedics. (CCEMT-P). Its a class that I wanted to take a couple of years ago when I was trying to get my shit straight to get a flight job. Its a pretty long course with all kinds of critical care concepts covered. He asked if I wanted to teach the neuro lecture! That was a pretty big deal to me. So I got my lecture straight and went in to teach yesterday. I think it went well.... I was REALLY nervous but I hope it didn't show. I originally thought I had 2 hours to cover neuro assessment and Intracranial Pressure... but turns out I had 4. (I can't imagine talking for 4 hours about anything but Jimmy Buffett and maybe Key West!) I ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2006715 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:58:00 +0100 2006715 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/11/exit-strategy.html I've heard it said that I lady always knows the appropriate time to make her exit. But how do you really know? Its like playing cards... you always risk the hand of a lifetime being dealt after you walk away. Welcome to my dilemma. Things with the flight job have actually gotten worse rather than better. I keep getting calls from all over the state for shifts that I can't work (usually I'm working at the hospital). However my last 2 paychecks have been completely screwed up. The have switched me to an Arizona employee (WTF?), which means I get to pay AZ withholding, my last check was to be 48 hours and instead it was 21. My hourly rate was completely wrong, which amounted to a difference of a couple hundred bucks, PLUS even though I no longer have benefits through said flight company... th... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1976114 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:59:00 +0100 1976114 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/11/trauma-tern.html At night our traumas are run by a third year trauma resident (PGY 3) and there is a fifth year that responds to the more severe cases. We are also blessed with an intern who is the bitch of trauma surgery for a rotation. This person can be headed into any area of surgery.. including general, plastics, oral-maxillo facial, ortho or neurosurgery. Regardless of their final destination they are a first year doctor... aka intern (or as we call them the 'tern). I don't take orders from the 'tern, nor do I take bullshit or attitude. Some are great and earn respect and (some) trust from the nurses, others should never be left alone with a patient.The current 'tern is the latter. He is an ortho resident who seem to have issues with the female nurses. We have dealt with attitude, him physically push... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961521 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:38:00 +0100 1961521 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/11/end-or-beginning.html Friday night I went in at 2300. I figured I'd do an easy 8 hour shift, run home, shower and then drive north for ACLS at noon the next day Funny how we nurses see an 8 hour shift as an easy, short day. The rest of the world works 8's and hates it. Hmmm... interesting. So we were busy as hell, I was walking the Green mile with a full zone including a prisoner with necrotic pancreatitis and a former nursing instructor who fell at a basketball game and took a BIG chunk out of her calf. As I got settled the clinical coordinator and attending in charge approached me (I had the code room) to let me know that there had been a balcony collapse downtown, they were calling an internal disaster and I need to clear out everyone I could.The story goes there was a house party at the college downtown. Ov... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947843 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:41:00 +0100 1947843 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-last-few-nights-in-er-have-been.html My last few nights in the ER have been interesting. I have started out with a crazy 4-ring sick as shit circus and then settled down to nothing as the 3am hour approaches. The difference has been that I have had ACTUAL sick people, not just people who want to be sick.Wednesday I walked in to a 53 year old terminal cancer (mets everywhere) patient who had gone to his hospice appointment that morning then went down in respiratory arrest that afternoon. He didn't have a DNR yet so the squad hit him with the full court press. He was tubed, with a pressure of 80 when I showed up. I also had a 63 year old acute renal failure patient with cancer everywhere (notice a trend?) who came in for leg swelling. She was tachy, hypotensive (80's again.... they took turns being the lowest in the dept) and h... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1907985 Sun, 26 Oct 2008 08:26:00 +0100 1907985 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/10/ta-da.html I was planning on blogging about my most recent foray on horseback, but was looking through pictures this morning and came across my favorite (flight) picture. I swore that I would not post photos of myself, but figured what the hell. This will be the one and only appearance of 'The Penguin and the Squirrel' live at 1200 ft! (Source: thoughts from the night shift) thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1895918 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:28:00 +0100 1895918 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/10/bug-vs-windshield.html The phrase is out there.....some days you're the bug, some days the windshield. I have been picking up an insane amount of hours at the hospital and waiting for a full-time offer to come in. I also found that while I am no longer flying full-time, I am the part-time, fill-in-the-gap RN go-to girl. Every overtime or hole (nurse wise) must come to me first and I get first right of refusal. So things are better. We will still have to see what happens. Have some great ER stories, but have to go to work (welcome to my new existence!). Maybe I'll get some sleep tomorrow! (Source: thoughts from the night shift) thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859935 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:24:00 +0100 1859935 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/10/sad-day.html Friends... I am sorry to say that effective Monday both my base and the next closest were shut down. We were given no notice and very few options. I am staying on a strict part time basis, which means no benefits and I will fly 1) when a shift is open 2) if I can sign up for it before the other 4 or 5 peeps in my same position. Its been a dark dark week.I have been in touch with my nurse manager in neuro (even though I REALLY REALLY don't wanna go back there) and the manager in the ER. Both said they would hire me back. I also applied for an open flight nurse job at our competitor, but there are other out of work flight nurses doing the same, so we will see what happens.I have never actually been laid off before. I got fired from a job at a hot dog place in college. You are apparently NOT ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1845272 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:16:00 +0100 1845272 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/09/root-beer-float.html Home laptop went to shit earlier this week. The cop can't get it to start except in "safe" mode. Dell is going to have some answering to do on this one. Computer is less than two years old!Flying today. Have been out of service for weather and mechanical so its nice to be UP. I'm on a run of scene flights... WHOO-HOO so life is good. Did two scenes the last shift we flew. One motorcycle vs a tree. Nice vietnam vet who ran his harley off the road into a tree. Maybe rib fractures but otherwise ok. He was covered in scars from what was probably a major major burn some years ago. I asked if it happened in Vietnam and he said no. It happened a couple months after he got back. How sad. To be 18, make it outta there and have this life changing injury once you finally get home.Second flight that d... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1834874 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 01:28:00 +0100 1834874 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/09/hogans-goat-and-soup-sammich.html Hot and humid as hell Saturday morning. My partner went goose hunting (ugh) before coming to work and had a truck bed with 6 dead geese in it. He went out to pluck and cut them and I had the bright idea that geese have really long necks, so really long trachs for me to practice on. So while he plucked the feathers and cut the breasts out (yes, it was as nasty as it sounds, plus a couple dozen flies) while I get to their necks and practice crics over and over. I'm a pro now!Finally we got a flight. Transfer from the city out to the mountains to another teaching hospital/trauma center. This guy showed up to the ER a few days ago with rectal bleeding...and oh, a tumor the size of a grapefruit in his tracheal/laryngeal area. We sort of got report, the ICU nurse says "I've never done this (tran... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1794927 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:59:00 +0100 1794927 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/09/skills-day.html We had all day skills stations for the flight crew today. We played with pig trach's (lots of them) ribs for chest decompression and the coolest Sim-Man I have ever seen. Hal breathes, talks, blows pupils, has tongue/airway edema.... he can even seize and has pulses. Really cool shit. Our medical director came out to play, and we even got our pilots involved. (Surgical Crics, so easy a pilot can do it!!!) For me it was a little bittersweet. I am the least experienced with airway/intubation and do not have the technique that others do (yet).Have you ever practiced something over and over and over that you become completely frustrated? I was shaking from the effort and just DONE with the whole situation. Its hard going from where I was "good" at everything... to to a new role where I am actu... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1783150 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:34:00 +0100 1783150 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/09/baby.html This hitch I finally got settled with my permanent partner. He's young, but has been flying for about 2 years so we are a pretty good match. On Wednesday we did a flight from the coast area back to the city. Poor old guy with Parkinson's that was having an MI (his troponin was over 40). During our 25 minute flight he pulled an IV (I got it re-started), brady'd down to the 30's and started hitting me, my partner, the window (ativan fixed that). When we offloaded I thought the saline from the pulled line had leaked on the skid.... ummmmm no. That motherfucker HOSED down the inside of the aircraft! It took almost 30 minutes to wipe the inside down.The next morning the oncoming crew was just getting signover when the phone rang. It was a flight from one city hospital to the teaching hospital. ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1770815 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:12:00 +0100 1770815 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/09/labor-day-weekend-show.html I feel like I am starting to find my stride as a flight nurse. I don't feel like I have four thumbs and two heads (that frequently bump into stuff!). The "flow" is starting to work itself out. I don't have any super interesting flights to mention... but I have definitely seen some beautiful parts of the state. I couple of weeks ago (not long before the DNC) we did a flight from southern Va to Norfolk, Va. It was that beautiful time of day where you are going from night to early morning and watching the sun rise over the Chesapeake Bay. We stopped to get fuel at the executive airport.... you never know who you will see at these places. During race week you see driver's private planes, the governor flies in a helicopter out of one too.... so when we landed and there was a 737 on the tarmac, ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750595 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:35:00 +0100 1750595 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/08/hat-trick.html A hat trick in soccer is 3 goals in one game. For my base a hat trick is the most flights we have done in a single 24 hour shift. I was working with my least favorite medic on my first shift back after a week of being off (family emergency type stuff... everything is fine now) and we did 3 flights.The first was a lady who had the worst headache of her life (per her daughter the nurse) and had a history of hypertension. Now that should set off red flags... "GO TO THE ER NOW!!!" Nope, she went to bed, got up the next morning, got in the shower and DFO'd. Her husband found her in the shower with the water still running. Ems brought her to the small hospital we are based out of. They didn't secure an airway before Ct, bit after seeing the scan it probably won't make much of a difference anyway... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1705129 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:09:00 +0100 1705129 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/07/south-pole.html I think I have regressed to penguin mode again. All the other crews seem to be flying their butts off.... and I stay at the base, cook gourmet dinners for the crew and push paper for our CAMTS inspection. (CAMTS=JCAHO in flight world) One of the crews even got to work a trauma code following an MVC.... as soon as fire pulled him out of the car he coded, he was talking the entire time he was in the car (thats always a bit freaky). So they tubed him, darted both sides of his chest, drilled both legs with IO (iv's in the bone) and did CPR. They even did a pericardio, which my partner so eloquently said "I'd give my left nut to do one of those."Am trying to stay positive.I even picked up a princess shift in the ED tonight. Maybe I can get a little action in there. It is July... so there has to... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1657477 Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:47:00 +0100 1657477 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/07/sizzling.html I didn't get to mention the high point of my time at the busy base. Over all the cities that we could be near, there is one... the big one that you can't "just fly over." You have to be cleared by homeland security and tracked within an inch of your lives by air traffic control (ATC). The only way to get through the limitations is to scud run (under 200 feet) over the most powerful city in the US, avoiding the airports, military aircraft and not flying over monuments in the process. 3 days before the 4th I had this privilege..... and I will never forget the view that I had. A view that a handful in the world are allowed. I have such a cool job!The pace has picked up. We have been flying...its like a microwave oven up there. I feel bad for the patients until we get the AC rolling. The heat ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1642939 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:36:00 +0100 1642939 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/07/ironic.html I apologize for not posting more. I trained this morning and did a 60 minute spin class this evening. I am WIPED OUT! I also picked up an 8 hour shift flying tomorrow. OT will be nice! Hope to get caught up on patient crap on here but in the meantime, here is one of our helicopters in front of the MetLife Blimp (aka the giant windsock). You may have to zoom in to get the joke! (Source: thoughts from the night shift) thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1594127 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:02:00 +0100 1594127 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/07/my-next-30-years.html "I think I’ll take a moment, celebrate my age The ending of an era and the turning of a page Now it’s time to focus in on where I go from here Lord have mercy on my next thirty years " My goal when I graduated nursing school was to be a flight nurse by the time I turned 30. I started as a new grad in a Level 1 ED, the first new grad they hired in over 20 years. I switched to the ICU when I really didn't want to, just because I knew I HAD to. Our base sits on the water, so last night I sat on the skids, looked over at the water and thought about just how lucky I am that I achieved my goal. Its hard to know where to go from here (as the song says), but I know I'm happy. So today I am doing a spa day.... seaweed, mud, massage... the works. We're doing dinner at my favorite restaurant and ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1564322 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:12:00 +0100 1564322 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/06/itch.html No... not THAT itch. Hanging around cops, medics and ER nurses makes the mind go to the gutter pretty fast. I'm STILL fucking sick, hence the non-psycho patient posts. I've been watching movies on the TV, TV shows on the computer and hacking my lungs out in the process.I've got the itch to go somewhere again. I know I've just gotten back from vacation... twice, but if I don't have *something* in the works I start to go a little stir crazy. It doesn't help that 29 the sequel is looming next week and the Caribbean Travel magazine the cop bought me is staring from the floor. (Source: thoughts from the night shift) thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1544323 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:58:00 +0100 1544323 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/06/sick.html One of the pilots gave me the creeping crud. We were flying with wondermedic and the pilot had the hacking cough and a sore throat. I flew feeling crappy last weekend. NOT a good idea. My ears were hurting and flying to altitude didn't help, my ears weren't popping.Of course I get this shit right before I have 4 days off from the busy base. The cop cancelled the cable (it was expensive... plus we only have 1 TV anyway)so I have spent the past 2 1/2 days watching movies and playing on the computer. I'm determined to be better by tonight since we have dinner reservations.I was actually offered a "long term transfer" of almost a year and a half to the busy base. My answer, "no thank you very much." The drive alone is killing me, plus its not my community that I'm helping and while the crews u... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1544324 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:54:00 +0100 1544324 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/06/stupid-drunksagain.html I am NOT a computer person. When we upgraded the laptop all I wanted was to be able to shop and check my email. The folks who can take a simple blog and make it awesome with both content and style have my envy. I haven't blogrolled simply because I don't know how and the last time I tried very strange things happened. That being said... I decided that I was gonna try a little music on this thing. 2 hours later this is what we have. Like it Hate it Let me know... before I forget how to make it go away!!!Things have been better. We remember our friends and colleagues but the show inevitably goes on. Flying at the "busy base" is just that, BUSY. I have to wake up at 3am to get out the door by 415. Traffic pending I get there at about 630. Just in time to get my stuff inside, grab a cup of cof... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1522674 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:29:00 +0100 1522674 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/06/416ph.html This is going to be short. I made it home safely. Weather and trip was beautiful, will give details later. I received a phone call this morning from my base manager that we (my company) lost a crew/aircraft this morning. Med 12 was out of College Station Texas. They flew in the same model aircraft as I do. I know some folks in TX, but not at this base. This has been a sad day. My mom is (understandably) freaked out and the cop is tolerating the non-stop phone calls.Please take a moment and remember these brave, selfless individuals. You can read what we, their peers, colleagues and those impacted by this crew have to say in memoriam at www.flightweb.comI will post again when things have settled and I am in a lighter mood. Thanks... (Source: thoughts from the night shift) thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1502936 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0100 1502936 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/05/flying-and-flinging.html My first shift back flying was actually a pretty good one. The medic is known for being slightly on the anal/obnoxious side but he was leaving for vacation at the ass crack of dawn so he was in a pretty good mood. We sat in a painfully long staff meeting.... (in the ER staff meetings are at 7am so day and night shift can be there. Usually they follow the kind of night that makes you want to run like hell outta that place. Nights will stay until we fall asleep, or until the bullshit gets too deep to stay! There are enough people there to make a covert exit.) since a flight base is pretty small, 3 medics, 4 nurses, pilots and mechanic you HAVE to be there and must have a damn good excuse to leave. So we sat, and sat and sat. 6 hours later we were just settling down when we got a flight. ICU/... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1450474 Sun, 18 May 2008 12:46:00 +0100 1450474 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/05/anniversary.html My absence has a fabulous explanation. The cop and I celebrated our first anniversary on May 2. He gave me a beautiful Tiffany necklace and flowers (roses and calla lilies). We dropped the puppies off at their respective sitters and headed out to a great seafood restaurant downtown where we could eat on the patio filled with spring flowers and people watch the freaks on the street. Very reminiscent of The Grand Cafe in Key West (also a great restaurant, we ate there on our honeymoon). After dinner and a great bottle of Va sparkling wine we went home so we could get up at the ass-crack of dawn to go on vacation. For our anniversary I sent us on a cruise to Grand Cayman and Cozumel.We have both cruised before..... and if you want to be alcohol-soaked and party (not us) then that's the place ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1433004 Fri, 09 May 2008 22:21:00 +0100 1433004 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/04/morgue.html Hello friends......Its been a while. Unfortunately the east coast has been pounded with crappy weather so we haven't flown a damn thing in days. In the meantime I have worked lots of OT in the ED. My night in the trauma room started with a relatively benign hospice nurse who rolled her car. I think the trauma workup was a bit more than she was used to... she looked more than a little shell shocked when I took over.The next contestant on The Price is Right (or should it be Deal or No Deal...... maybe Toe Tag or No Toe Tag) was in a little worse shape. Multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and legs. Coded enroute per the medics. Let me mention that the nurse (me), the ED resident, trauma resident, intern and chief were all females. I have noticed that when we get the chicks together things te... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1397860 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:07:00 +0100 1397860 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/04/footnotes-and-flying-penguins.html My current "flight" schedule is pretty good. I'm on 24 hours, off 24 hours, on 24 hours then off for 5 days. The five days off give me the opportunity to catch up on all the shit I should have done when I was in between days but too tired to do so. I also try to catch up with the cop and spend some quality time there as well. If he is working nights, like last week I can pick up time in the ER and catch up with the peeps there. Its sad that some things seriously never change. I was in green Wednesday.... sitting on a crazy as shit psych patient. There were about 7 of them waiting for beds with no rooms in sight. I had a pitiful dude with esophageal CA with a trach that had started bleeding.... so he went to a community hospital about 5 minutes from us. That hospital didn't have ear, nose a... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1369177 Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:21:00 +0100 1369177 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/04/psychotic-twig.html Part of the reason that I have been out of action here (other than the Penguin thing) is that I have a big birthday pending. I will hit 29, the sequel this summer. So with the cops help, we have joined a gym and have been trying to get in better shape. I decided to get a trainer for a little more motivation and direction. Some may say its too expensive, but I don't have a lavish lifestyle and this seems like something worth splurging on. So twice a week I meet with a 5'1 ball of energy who has a flower's name, but could probably kick the crap out of most people that I know.I'm eating better, working out and have started doing yoga. This is not my first exposure to yoga. I have taken classes at the hospital and in the community and have loved it. So when the trainer said, lets do a class I ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1356572 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:24:00 +0100 1356572 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/04/grounded.html I realize that I have been MIA for a while. I wish I had good things to say, but I remain the groundling Penguin. No flights..... at all. Tonight the weather got so shitty that the medic and I went home. We are on "30 minute call-out" which means that if our hospital wants to send someone out by ground (we aren't flying in this shit!) then we can go to the hospital and then ride by ground. Its a slim chance, but a chance to transport nonetheless. I took the opportunity to go home, see the cop and the puppies and sleep in my own bed.I am picking up shifts in the ED this week. I need the refreshment as to why I get paid to sleep and practice putting up with the assholes again. No other deep thoughts.... have been fighting a bad chunk of writer's block. Will work on that for later this week. ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1354334 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:16:00 +0100 1354334 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/02/goggles.html So I struck out again yesterday. Had a great day checking out the helicopter and counting narcotics at the base. We had a "tour group" of EMT students from a local chemical plant and a reporter from a local paper. The reporter was asking questions (mostly to me) and taking lots of pictures. It should be in the paper today or tomorrow.One of the cool things about this job, other than flying around in a multi-million dollar aircraft with the best equipment saving lives, is that we are always getting new toys. Most air-medical helicopters are really focusing on safety, and therefore are obtaining night vision goggles (NVG's) for the pilot and crew to wear during night flights. I got some ground school when I went out west to train, but have not had them available for normal use until now. So ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1265450 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:34:00 +0100 1265450 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/02/sushi.html The "get off of orientation" conversation with the doc was short and sweet. I flew the next day..... or should I say I stayed at the new base and did jack shit the next day. I'm looking forward to getting into the groove of things and having a routine.We (the flight crew) went to a firefighter's symposium this weekend. The idea is that these are the folks that call us and set up our landing zones, so we'd better give away some swag and make nice. It was at this symposium that I got the true picture of the boys club. Being the only chick there I soon found my place as "bait." The big wigs would see me, I would give them a "hi, how are you?" with the southern accent and big smile and they would come talk about the helicopter. I know it is flat out sexist, but that is marketing. The cop was d... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1260087 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 03:48:00 +0100 1260087 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/02/or-third-time.html Unfortunately, following my last post I spent 8 hours in the OR and didn't get a single tube! We joke that "theres no crying in flying" but I was close. I have never in my professional life, had people treat me as if I wasn't even there. That is exactly what happened all day yesterday. I was flat out dreading going back.So today was better. I was on the women's side and had lots of opportunities. There were some that I should have been able to do, but there were new CRNA's who had to do their own cases. The first was a lady with big ol horse teeth. Try putting a blade in that mouth and not breaking teeth off! I got it, but wth some help. The rest of the day went pretty well. I met up with the head MD who was working on the gyn side. I called him Dr Shrek. He was tall, thick Scottish brogue... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1225914 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:29:00 +0100 1225914 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/02/or.html So I am almost(!) off of flight orientation. All of my ride-along time is complete. I am just waiting to finish some clinicals, have a pow-wow with our medical director and thats it. Unfortunately, one of the clinicals I have to do is in the operating room. When we fly we can chemically knock someone out (either medically necessary or the asshole tube. Assholes don't fly!) and intubate them. So we go to the OR to practice intubations. What I am learning is that the nurse anesthesistists do everything and the anestesiologists "supervise." Also, OR nurses are for the majority, BITCHES! I have never been treated like I was by some of those nurses. The physicians, surgeons and even CRNA's treated me with respect understanding what I actually do.With few exceptions, the circulating nurses were ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1222506 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:26:00 +0100 1222506 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/01/nursing-student.html Let me say that I am NOT bitching about the flight job. I LOVE flying. However, I am so over some of the bullshit that comes with. Part of "staying current" is going out and doing clinicals in various hospital units. The idea is that we can fly anything and we need to have a decent working knowledge of most common patient issues. What sucks ass is that unless the nurses in the units and really familiar with us, we get treated like nursing students.Nursing students are pretty much the lowest on the totem pole in a hospital environment. You have not a lot of experience, don't know where the hell shit is and have to ask "mother may I?" for everything. (I'm NOT bashing them, I love students and have done my time as one) Nurses either 1)pretend you don't exist 2) treat you as a grunt or 3) want... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1193003 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:08:00 +0100 1193003 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/01/flying.html PIG TRACH CLASS! Hours of fun for the entire family! Sunset from the airI worked in ED Wednesday night. We were on diversion so not much coming and going. I sat on 3 patients all night long. We only had one trauma, a young guy who was shit in the arm. Unfortnately his stepfather went nuts and took a big ass gun to this kid's mom, my patient and then himself. There was also a young girl (11?) who was able to get out of the house and hid in the woods. In the city this is not "unusual" however this took place in a neighborhood not far from where I grew up, out in the country. Thats fucked up, but crazy has no zip code. I flew yesterday. One flight in 24 hours. Thats my status quo. So we flew a retired air force officer across the state from the military hospital to a transplant center. It wa... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1162710 Sat, 19 Jan 2008 21:22:00 +0100 1162710 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2008/01/its-girl.html The cop and I have been talking about getting Maddux a friend for a long time. It just so happened that this little girl needed a home and (randomly) found her way to us. Her name is Wrigley Havana (we just call her Wrigley.....) although she may think her name is "DON'T EAT THAT!" Maddux is doing very well with her, probably because we are making a point of spoiling him rotten in the process. I am on my break from flying and get to do clinicals instead. We all have to spend time in various hospital units in order to be more familiar with the patients we will fly. Its a lot like being back in school again. I spent yesterday delivering New Year's Eve babies in labor and delivery. We did absolutely nothing last night. We made jambalaya, drank champagne, watched a movie and then sat and watch... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1123761 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 13:07:00 +0100 1123761 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2007/12/flying.html The schedule at my "orientation base" is 8 on (every other 24) and 8 off. I'm almost done with the every other day 24 hour shift. My preceptor is awesome and everyone that I have worked with has been super excited to have me there and willing to teach me anything. It has been great!This base is known for the large volume of scene calls..... we haven't been super busy yet, but have had 2 MVC's that we flew. The first was a rollover MVC that hit a ditch. He was a little confused, but otherwise stable. We flew him to my hospital. It was so cool to walk into the trauma room with my first patient. Lots of people came by to say hi and congrats. Some didn't even know that I had gotten hired. It was such a good feeling.My second scene call was a high speed head on collision. She was a little confu... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1117919 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:00:00 +0100 1117919 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2007/12/tagged.html I have been taking my time and catching up on my blog reading. (yes, I have calmed down)It appears that I have been 'Tagged." I guess this is a good way to relax and have a good laugh.I am supposed to share 7 random/weird things about myself and then tag 7 other people. I don't really plan on "Tagging" others, but if you feel so inclined and have the need to waste some time then have at it.1) I (like NocturnalRN) am obsessed with the way things smell. My house has candles, room spray and other assorted nice smelling stuff everywhere. I currently have cinnamon sticks simmering in the kitchen. The house smells like Christmas.2) I have a stuffed Spiderman from build-a bear that travels everywhere with me. He was a gift from the cop when we started dating. He has been to the Bahamas, Mexico, P... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1107198 Thu, 20 Dec 2007 06:18:00 +0100 1107198 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2007/12/fucking-pissed.html Grrrr...... To quote Eric Cartman "I AM SO PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW!"I am fucking tired of being professional AND being nice to people and then getting flamed for it. I'm tired of people thinking because I've got boobs that I'm out to steal husbands. I am perfectly happy with my cop thank you very much. If you have a problem with the person that I am... well good for you. I don't give a shit.I apologize for ranting here. I have wanted to post on how Phoenix went and how things are going, but have been too busy to do so. I'm pissed that I have to rant and rave on here. I am rising above and not responding to provocation... even though people get pissed over the most stupid and innocent things.To quote another movie......"you need to keep your bitch on a leash and put a muzzle on her" ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1106429 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:20:00 +0100 1106429 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2007/12/phoenix.html Well the flight out here was long as shit. The weather fucked us all up so we ended up 1)late leaving home 2) late arriving in Detroit 3)hauling ass through the Detroit airport (or as I so eloquently put it, "drop balls and run like hell") and then sitting on the tarmac for over an hour. Two unfortunate souls in our party had luggage lost and we have to wrangle a 4 door car out of the Avis people. All of this boiled down to getting about 4 hours sleep before class ALL DAY LONG today. We talked about OB and Neuro (I am pretty well versed in both) so this was a good day to be tired.My last night in the unit was a pain in the ass. I had a post-cardiac arrest patient who survived (wtf) with a normal neuro exam after being coded for 60 minutes, shocked twice and pronounced twice. Her major comp... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1068858 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 05:36:00 +0100 1068858 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2007/11/sick.html So the day after Thanksgiving we had the "informal" new flight crew meeting. To be honest, I feel a touch over my head. The concerns that the guys with experience ask..... are way past where my thoughts are right now. They had heard of me, and knew I was a good bedside nurse, but have all acknowledged that the new folks are at the shallow end of a steep learning curve.It didn't help that I got SICK the day after the meeting. Not food poisoning, but sore throat, earache, no energy always freezing cold, sick. The cop has gone out of his way to take care of me, and I have gone out of my way to call in sick to work! Not to mention that I still haven't had the energy to finish the paper I have due.So as of now, I have a huge paper due, a smaller paper due, an online quiz a 3 hour charting power... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1051430 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:21:00 +0100 1051430 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2007/11/turkey-day.html I have said before, holidays in the ICU are very sad. There is the festive feeling, but with a sad undertone. Its a surreal environment. I saw one of the saddest things in my career last night. An 18 year old college freshman was on the way back from a sporting event, riding (with the rest of the freshmen) with a very elderly coach. The remainder of the team was following in the school van. The coach had some kind of medical event, went off the highway and, without hitting the brakes, hit a tree. The coach was killed on scene. The kids in the backseat had scrapes and bruises. The 18 year old in the front was flown to our hospital, unresponsive. He was in another ICU for about a week before he came to us. He has damaged the blood vessels that supply the brain and they are now a ticking time... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1047755 Fri, 23 Nov 2007 22:20:00 +0100 1047755 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2007/11/owls.html I got together with some girls last night. They have a group called OWL (Officer's Wives League). Its made up of area police officer's wives. We got together and hung out talking about girl stuff and husband stuff. Just having some wine and laughing. The serious stuff was about trying to establish this group as a fixture in the area with ALL of the departments. They provide support to the families of officers (the cop's friend's wife for example) and work to make sure that the bullshit is kept to a minimum. Currently, there is rumor of a spouse's academy in Feb and they hope to have some input as to what needs to be covered. It was really nice to see that my worries are not just mine. There is a commonality that is outside my normal (nursing) social group.Go my financial numbers from the f... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1027371 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:10:00 +0100 1027371 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2007/11/countdown.html Stick a fork in me, I'm done. It is SOOOO hard going in to the ICU. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and its getting closer. So the motivation factor is going to be a problem over the next 3 weeks. I would LOVE to take all that PTO that I'm going to lose and just call in for a couple of days. I am still waiting for the details on salary and when I leave for Phoenix. My nurse manager in the ICU took my resignation very well and even offered to let me stay hourly. I have not seen Lurch yet, but am going to try not to rub it in.... this is going to be a hard pill for him to swallow.My current patient had a tree fall on him and had a fracture of one of his thoracic vertebrae (think upper back, just below the neck). The problem is fixing it is that the doctors have to do a frontal a... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1021492 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:36:00 +0100 1021492 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2007/11/secret.html So I have been keeping a pretty big secret. (NO, NOT PREGGERS) There is a new helicopter program being started not far from my house. I applied last week and heard back on Monday, interviewed yesterday. The interview went GREAT! I told the cop afterwards that I kicked the crap outta that interview.Soo..... I got a phone call this morning and was offered the position as a flight nurse!!!!!WHOO-HOOOOO!!!!I know that it hasn't sunk in yet. I still can't even think of what to say other than thank you. The base manager told me that I gave an incredible interview and that I was exactly what they were looking for. So... I leave for critical care academy in Phoenix in 3 weeks! I emailed my nurse manager and let her know what was going on. I expected to have her all pissed off, but she was very nic... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1018007 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:42:00 +0100 1018007 http://thoughtsfromthenightshift.blogspot.com/2007/10/dickhead.html So we made it back in one piece.... walked through the door at home 18 hours after checking in at the Vegas airport. It was so nice to climb into my own bed with the million thread count sheets and not hear sirens and tour helicopters (or slot machines). I don't know how long I slept, but it was wonderful.Back to work.... SSDD. I was actually really surprised that the same damn patients were still there. We got a trauma patient who wrapped his car around a tree..... he was a white guy with LONG rastafarian dredlocks. Seemed cool... at first. He was upset because he found out that the babymomma was fucking his best friend. (Interesting when they have a 5 month old child. Things that make you go Hmmmmmm...)So he was normal when he arrived. He had a fractured clavicle and a really bad spleen ... thoughts from the night shift blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=992196 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:25:00 +0100 992196