darne20

Two weeks after an uneventful T&A as an adult, I returned to my job as an airline pilot (weekend hospital pharmacist); while approaching an internatinal airport I felt my nose dripping...didn't realize that I had been bleeding and dripping down my throat (tasted funny) for quite some time...I didn't even feel my necktie and shirt soaked in blood until I turned to my First Officer and saw the horrified look on her face. It looked like I had been shot. No big deal, we landed (cockpit door closed so as not to scare the passangers).....I then started to barf up blood clots the size of golf balls and it was totally gross. I grabbed a big paper cup to catch the blood and deplaned. I continued to swallow and barf up blotted blood for hours before we could find a doc to do an anterior pack and I ended up as an inpatient overnight. Totally gross since it was me.

I'm not a nurse, actually an airline pilot and every other weekend hospital pharmacist..........last weekend, I was the pharmacist-in-charge (whatever that means, and one of our pharmacist's (a Ph.D candidate, not a PharmD.) dispensed MS contin 100mg tabs instead of the 30mg tags ordered to a nursing home and they gave a bunch of them (via NG tube) to a resident..Somehow we caught the error (a few minutes AFTER the nursing home had administered the 100mg tablets).....I called and told them of the error and a fast-thinking nurse used a Toomey syringe to suck the incorrent tabs right back out, undissolved....thank God for that nurse! my hands were shaking on the phone and I probably needed new underwear (sorry, I'm 55 and flying an Airbus is less stressful that healthcare)..............keep med errors to a minimum, but they happen,,,,,,,,,,,I probably have made far more than I know... I was a patient and got sent home with a hickman catheter for IV antibiotics (spinal infection)....I kept working and was discharged with heparin 10,000units/ml (sub-Q) heparin rather than the 100 unit/ml lock flush that I was supposed to use. The VNA made a mistake....consequences? none....i told the nurse who made the error to forget it; the vials of heparin look similar and she won;t do it again..I'm still glad she was my nurse, med error or not..don;t be too hard on yourself and administrators: seek to minimize the errors, but don;t hurt anyone's career...we are all human

The word "hazing" caught my eye. My undergraduate training was at West Point (long ago) and hazing was an art form there. Physical and mental. It was phased out in the 1970's because it was mean-spirited and degrading. Why anyone would tolerate hazing in a CRNA program, I do not know. Up until recently, I thought CRNA's were nurses posing as MDA's with a very watered-down education; I always wanted an MDA for my own surgeries. I now understand that the CRNA's have an important role in anesthesia. My suggestion to any medical professional who is being hazed: notify the authorities. It's illegal. If anyone hazed the CRNA doing my case, I would offer to apply my size 10 combat boot to the offending person's butt.

Thanks for the info; I tried max doses of oral benzo's, but it didn't help. I don't do IV sedation, although the MRA facility offered it. My pain was so bad, I just had the exam. When I got there, they had a CRNA and sedation ready. I didn't want amnesia from benzos (Versed) and told them that I would try the MRA without anything. I guess that I'm a control freak. When I offered to pay cash for the CRNA (since whe was called in to do nothing), she declined to accept my payment. When I freaked out before the MIrI even started, the nurse told me to relax and "I will get you though this" Yeah, right! But she was right. Te CRNA covered my face with a wet washcloth and after I went into the tube, she held my foot (sticking out from the machine) and kept reassuring me.. and kept reminding me that she had a syringe full of a sedative in case things got crazy. Having someone there and reassuring me made all the difference!

I'm a clinical pharmacist (weekends), a reserve Air Forse officer and an airline pilot by profession. Many have asked me to pee tp prove my innocence. Recently, the hospital where I have worked (part-time) for 25 years "requested" a random durg test for everyone inclusing me. I told the MRO that I would submit a sample if she )an MD) helt the cup in her teeth...sorry to be graphic.....so I assumed i was fired. I have Harrington rods in my back and take an occasional benzo/naco if needed. Bottom line: if you have a script, no problem. You do not have to release any medical info (why you are taking the rx or how often) for employment.........give your prescriber a letter to release that you are on a drug, nothing more.......................oh, and my situation was resolved; the doc who prescribed my drugs had a hissy fit and told the hospital that captain x was on drug Y and thats all you are going to get...................I don't want to work with druggies, but this testing nonesense is really nonesense

I'm hoping to get some help here. I'm 54, an airline pilot, and a former clinical pharmacist (who has received great answers here)..I was NEVER claustrophobic; I spent many happy years in the confines of a fighter cockpit and actually felt safe in confined spaces. 30 years and 2 wars later, I freaked out like a lunitic during a recent attempt at a spinal MRI; needs to be the closed type...I'm 5'10. 160 and in great health......I totally freaked out and could not do the test..triedthe wet towel over my face, 3 martinis beforehand and it only got worse. any suggestions? I feel like an idiot,,,,,,,,,,

I wanted to reply to this old thread because I just got back from having my second ulnar nerve/trans CTR done and this time I was able to have the CRNA/MDA, no sedation, Bier Block only issues settled in advance. For the first operation, the MDA had a total hissy-fit when I told him that I didn't want sedation or GA and put this on the consent (my experience is that a verbal agreement means little); so my surgeon suggested skipping the MDA and going with the CRNA. Unlike the MDA, the CRNA had read my chart in advance and knew what I wanted and didn't want (sedation makes these procedures intolerable for me)......and we didn't have to argue about it, which would have raised my BP and made the block less effective. I though that the procedure went well; the CRNA mentioned that I must be uncomfortable since I was all sweaty, but that was by choice. In the RR, the surgeon ordered Toradol and before I could object, the CRNA said quite loudly: "no, he's not kidding about his allergies; the last time he got Toradol he ended up in the ER with a GI bleed and got IV H2-blockers"....I like that CRNA;I'm sending her a letter of appreciation, at least, even though she thinks that I'm nuts for declining the sedation.

thanks-redfaced and sweating was an accurate description, but the pain was preferable to getting so-called "conscious sedation" that I didn't consent to. Some patients like propofol; I hate it. I did my Ph.D. thesis on propofol, so I know a little about it...it's the creepiest most dysphoric sensation that I can imagine.........administered by someone whom you trust is one thing; when they try to administer a drug that you do not consent to-that's another...................

thanks for the info-redface and sweating (SOAKED)

Thanks TXCRNA-Due to a cancellation I was able to get the surgery done this morningn and I did go with the status qood (good suggestion). The only rough spot was when I reminded them that this was supposed to be a Bier Block without sedation (because of a really horrible previous experience with C/S); they basically ignored this until just before the surgery then mentioned as I was entering the O.R. that this may or may not be what they were going to do despite our previous discussion. That is until I mentioned I specified on the consent no sedation or GA bier block only; this resulted in a brief heated exchange (the MD who agreed to the no sedation part was not present)...to prevent cancelling the surgery, the anesthesiologist agreed to do the block without sedation but added that if I declined sedation that I couldn't get any painkiller (I agreed but it seemed a little one-sided to me)...after talking to my surgeon the anesthesiologist departed never to return (not sure why he left, but the CRNA said that the no sedation/no painkiller ultimatum was stupid) and she and the surgeon did the case (32 minutes). The bier block worked fairly well, but my heightened BP from the "preop discussion" prevented the block from being as effective as it could have been, but the surgery did get done. So the CRNA was an effective patient advocate (she offered fentanyl when I was less stoic about the cuff pain, but I survived without it). The anesthesiologist was not. When I have to have the other arm done, I'm asking for the same CRNA if possible. My only criticism is that despite resolving the sedation days in advance, the anesthesiologist tries a "power play" 5 minutes before surgery to change my mind. Fortunately I had 2 things on my side: I specified no sedation on the consent and a CRNA who had no problem with standing up to an anesthesiologist who was clearly trying to ignore my wishes. There is nothing like having a real patient advocate on your side and the CRNA was clearly mine.

I was wrong to think that I would be better off with the anesthesiologist rather than a CRNA. I just finished separate meetings with the anesthesiologist and the supervising CRNA to determine how to proceed. My surgeon's advice was poor. The anesthesia MD is a mere figurehead; the CRNA's are knowledgeable and a lot more honest.

Thanks for the replies; this is more complicated that I had originally thought. Since the re-do will be elbow/wrist surgery with a Bier Block and the "problems" arose from the "conscious sedation" I'm thinking that I'll just request the procedure without any sedation and that will eliminate the anesthesia issue except for the block. Do CRNA's do Bier Blocks? I have been checking out several facilities; one wants to schedule a CNRA and an anesthesiologist (block and sedation, which I'm now going to skip)..is using 2 providers normal? Thanks.

I have documented med allergies to 2 meds and the CRNA gave me both.....30 years as a hospital pharmacist tells me that this happens; there would have been a difference if I had a MD provider: the CRNA admited that she made the error; I wonder if a physician would have been so forthcoming...still I'm scared of ever having anesthesia again......the MD's that I know have a high opinion of CRNA's; but want a MD doing the anesthesia when THEY have surgery................not sure of what to think of this.

Thanks, that's what I needed to know. I recently had surgery and there was an anesthesia problem; the surgeon suggested that I should make sure that I have a anesthesiologist when we reschedule not a CRNA like we had the first time. I'm guessing that an anesthesiologist could have made the same error that the CRNA made.

Apply for the job and be honest about something that happened in the past. It was a mistake; they happen every day in hospitals and sometimes every hour...making mistakes happens to everyone, it's what you do after a mistake happens that counts. I'm a hospital pharmacist and have hired (dozens) of technicians, pharmacists, an RN or 2, several MBA's and even a lawyer...anybody with any experience has made mistakes, just not everyone has been caught. Firing someone for charting on the wrong chart is just plain wrong-minded; I'm not saying that it wasn't serious, but I think that most employers would listen to your explanation; tell the truth but don't dwell on it. Your biggest handicap is that you haven't worked as a nurse for 8 1/2 years; you might consider taking even a part-time nursing job then apply for a specialized job like L&D. Good luck.