Urgent-Nursing Stories Needed!

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Hello!

I am a new member, who is looking for stories of when nurses saved lives, preferrably dramatic ones. I will be using them for a persuasive speech for a speech competition. The goal is to catch my audience's attention and convince them that America needs more nurses. If anyone has some stories that fit this description and would be willing to take the time to share them, I would appreciate it very much. Thanks a lot! :wink2:

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

check out the nursing articles posted on the left side of the screen. There are some gut wrenching tear jerkers in there...

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Thanks for the tip, but I couldn't find any life saving stories - does any one else have any? I would greatly appreciate it if you could take the time to share them - because I need them by this Friday - preferrably Thursday night though. Thanks again!

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No one has ANYTHING???? I know that there are a lot of great, heroic nurses out there, so maybe you know of stories when someone else saved a life. I really need these, so if you could take the time, I would be most grateful!! :nurse:

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

I meant to get back to this thread but forgot, sorry. Here's one story for you.

It was my first week in a new hospital, I had been employed to teach emergency care and resuscitation. I had lots of Emergency experience and had done the ALS course, did quite a bit of resuscitation teaching before but had never actually used the defibrilator in anger.

I was walking through the hospital reception when I heard a staff nurses talking to a man who had collapsed on the floor, "it's alright love, I'll go and get the charge nurse" My first thought was that she was obviously in control so almost passed by, but I did stop and when I looked the man looked really unwell.

I did a quick ABC assessment and discovered that he was in cardiac arrest so called for assistance, a new doctor (it was thier first week) knelt by my side and whispered "what can I do to help, it's my first week and I've not done ALS yet"

I took control, sent the nurse to call the emergency team, got the doc on the chest compressing while I managed the airway and did mouth to mouth (ugh). A passing porter was enlisted to find a resuscitation trolley, he came back really quickly with equipment. I put the defibrillator on and the man was in VF, shocked him 3 times (old guidelines) and continued CPR with the ALS drugs. By this time the emergency team arrived but they let me continue leading, one more shock put him back into sinus (I was so surprised)

We transferred him to the emergency unit and then onto coronary care, it turned out he was a visitor to his daughter in the maternity unit. He spent a little while in CCU then onto the cardiac ward. He was discharged home to his family.

After that I pushed the hospital into having emergency equipment in the reception area, this was done and as far as I know the AED there has been used at least 3 times.

It was an amazing feeling the first time I had every defibrillated in a real emergency and it was succesful. The fact that I personally was responsible for saving that man and allowing him to see his new grand daughter, gave me a real passion for teaching resuscitation

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Here is a little twist. Besides what I already mentioned, if any of you know of places where I could look for more stories like the ones I need, maybe you could post those here also. Thanks a lot!

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Hello - I am not trying to be a bother, but I really do need these nursing stories!! Even if you just have a place where I could look for this kind of thing, that would be great!! Please, if you have saved someone's life or if you know of someone who has, then please contact me or post on this thread!!:nurse: Thanks SSOO much!!!

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