Saturday, March 03, 2007
Breath of life?
This week our lab class culminated in the mother of all nursing skills: the "Code". You know, the flatliners, the"GET THE CRASH CART!", stay-away-from-the-light, live-goddamnit Code. Each week since our very first semester, we learn a new, more exciting nursing skill. Our first day of last year: Sponge Baths. Our Last-day-of-lab-ever: Life saving. {Much to the chagrin of many, I'm sure, we never had the lab on "naughty nurses".} Admittedly, one of this week's highlights was to actually yell, "CLEAR!", put the paddles to the mannequin and fake like you THWUMPed him. How very "ER"-sans-Clooney of us.
Before our lab class started this, our last week, I was sitting out in the hall with one of my lab partners. We've been fairly inseparable since our Summer clinical and she's always good for a very good laugh. We were discussing the "Code" and what we would have to be performing for our "test out" to pass the skill.
My lab partner went a little silent, a little reflective. "You know what scares me most about a REAL code?" she said to me. I didn't. "I'm afraid that while I'm giving the patient chest compressions that I might fart."
My immediate, cover-your-ass response? "Blame it on the patient. Say you pushed it out of him. Besides, you should insist that everyone operate on the "smelt-it, dealt-it" rule of toots. Just make a face like you noticed it, but act like you can't figure out where it came from."
Now that's good nursing.
{Update: Our test-out scenario was Britney Spears. Apparently while shaving in her new 'do -- for the purposes of our simulation -- she cut herself, bled out too much and went into cardiac arrest from volume-loss. I stopped the code midway and asked the teacher if we could just let her go-to-the-light since her career had already peaced out anyway.
Updated Update: Also, my 7 week preceptorship placement to start after spring break has been determined. Folks, I'll be working an ICU unit. I'm positively delighted and all atwitter with the prospect of awesome experiences I'm sure to have. Those of you with a weak constitution might want to put my blog on hiatus until mid-May.}
Before our lab class started this, our last week, I was sitting out in the hall with one of my lab partners. We've been fairly inseparable since our Summer clinical and she's always good for a very good laugh. We were discussing the "Code" and what we would have to be performing for our "test out" to pass the skill.
My lab partner went a little silent, a little reflective. "You know what scares me most about a REAL code?" she said to me. I didn't. "I'm afraid that while I'm giving the patient chest compressions that I might fart."
My immediate, cover-your-ass response? "Blame it on the patient. Say you pushed it out of him. Besides, you should insist that everyone operate on the "smelt-it, dealt-it" rule of toots. Just make a face like you noticed it, but act like you can't figure out where it came from."
Now that's good nursing.
{Update: Our test-out scenario was Britney Spears. Apparently while shaving in her new 'do -- for the purposes of our simulation -- she cut herself, bled out too much and went into cardiac arrest from volume-loss. I stopped the code midway and asked the teacher if we could just let her go-to-the-light since her career had already peaced out anyway.
Updated Update: Also, my 7 week preceptorship placement to start after spring break has been determined. Folks, I'll be working an ICU unit. I'm positively delighted and all atwitter with the prospect of awesome experiences I'm sure to have. Those of you with a weak constitution might want to put my blog on hiatus until mid-May.}
# posted by Cathy @ 9:29:00 PM 
