I Love It!!

ERNurse752, RN · Jan 23, 2003

Awesome... :)

NS_RN · Jan 23, 2003

Wow...good for you!! We need these little affirmations from time to time!

Good job!

DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE, MSN, RN · Jan 23, 2003

There have been only a few times where , my travels and postings with my husband have actually been useful.

In San Fransisco I got to speak and translate Afrikanns to a couple that their son was having a difficult heart procedure, I happened to be walking by the pre -ops when I heard the mother speaking in Afrikanns and broken English, I had been living in South Africa for a bit and we started talking in what Afrikanns and Zulu I knew, it was so cool.

In Nebraska no less I got to use my Arabic skills lol .... I got snatched out of a room, because there was a gentleman in so much distress in the Pre-op. All they told me was come on... my arabic isnt as good as my Afrikanns but its functional. Found out the man was a devote muslim and he wanted a chance to pray prior to entering the surgical suite. I showed him the direction to Meca and assisted him off the stretcher, layed a towel down on the floor and gave him his time to do his prayer. Helped him back up to the stretcher and assured him that all would be well. They changed my schedule so I could stay with him during the surgery, circuate the case, and take him to post op and translate until his sister came back.When his sister came back I told her about the case , and how well he did. She said it was the first time that he allowed a woman to assist him in anything because of how devote he is. It was nice to be able to assist , and to be honest I think it tripped him out a bit hearing Arabic with a southern twang. *ishallwa*

Zoe

AngelGirl · Feb 22, 2003

I had an experience that took me completely by surprise. It was 7 a.m. and I was worn out. !2 hours in the trauma bay, nine of them with one pt, d/t the lack of a bed in the ICU. The day shift arrived, I gave report and decided to help by hanging one more liter of Saline. That's when I heard it. The woman out in the hall, around the corner was hollaring, "No! No-o-o-o-o-o!" I thought to myself, 'Oh, knock it off! ' I figured that she was opposing the care being provided, and I was just flat out of compassion. My feet hurt and I was headed HOME!!!

Then I heard a nurse calling, from that same direction, for help, I ran out into the hall and down around the corner. The scene was bizarre. There on the floor lay the woman, hollaring, with the nurse and a very worried looking husband leaning over her. There was no mistaking the size of her belly. And, from the sound of her moans, this baby was coming FAST!!

"Get the doctor!" the nurse yelled past me, as she turned to the patient, commanding, "Don't push!!!" Someone ran for the doctor as I grabbed a gurney and a blanket. Several people lifted the laboring woman up onto the mattress, and, throwing the blanket across her, I jumped to the head of the gurney and began pushing it down the hall toward the elevator. The doctor rounded the corner, grabbing the foot of the gurney, and we RAN. The night shift MD sprinted for the elevator and slapped the button (Just to make sure we got safely out of his ER, I think!)

Someone called upstairs to alert them of our arrival.

The elevator doors opened. In flew the gurney, followed by me, then the doctor. The doors closed. I looked down to see that the woman was doing some serious pushing, still wearing her pants! I bent down, yanked them off, and out popped a slippery little girl, cleverly sliding around her mom's skimpy underwear!

The doctor grabbed the blanket and the baby. I whipped out my hemostat and clamped the cord, as the elevator doors opened. We were met by the smiling O.B. staff.

Forming a rather odd procession we marched down the hall. I held the hand of the relieved and happy, albeit, exhausted mother. The doctor held the baby whose cord was still attached to the undelivered placenta. We were quite a sight.

And, my feet? They didn't hurt anymore, at ALLl!

pointhope · Feb 22, 2003

Incredible AngelGirl, our ER is like that too. Get those new mommies up stairs before the water breaks. We like all of our patients to be those that have already had a couple of weeks or more to adjust to the outside world. Don't want to catch any more slippery bundles than is absolutley necessary. Sounds like an eventful end of shift. You are quick on your angel toes.

AngelGirl · Feb 24, 2003

Thanks!

RNFROG3, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2003

What a beautiful ending to a dreadful night. Way to go Angel -maybe I need to start carrying hemostats!

AngelGirl · Feb 27, 2003

When I get dressed for work, I take time to guide the tip of my hemostat through the center of a roll of tape, then clamp it to the hem of my smock. It dangles there all shift, providing easy access to tape, ( and , of course, remains ready for that occasional stray umbelical cord!) The only funny part is when patients and/or visitors warn me politely that I have "a pair of scissors caught" on my uniform.