Ugh...bad day at work

Specialties Emergency

Published

Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, PAT/SPU, Urgent Care.

I just needed to post this to help clear my head a little. I don't want to get into too much detail, but we had a young adult code over the weekend and it was so sad. The sig. other was in the room at the time and we worked the patient for about an hour and a half. It almost reminded me of a megacode because we saw several different rhythems and gave so many different meds and even had to defib.

I guess this code was very hard for me to handle afterwards because the patient left behind the sig. other and very young children - it just really broke my heart. I think the only other code that was quite this emotional for me was a peds. code, but that was 3 years ago.

I've been lucky during my years in the ED to have not seen too many peds or young adult codes...but I guess that is why this one affected me so much. Thanks in advance for listening...you guys are great and I knew you would be able to understand.

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:crying2: that is sooo sad.

we never know the whys for many things that happen.

we just have to do our best and turn the rest over to God (or whatever you call your higher power)

((((((hugs))))))

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

:icon_hug: I've been affected like that too at times. I can never tell which ones will get to me, but some do so much more than others. I just let myself grieve, and take comfort in my belief that we will one day meet again....

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Specializes in ER.

I know how you feel...I work in an extremely urban community and in the last 2 weeks we've had 2 pediatric codes...7 year old and a 12 year old, both shot...one died one is still clinging to life...What a world we live in today...Its hard sometimes keeping a clear head knowing that no matter how hard you work and how many lives we may save...It only takes one lost life to bring on such a rush of emotion that you feel like you are helpless...hang in there...

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Young adult codes are indeed sad. Sorry you had a rough day.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Please talk with us or someone else that you trust. I work in a very inner city hospital and we (unfortunately) have pedi codes often. It always is a rough day! Critical Incident Stress Debriefing is never unpopular either. Please take care of yourself - you must do that in order to help others.

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Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, PAT/SPU, Urgent Care.

Thanks for your replies - I knew I could count on you to make me feel better!:) I just hope that this family makes it through - hopefully they have a good support system.

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I just needed to post this to help clear my head a little. I don't want to get into too much detail, but we had a young adult code over the weekend and it was so sad. The sig. other was in the room at the time and we worked the patient for about an hour and a half. It almost reminded me of a megacode because we saw several different rhythems and gave so many different meds and even had to defib.

I guess this code was very hard for me to handle afterwards because the patient left behind the sig. other and very young children - it just really broke my heart. I think the only other code that was quite this emotional for me was a peds. code, but that was 3 years ago.

I've been lucky during my years in the ED to have not seen too many peds or young adult codes...but I guess that is why this one affected me so much. Thanks in advance for listening...you guys are great and I knew you would be able to understand.

I agree with the post code debriefing. You don't need to "carry" this around with you.

I had a 14y/o in the ER who hung himself, and I can't get any of it out of my mind - the smells, sounds, people - everything. That was 8 years ago.

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Yep yep..no matter how tough we may act on the outside, we are still human on the inside (((hugssss))) so sorry you had a bad shift .

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

We all have the one case that we always remember. Mine was from orientation to this ER nine years ago. Like Markjrn, we all have our memories that include sight, sound and smell.

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Specializes in NICU.

I am so so sorry that this happened. But I thank you for posting about this.

I'm still a student and during my ED rotation a couple of months ago .... they brought a woman in, 39 years old, she had a seizure and fell out of bed, was in a-fib when the medics arrived. They brought her into the ED, CPR in progress .... that was the first time I'd ever seen anything like that. They actually let us do chest compressions. She ended up dying, and then the doctor had to go tell her 18 year old daughter, that was waiting in the waiting room. The nurses just all seemed like it was no big deal .... our instructors pulled us out afterwards to talk about it, we were all crying. I was just thinking how terribly sad, because she was young and her poor daughter.

Again, thank you for sharing this here with us. BIG HUGS for you :icon_hug:

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Raindreamer - the way the ER nurses reacted wasn't callousness on their part - it is a coping measure. It helps us to tolerate more sadness than people should sometimes endure. I know that earlier this year, we had 3 pediatric traumatic arrests within an 18 hour period. To the outside world (we are a teaching hospital and have loads of students) it would seem we were pretty cool and collected. However, we all grieve in our own ways - just because we don't cry (at least publicly) it doesn't mean that we don't feel bad. I hope that you pursue ER nursing - it can be very rewarding.

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