Tuesday, November 4
tough luckmy first night on halloween was bad, 2 events left me fairly traumatized that night and led to the need to write up a memo for the mistakes made. Which i've been've trying to learn to forget and move on. As a colleague puts it, i'll learn from there. but 4 admissions, 2 transfers. I made 2 of the transfers, one to far away island kent ridge wing. And accepted 2 cases as well.
I had a sleeping day following that night and was called up to replace another colleague on sunday. It was a slightly less busy shift, but, unfortunately this particular patient had collapsed twice and he eventually passed on..had our fair share of admissions. My admission at 5am in the morning however, was basically filling up documents and making calls to arrange for a coroner's case for my patient.
And just when i thought the past 2 nights were bad.
I'm starting to feel like i'm a jinx when it comes to me doing night shifts. Like some of my colleagues have put it.
And so, LAST NIGHT, which i'm still pretty exhausted from has indefinitely redefined the word stress.
I started the shift with a very heavy intubated with IABP case. She was rather ill and required very frequent hanging of drips and replacement medications as her serum pottassium and calcium levels were low. She was on basically 6 running medications at handover and of course there were routine bloods and the standard nursing care i had to provide for her as an intubated patient.
I also had another patient, who was your typical post angiogram STABLE patient UNTIL, he decided to code on me. And all hail the almighty e-cart. The next 2 hours was spent stabilizing him, intubating him, running inotropic support, inserting the necessary lines and what not.
Hours later, he was found to be severely acidotic, and anuric. And the decision was made to carry out dialysis.
I freaked out, well not that i'm afraid of the dialysis machine, but it meant a very busy night ahead. Considering the fact that the unit already had numerous admissions! And my patient had just added to the acuity of the unit.
Dialysis meant that another line had to be inserted, trained staff had to be roped in to help initiate dialysis. I had wanted to assist in the entire scrubbing process, but when my other intubated patient's Blood pressure was crashing on me, i really did'nt have any fucking choice!
And top the night up with a few blood samplings, low blood pressures with both my intubated patients, together with regular infusions, advanced and basic nursing care..ecetera. I was literally running around for 14 hours, even post shift. The chance to break was almost unthought of and the moment i stepped out of the ward, i felt like i had just run a marathon.
Call it disgusting or whatever you want, i gulped down my breakfast at home and slept immediately after.
I'm glad i'll be off for 2 days. And i thank all my colleagues for helping me and encouraging me throughout the night.
It was very much needed..i'm extremely grateful.
I hope my upcoming night shifts will be less eventful. I seriously need to feel like luck is STILL always at my side on night shifts.
Whatever it is, i survived the night! And i think it has given me the strength to overcome more that'll come my way.
All i need right now, is theinesh s/o packirisamy. probably the only one who can make me feel a little more sane and sort out all my mixed feelings. Frankly i'm still trying to get over the events on my first night..and of course last night.
Till then..
Cheerios!
P.S: CRIT CARE IS STILL ♥♥♥♥♥
(:
impulsively and honestly,
yours truly
3:33 PM
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