Anyone watch ER thursday?

ginger58, ASN, RN · Oct 2, 2006

Anyone watch ER thursday night? Luka and Abby's son was born prematurely and in the NICU. I liked it for the most part, except when the nurse blew off Abby's bipolar mother about the baby getting sicker and OF COURSE the baby ended up being really sick. Any thoughts? t.

For being a NICU they didn't look like they had adequate staffing. And the nurse that blew off Sally Fields probably shouldn't be working in NICU! If you don't respond to an alarm and look at the sat and the baby...

P_RN, ADN, RN · Oct 2, 2006

I thought I had blinked twice and all of a sudden this sick premie was home and being fed? And Abby must have had one heck of an epidural to bleed out, watch her hx and then chat w/ Luka in PACU as if everything was just peachy keen.

The nurses are practically non existant on ER, but Abby WAS a nurse. Sam actually did save Luka's life when the bad guys hit him with the Sux. But then her storyline went down the tube too. And then SHE needed rescuing by her rich employer....I forgot his name.....chatting up the DA.

t2000JC · Oct 3, 2006

It's just that nurses are so present in the hospital, and we don't always see that..and where are the respiratory therapists, btw? Anyway, please feel free to write to the producers via the link; they won't care/change unless they know people are noticing..t.

Sweeper933 · Oct 5, 2006

I'm glad that I'm not the only person who was bothered by that whole situation! Not to mention, that when they would show far away shots of the baby in the isolette... the isolette wasn't even turned on...

While we're on the subject of NICUs on TV... what does everybody think about how they're portryed on Grays' Anatomy???

I had SO many issues regarding the quint episodes last season... Once again, the isoletts were never turned on, they babies were transported from the DR to the NICU in isoletts... not transporters. Docs/nurses/mom would open the whole side of the isolette instead of using the portholes, and would then leave w/ the door still open (they have fixed this problem this season - they showed Addison actually using the portholes). As sick as some of those babies were, they would NEVER be in isolettes - they would be on radiant warmers for easy access. They showed the docs intubating one of the babies (for just 1 apneic spell mind you) from the side. There would never be "regular" surgeons operating on these babies, they would have peds do it (i know this was for the purpose of the show... but still...). And then there was the cardiac kid... Once they realized the extent of her heart issues (hyperplastic left vent...) and informed the parents of the situation, and the parents knew that she wasn't going to make it. there's NO WAY that she still would have been a full code. I know that on the show, Addison was trying to teach Izzie a lesson - but still! You would NEVER put a baby in that condition through all that (unless it's what the parents wanted of course...). Why make the poor baby suffer???!!! That really bothered me the most.

Fortunately, the show seems to be doing better on this area this season...

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Oct 6, 2006

What bothered me the most was how LOUD Sally Field's character was in the NICU. I would have had to take her down a notch. Loud, paranoid families belong in the waiting room. She probably gave a few of those "fake" babies a Grade III bleed!

RTreformed · Oct 7, 2006

how funny, i've just started watching the E.R. seasons recently, and it cracks me up, the way they bag people, its like they are trying to see how fast they can squeeze the bag... or the way pts come in on NRB, and they are like "O2, 15L by mask", i just laugh, im like "yeah, 15L by mask, 40L by mask, its 100% regardless", and the bag is always deflated, and all you see is condensation on the inside, i mean come on, just hook it up to AIR and it would look better... or the way all you ever hear is "call respiratory, tell them to set up a vent" never see one, just set up the vent... but, i try not to pay attention to that stuff, i just try to enjoy the storylines...

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Oct 7, 2006

I started ranting about the HOB being elevted and lack of proper care being given....DS (culinary student)told me to be quiet only a medical show and not real life.

Told him, when he gets upset at TV show with bad cooking demo, mis-stating product ingredient, don't want HIM to get upset either.

Accuracy in healthcare is VITAL; cooking can get away with it. He almost has to muzzle me when we watch the show together anymore.

psalm, RN · Oct 7, 2006

...my engineer husband gets a kick out of my correcting or editing ER and Gray's Anatomy. But then when we see anything with nuclear power or nuclear subs he will have a running commentary on what is and isn't factual. And don't get him started on Tom Clancy books!

...I haven't seen any nurses identified in GA's operating room, rarely see nurses, altho there is the Olivia, and the black male nurse, never see RTs or aides. Oh well, and I never found someone else's panties in my husband's possession!

Danianne · Oct 11, 2006

I agree er can be silly HOWEVER my son was a 27 weeker and i had NUMEROUS nurses turn off othe monitor and tell me the probe wasn't picking up.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2006

I agree er can be silly HOWEVER my son was a 27 weeker and i had NUMEROUS nurses turn off othe monitor and tell me the probe wasn't picking up.

But this nurse didn't even glance at the baby, just turned off the monitor.

Yes, we do often turn off the alarm and say it wasn't picking up. The pulse oximiter probe needs to feel a steady pulse to pick up well and if the baby is kicking around it won't pick up for a few seconds. We can tell by looking at the monitor for a few seconds whether it's picking up - there is a wave form that should be nice and even, and if it's not, it means the probe isn't picking up the pulse. Plus some monitors also give a heart rate from the probe, and if it doesn't match what the EKG leads are picking up, it's another clue that it's not picking up. Above all, though, we LOOK AT THE BABY! If the baby is pink, we know it's not picking up a real desaturaion, period.

This particular nurse on ER acted more annoyed than anything and just hit the monitor without a glance at the baby or even a few seconds to study the monitor. That's why we all got annoyed!

Danianne · Oct 16, 2006

I realize that they didn't even look that is what I am talking about we had this funny cover on the isolette that covered the whole bed like a bird cage cover. HOWEVER it was only two or three nurses that did this and DS was on two babies to one nurse assignment. I agree that it is not a good thing to do and I also realize that MOST would die if they saw a co-worker do this.