That's kind of how my brain feels today. I guess that's what 3 12's in a row in the ER (when your not used to it) can do to a young student. Luckily I have today off to recoop & then I start some over night shifts tomorrow night. I am sure there will be some interesting things to see in the night shifts over the weekend. I can only imagine.
So far I have been on the non-trauma side of the ER, so I haven't seen any real crazy, hectic emergencies/traumas yet. Not that I wish these things on patients, but I hope this week I will get some of that experience in. I have mostly been seeing a lot of abdominal pains, shortness of breath, psych issues, foreign body in the eye, dizziness, etc. I did get to see a gunshot wound in a 17-year-old's foot. Unfortunately, it had been a few days since he received the wound & he had developed gas gangrene. Yep, he had to have an amputation. Nasty stuff. Why did he wait 2 days to get it treated? I have no idea. A lot times it is due to no insurance & no money. Very sad. Things get worse & it ends up costing more in the long run...no matter who pays for it.
Unfortunately, we also see a lot of people that aren't true emergencies. They could go to an urgent care center or just try to get an appt at a clinic. But a lot of these people don't have insurance, don't have doctors, and don't know what else to do but go to the ER. It's quite sad. It's also frustrating at times b/c then they get all mad that they had to wait for many hours to be seen. Well, it's the ER.....emergency room.....if you don't have a true emergency, you're gonna have to wait. That's the way it is. Don't these people get it?
Anwho, I am enjoying the time in the ER & am already learning a lot. I doubt I'll go into emergency medicine b/c I am not a big fan of working nights or weekends. I would prefer a more 8am-5/6pm M-F type job if I can. But no over nighters for me, please! ;)
7 comments:
Overnights are especially tough on the person working the overnight (i.e. you), but they are also a bit tough on the spouses. That might be another negative against working the ER PA shift to consider.
Weekends? What is that? This is something obscure, no? ? ? I've heard of mythical things such as weekends . . .
As usual I'm hanging on your every word!! So interesting!! An amputation because he waited 2 days? Wow...I never would have thought that would happen. Soooo, gas gangrene is different from....another gangrene?
Feed me I'm hungry! :)
There are different forms of gangrene. Gas gangrene is caused by a bacterial infection from an organism known as Clostridum. A NASTY infection.
Here is some more info on the different types:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gangrene/HQ00737
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangrene
I agree Jen, the long hours & weekend shifts can be tough on the spouse. I am going to try my hardest to end up in a job that will be spouse-friendly. :)
Oops. The organism is Clostridium (not Clostridum).
Me & my typos! ;p
Hey! Um. I have to issue a public apology to you here. . . I was talking amongst some friends of mine when the subject of Al Gore came up. I so believe in the environmental things he's doing (as you know), blah, blah, blah. . . Your post waaa-aay back when was talking about how "not-so-green" he was. Your post didn't p*ss me off, it was the reporter(s) written words that did. Yaddy-yaddy-yadda. . .
Long story short, I ranted. But. I. Am. Wrong. So sorry. In fact, I am so wrong that I feel awfully bad about the response I posted. Please accept my sorry's.
Apparently, Mr. AGore is pretty much exactly the way the reporter portrayed him to be. Hypocritical. In speaking of his Carbon stamp (his is off the chart of a normal person); he says that's okay though b/c he plants trees to make up for it. Huh? You don't get excused b/c you plant a tree. . . The point is to conserve not get out of jail free card b/c you think you make up for it.
Anyway. I am sorry. Insert foot into mouth.
No worries, chica!
I agree that is difficult for us to know if something is true when one reporter writes about something. When you start seeing these stories in multiple places by multiple people (including in places that usually seem to swing left), then you begin to think it is probably true.
Anyway, there were never hurt feelings. No need to apologize! :)
It's disappointing, isn't it?
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