SeaCat
Hey, my Halo is smoking
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2003
- Posts
- 15,378
I came into work this morning and was informed I was to receive a new patient direct from the E.R. I was also informed by the Charge Nurse, (because the R.N. receiving this patient was too busy Jaw Jacking with her friends,) that the patient was stable and oriented times three. (Oriented to Person, Place and Time.)
Well the E.R. Crew dumoped the patient and scooted with the comment of "Have Fun" blowing in their wake. WTF?
I went in and did my assesment. The patient was out of it. Barely consciouse and certainly not oriented. I did my normal Vital Signs and found them off but not frighteningly so. I had a bad feeling though and even though the patient became combatative when she woke up I started a Head to Toe assesment of my own.
She was emaciated, she had bruises both old and new. She had scars I didn't like to see in places that they are uncommon. She also exuded a faint odor.
I did a Blood Sugar level without permission and found it to be at 29. (Normal is between 60 and 120.) Not good. When I saw the Charge Nurse coming down the Hall with the weekend Supervisor and a Doctor I informed her of not only what I had found, but what I suspected and why. The Doctor immediately ordered Blood Tests as well as a hefty dose of Narcan and Glucate.
Within minutes the young woman started coming around. Oh she wasn't happy but she didn't fight us. It turned out she was not only a Diabetic but a Drug User. (Hence the scars between her fingers and toes.)
A short while later her family came in. When they saw me taking care of her they went ballistic. They saw the Doctor and went off on him for having a white male taking care of their family member. The Doctor turned on them and gave them holy hell telling them that it was this "Cracker" (the mildest thing they called me.) who had saved their family members life.
That made me feel good.
Cat
Well the E.R. Crew dumoped the patient and scooted with the comment of "Have Fun" blowing in their wake. WTF?
I went in and did my assesment. The patient was out of it. Barely consciouse and certainly not oriented. I did my normal Vital Signs and found them off but not frighteningly so. I had a bad feeling though and even though the patient became combatative when she woke up I started a Head to Toe assesment of my own.
She was emaciated, she had bruises both old and new. She had scars I didn't like to see in places that they are uncommon. She also exuded a faint odor.
I did a Blood Sugar level without permission and found it to be at 29. (Normal is between 60 and 120.) Not good. When I saw the Charge Nurse coming down the Hall with the weekend Supervisor and a Doctor I informed her of not only what I had found, but what I suspected and why. The Doctor immediately ordered Blood Tests as well as a hefty dose of Narcan and Glucate.
Within minutes the young woman started coming around. Oh she wasn't happy but she didn't fight us. It turned out she was not only a Diabetic but a Drug User. (Hence the scars between her fingers and toes.)
A short while later her family came in. When they saw me taking care of her they went ballistic. They saw the Doctor and went off on him for having a white male taking care of their family member. The Doctor turned on them and gave them holy hell telling them that it was this "Cracker" (the mildest thing they called me.) who had saved their family members life.
That made me feel good.
Cat
