http://ellye.vox.com/library/posts/page/1/ tales from a crazy nightshift ER nurse en Vox Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:01:49 -0800 Copyright 2009 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/oh-right-thats-why-i-do-this.html?_c=feed-rss nobody@vox.com(Becky) http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/oh-right-thats-why-i-do-this.html?_c=feed-rss http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/oh-right-thats-why-i-do-this.html?_c=feed-rss Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:01:49 -0800 It's been a long few weeks, and it seems like it doesn't matter how much sleep I get - I'm still exhausted. Good thing I don't work five in a row anymore. I think I would've totally lost it. A few nights ago, I was in the yellow zone, which has a... <p style="clear:both;"> <a href="http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/oh-right-thats-why-i-do-this.html?_c=feed-rss#comments">Read and post comments</a> | <a href="http://www.vox.com/share/6a00ccff8bb774673101240b7e0c38860e?_c=feed-rss">Send to a friend</a> </p> http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/you-thought-i-forgot-didnt-you.html?_c=feed-rss nobody@vox.com(Becky) http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/you-thought-i-forgot-didnt-you.html?_c=feed-rss http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/you-thought-i-forgot-didnt-you.html?_c=feed-rss Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:09:17 -0800 I started to get all worked up because of all the stories I was forgetting to tell by not blogging regularly, but then I realized that even if I did miss a bunch of good opportunities, it doesn't matter, because there will always be more. People a... <p style="clear:both;"> <a href="http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/you-thought-i-forgot-didnt-you.html?_c=feed-rss#comments">Read and post comments</a> | <a href="http://www.vox.com/share/6a00ccff8bb774673101240b7a32cb860e?_c=feed-rss">Send to a friend</a> </p> http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/emergency-or-non-emergency.html?_c=feed-rss nobody@vox.com(Becky) http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/emergency-or-non-emergency.html?_c=feed-rss http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/emergency-or-non-emergency.html?_c=feed-rss Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:19:43 -0700 Sometimes, on the really long nights, everything runs together. I walk out having forgotten half my patients, and I get confused as to what happened which night. It almost always feels like more than twelve hours pass in any given night. Of cours... <p style="clear:both;"> <a href="http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/emergency-or-non-emergency.html?_c=feed-rss#comments">Read and post comments</a> | <a href="http://www.vox.com/share/6a00ccff8bb77467310123ddb6eda5860b?_c=feed-rss">Send to a friend</a> </p> http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/didnt-know-you-could-do-that-with-nitro-paste.html?_c=feed-rss nobody@vox.com(Becky) http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/didnt-know-you-could-do-that-with-nitro-paste.html?_c=feed-rss http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/didnt-know-you-could-do-that-with-nitro-paste.html?_c=feed-rss Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:09:12 -0700 While working on the floor, I noticed a trend. Each nurse seemed to attract a certain type of patient. One always got young patients with drug problems, another always got patients with somewhat disgusting conditions, and somebody else seemed to g... <p style="clear:both;"> <a href="http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/didnt-know-you-could-do-that-with-nitro-paste.html?_c=feed-rss#comments">Read and post comments</a> | <a href="http://www.vox.com/share/6a00ccff8bb77467310123dddead60860d?_c=feed-rss">Send to a friend</a> </p> http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/recap.html?_c=feed-rss nobody@vox.com(Becky) http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/recap.html?_c=feed-rss http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/recap.html?_c=feed-rss Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:40:34 -0700 In the week since I've blogged, here's what I didn't get around to posting... Patient with a potassium of 1.4. EKG looked like crap. Didn't know that was compatible with life. Apparently it took more than 100 mEq IV potassium to get it up to 3.5,... <p style="clear:both;"> <a href="http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/recap.html?_c=feed-rss#comments">Read and post comments</a> | <a href="http://www.vox.com/share/6a00ccff8bb77467310123dddeaa5d860d?_c=feed-rss">Send to a friend</a> </p> http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/just-keep-smiling.html?_c=feed-rss nobody@vox.com(Becky) http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/just-keep-smiling.html?_c=feed-rss http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/just-keep-smiling.html?_c=feed-rss Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:55:38 -0700 Last night, I braved my first solo night in triage. Triage is always, well, interesting, because of the people you talk to and the stories you hear. You have to sort through all the information, decide what's pertinent, summarize it in a small bo... <p style="clear:both;"> <a href="http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/just-keep-smiling.html?_c=feed-rss#comments">Read and post comments</a> | <a href="http://www.vox.com/share/6a00ccff8bb774673101240b6d9077860e?_c=feed-rss">Send to a friend</a> </p> http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/code-brown.html?_c=feed-rss nobody@vox.com(Becky) http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/code-brown.html?_c=feed-rss http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/code-brown.html?_c=feed-rss Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:38:28 -0700 So last night I took over orange at eleven. Fortunately, the black hole of death room only had two patients, and both were quite pleasant. Even if they were somewhat sick. I didn't realize how sick one was, though, until I checked a blood pressur... <p style="clear:both;"> <a href="http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/code-brown.html?_c=feed-rss#comments">Read and post comments</a> | <a href="http://www.vox.com/share/6a00ccff8bb77467310123f1703663860f?_c=feed-rss">Send to a friend</a> </p> http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/oops.html?_c=feed-rss nobody@vox.com(Becky) http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/oops.html?_c=feed-rss http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/oops.html?_c=feed-rss Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:48:43 -0700 Earlier this morning, while writing my previous post, I encountered an untimely computer error that resulted in me getting pissed off and going to bed, and my post getting posted unfinished. Now that I fixed it, though, you should go back and read... <p style="clear:both;"> <a href="http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/oops.html?_c=feed-rss#comments">Read and post comments</a> | <a href="http://www.vox.com/share/6a00ccff8bb77467310123ddd779da860d?_c=feed-rss">Send to a friend</a> </p> http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/the-green-zone-strikes-again.html?_c=feed-rss nobody@vox.com(Becky) http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/the-green-zone-strikes-again.html?_c=feed-rss http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/the-green-zone-strikes-again.html?_c=feed-rss Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:02:06 -0700 After last night, I'd say it definitely has to be a full moon, or close to it. It was an odd night to say the least, but the green zone was hopping. All the regular hall beds were full with people actually needing psych evals (as opposed to the d... <p style="clear:both;"> <a href="http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/the-green-zone-strikes-again.html?_c=feed-rss#comments">Read and post comments</a> | <a href="http://www.vox.com/share/6a00ccff8bb77467310123f16d5a1d860f?_c=feed-rss">Send to a friend</a> </p> http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/first-things-first.html?_c=feed-rss nobody@vox.com(Becky) http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/first-things-first.html?_c=feed-rss http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/first-things-first.html?_c=feed-rss Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:31:27 -0700 To all our motorcycle patients from last night: Thank you, thank you, thank you for wearing your helmets! You have no idea how much easier this makes life for us, and how much better it makes your life after an accident. True, maybe you didn't m... <p style="clear:both;"> <a href="http://ellye.vox.com/library/post/first-things-first.html?_c=feed-rss#comments">Read and post comments</a> | <a href="http://www.vox.com/share/6a00ccff8bb77467310123ddabc969860b?_c=feed-rss">Send to a friend</a> </p>