[janejoeben]

Just been reading all those sad, depressive stories on the other thread and thought we need a bit of happiness.
So, what are the moments that have made you smile or cry happy tears...
Mine would be the 7 year old RTA with flail chest, midline shift on the CT, leaking CF from both ears, no respiratory effort.... Very sick kid, we patched her up best we could and she was transfered to the nearest PICU no one expected her to survive, rang up a week later and she was extubated, talking and having physio for a mild left sided weakness. Made all involved proud to have saved that little girls life.
Also a daughter of a friend bought in with meningicocal septicemia, did all we could in ER and took her to ICU. When I took mum up to ICU 5 minutes later walked in and they were doing CPR on the child. Left mum with ITU staff, walked into the corridoor outside the ICU and totally lost it. Cried and cried, poor visitors walking past thought I had gone mad! Other kind staff member took me back down to the department. What makes me smile is that she is 10 years old now, no ill effects from the whole incident other than a couple of missing fingertips.
Another example that the work we do in the ER really makes that life saving difference!!

[traumaRUs]

Oh Sweetie - those sounds like wonderful stories. My favorite story involves a crib death. I was able to let the mom hold her daughter for about 2 hours after I wrapped her in a warm blanket.

A couple of days later she called me to thank me so much and that she would always remember the kindness - it still makes me teary now and that was several years ago.

[Suesquatch]

One of my residents would follow me around in her wheelchair. I asked her, finally, "Do you just want to be near me?" "Yes. I feel safe when you're here."

[EmerNurse]

I delivered a healthy baby girl (not MINE) - that was a rush and to hear her hollar! <happy sigh>

One just tonite (just got off shift) - young boy in through triage strider, retractions, could hear him trying to breathe all the way down the hall. By the time I left, he was a bouncy sweet 7yr old, no difficulty breathing, off to f/u with his peds doc this AM - gave me the biggest hug.

Gotta love it.

[TazziRN]

Last year a 3-yr-old was sent from the PMD's office with a request for a CT head for poor balance and headache x1 month. Showed a posterior fossa tumor. We flew her out to Stanford and she did well. Earlier this year a man came into the ER with his wife and child. I saw the woman bend over and whisper to the little girl, and she came up to me and gave me a beautific smile and hugged me....it was her!!

Just two days ago I had as a pt a 1-yr-old brought in by parents for constipation, and he had a huge fecal mass lodged at the sphincter. All I did was disimpact the kid, and the parents were so grateful. It more than made up for the rest of the chaos in the ER that day and the ungrateful, whiney families.

[ItsyBitsySpider]

It's funny how we deal with ungrateful, whiney families all day and it only takes one to make it all worth it.

[Victoriakem]

How about being able to actually save a patient who was down in the field? Makes me feel really good to be one back.

[Lurksalot]

Best moment in the ER so far?

A few I will never forget...
...my first hug from a patient
...the time a patient took my hand and said "thank you so much for caring about me today. No one ever believes that I am in pain, it has been going on so long."
...the time I tried to comfort a crying mom who leaned on me and said "you must be a mom, too."

[33-weeker]

Kind of fits...
I was the patient, 4 days postpartum with twins, just about in CHF (long story), came by ambulance (pressure on chest, SOB, etc.) - had to leave my beautiful babies at home with my mom.

I was breastfeeding and about to bust at this point with no babes to nurse. I had asked for a breast pump early on, knowing how lactation needs often get overlooked on other units not familiar with it. Now I was begging for so much as a sterile urine spec. container to hand express into just to get some relief.

My nurse was so kind - she was still nursing her 4 month-old, so she understood. As busy as she was, she managed to get me a breast pump from supply and gave me some milk storage baggies from her own personal stash to last until I could get to the floor. I will never forget her kindness.

[SaderNurse05]

Just two days ago I had as a pt a 1-yr-old brought in by parents for constipation, and he had a huge fecal mass lodged at the sphincter. All I did was disimpact the kid, and the parents were so grateful. It more than made up for the rest of the chaos in the ER that day and the ungrateful, whiney families.[/quote]


This is what I love about you Tazzi ( and all my other nurse friends!). You saw this as an opportunity to really help and felt great about it instead of griping because you had to remove an impaction. I feel (most of the time) it is a privilage to be a nurse. Nurses like you Rock!