I survived

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I have officially finished orientation in the ER and last night was my very first shift all by myself as well as my first night. I survived but it was an interesting and at points very scary. It was scary when my patient's O2 monitor started beeping because she wasn't breathing. I tried shaking her, saying "wake up!" (no response). I yelled it and shook harder (no response) O2 Sat now 62........ "Can I get some help in here!" I give her a brutal sternal rub and nothing! I'm freeking out, thinking to myself "Seriously? On my very first shift alone?

"Don't let my patient crap out on me!" She's unresponsive. I do 3 more sternal rubs.....nothing. I grab the O2 mask and put it on and then....

My amazing wonderful tech comes in and does another sternal rub and the pt. wakes up from her deep drunken coma "bi*@$! that hurts!" Sigh of relief! She proceeded to do that 4 or 5 more times throughout the night.

My other patient was found by police and brought in by EMS because she was walking along the road in an intoxicated state of psychosis. She was also a transvestite......

Oh my she was a character. She spent her night flirting with our security guards and singing Brittney Spears "Toxic" and asking me ridiculous questions. She was apparently having a hilarious conversation with the voices in her head. She also asked me if I was ever a stripper and kept yelling about black, I mean African American .... um..... male appendages. Only in the ER.

On a side note: my sister is spoon feeding me cookies and cream ice cream. Gotta go!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

You survived a first nite in acute care! You go! So happy for you!!

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Specializes in Emergency.

It took me a while to realize how hard you really have to sternal rub the drunks to wake them. Lol

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Specializes in Hospice.
It took me a while to realize how hard you really have to sternal rub the drunks to wake them. Lol

Yeah, a float nurse recently did a sternal rub on one of my patients because she was having a lethargic, don't bother me day. When I heard about it, the explanation was that she didn't know she was a Hospice patient, the family member that was there (not the POA) said she was a full code, and the nurse took her word for it. Started an IV and called 911, too. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and she didn't go anywhere.

Poor woman had a bruise on her chest the size of a fist for over a week. I was not amused.

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