24 hours in the ER will teach you some things

[Texas42]

I recently completed a 24 hour shift in the ER emergency trama pit from 6am sat to 6 am sunday. Though the shift, I learned alot.

1. Food is an optional thing that should be scarfed down whenever you have a spare minute.
2. If you don't have time to drink anything, you don't have to worry about going to the bathroom either. . . .though you feel like crap.
3. Motercyles are dangerous things. I'm not getting on one.
4. Seatbelts are the way to go.
5. Having a shotgun explode in you hands can lead to some really cool wounds (whenever a medical student says you have a "cool" wound/disease, it usualy means rare, dangerous, or severe. Not something you want.)
6. Drunk people do some interesting things . . . and are usually a lot nicer when they have sobered up.
7. There are people who are in pain, and people who are in pain.
8. Probably the most inportant one. I don't ever want to go the Emergency trauma at any hospital. Basically, you'll be surounded by ~8 people, who are in turn surrounded by another dozen, who will be yelling questions at you, cutting your cloths off (all of them), poking you with needles/IV's/chest tubes/endotrachial tubes/ feeling pulses . . . at least 6 different ones on both sides, irradiated with a chest xray, CT of head/neck/chest/abdomen.

Not much fun for the patients, but I will admit, it was exciting.

 

[kurt]

Go find some paramedics and observe these same people in their natural habitat. After 20 years on the streets I was amazed half of the population can even dress themselves in the morning. Then I found out they don't even wake up until after noon. ER's are not our best window on knowledge or common sense. Circumventing Darwin only leads to more of the same.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Go find some paramedics and observe these same people in their natural habitat. After 20 years on the streets I was amazed half of the population can even dress themselves in the morning. Then I found out they don't even wake up until after noon. ER's are not our best window on knowledge or common sense. Circumventing Darwin only leads to more of the same.

Many oxygen thieves out there. When I am in the ER with a prisoner or otherwise I like to snoop around and see who is in there for what. There are some ridiculous things I see.

Also, motorcycles are cool but the quickest way to have your legs amputated or get to eat through a straw. No thanks.

 

[Greg_TX]

Also, motorcycles are cool but the quickest way to have your legs amputated or get to eat through a straw. No thanks.

Part of my contribution to society is being a registered organ donor that rides a sport bike. Y'all can thank me later... maybe.

(my guardian angel wants either early retirement or faster wings)

 

[kurt]

Also, motorcycles are cool but the quickest way to have your legs amputated or get to eat through a straw. No thanks.

I've been riding for 30 years, so I'm part of the problem on that count.

 

[TexasR.N.]

I recently completed a 24 hour shift in the ER emergency trama pit from 6am sat to 6 am sunday. Though the shift, I learned alot.

1. Food is an optional thing that should be scarfed down whenever you have a spare minute.
2. If you don't have time to drink anything, you don't have to worry about going to the bathroom either. . . .though you feel like crap.
3. Motercyles are dangerous things. I'm not getting on one.
4. Seatbelts are the way to go.
5. Having a shotgun explode in you hands can lead to some really cool wounds (whenever a medical student says you have a "cool" wound/disease, it usualy means rare, dangerous, or severe. Not something you want.)
6. Drunk people do some interesting things . . . and are usually a lot nicer when they have sobered up.
7. There are people who are in pain, and people who are in pain.
8. Probably the most inportant one. I don't ever want to go the Emergency trauma at any hospital. Basically, you'll be surounded by ~8 people, who are in turn surrounded by another dozen, who will be yelling questions at you, cutting your cloths off (all of them), poking you with needles/IV's/chest tubes/endotrachial tubes/ feeling pulses . . . at least 6 different ones on both sides, irradiated with a chest xray, CT of head/neck/chest/abdomen.

Not much fun for the patients, but I will admit, it was exciting.

You forgot to add checking rectal tone.
I couldn't agree more about seat belts, and I would add helmets for those who ride.
Definitely not a boring environment to work in.

Part of my contribution to society is being a registered organ donor that rides a sport bike. Y'all can thank me later... maybe.

If there's anything left to donate.

In 3 short years in Level I & II facilities I am at the point that nothing surprises me anymore. Well, maybe how stupid some parents are. Really, your kid has been running a 104.9 fever and you didn't give them anything for it? Your child got into a box of rat poison and you waited 2 1/2 hours before seeking medical attention? I won't even start with the physical / sexual abuse we see done to the kiddos.

In closing, parents......Tylenol is not a vaccine. You have to / can give it more than once to control fever.

Craig

 

[txinvestigator]

Cops can be pretty cold folks. The only people I met who were more cold than cops were the ER/trauma folks. Good people, but don't much gets to 'em. lol

 

[West Texas]

A ER doc friend of mine and I get together evey now and then and I get to hear about some of the more "entertaining" "cool" stuff as well as the stuff that just makes you go "OMG they did WHAT with a gerbil, a string, a paper towel tube, some butane and a lighter?????"

(hint - think potatoe gun...)

 

[Texas42]

You forgot to add checking rectal tone.
I couldn't agree more about seat belts, and I would add helmets for those who ride.
Definitely not a boring environment to work in.

Why ruind ALL the suprises?

 

[TexasR.N.]

Cops can be pretty cold folks. The only people I met who were more cold than cops were the ER/trauma folks. Good people, but don't much gets to 'em. lol

True, very true.

Why ruin ALL the surprises?

My bad, you're right. Some things should be left in the "unexpected column", much like the phrase "foley catheter".

So any chance of you becoming an ER doc?
I did one year post CABG and then went to the ER. With the exception of a cath lab, I can't imagine not working in the ER. I am no "trauma junky', I just like the challenges and surprises that show up. If I have to spend 12 - 16 hours at work I might as well spend it somewhere interesting.

Craig

 

[Texasjack]

1. Motorcycles are fun to ride.
2. There is a reason EMTs refer to them as "Donorcycles".

That pretty much covers it.

 

[4x4kayak2112]

im a paramedic student, and man the ER is pretty cool, but you wanna see some really cool stuff ride with the emts on a 911 service.

 

[Sid]

1. Motorcycles are fun to ride.
2. There is a reason EMTs refer to them as "Donorcycles".

That pretty much covers it.

Yep. I've rode one, crashed, recovered, rode another one, then got serious about life and sold it.

During my rider's class, the instructor said to us, "There are two types of motorcycle riders. Those who have crashed and those who haven't crashed yet."

 

[swsmailman]

I currently work at a hospital in radiology and spend a lot of time dealing with the ER and I must say that ER's are sometimes a very entertaining environment.

A current running joke where i work is that you go from graduating RN school straight into the ER, stay there a bit then go to ICU, after another couple of years you head up to regular floors, then you finally end up in either the rehab hospital or one of the "specialty" hospitals where you finally give up all hope and don't care anymore.
But a good part about that joke is that their are some extremely beautiful women that work in the ER where I work. (Not so much on the other floors)

One thing you learn to do is identify the "frequent flyer" that is there for some pills.

And for the soon to be Doc (I assume) a CT is not the answer for everything.