You Just Never Know
I wrote this about a patient a couple days ago:
My patient was several days post-op, recovering well, and waiting for a floor bed to become available for him.
I was finding myself rushing around to get all my work done–and accomplishing that feat by 09:00. The remainder of my shifts were spent staring at my patient while he stared back.
On rounds, when presenting my patient, I was sure everyone was ready to fall asleep. Vital signs normal, breathing normal, peeing normal…zzzzzzz.
New goals and orders: none
He was no longer in the ICU yesterday when I worked, so I assumed he had finally been transferred to the surgical unit.
His wife walked into the unit carrying a big box of donuts.
“Hello!” I gleefully shouted. I adored her. “How is your husband enjoying his new room upstairs?”
“He didn’t make it.” She responded sadly.
“Wait, what?!”
“He had a cardiac arrest and died two nights ago. He never made it upstairs.”
I gave her my condolences. After she left, I asked around. He had coded the night after I had cared for him. They had started CPR and brought the crash cart to his bedside, but soon stopped as he had a DNR order.
You just never know…
September 12th, 2009 at 12:38
Oh no… if only someone had given you a heads-up… I guess you never know.
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:52
Hello!
Given the popularity and prevalence of twitter, I put together a list of 50 different nurses on Twitter that you can follow to potentially get some insight on their medical lives. If you wouldn’t mind, could you share my list with your readers?
Here’s the post:
http://blog.onlinecollegeguru.com/health-care/50-nurses-you-can-follow-on-twitter/
Many thanks!
Richard
October 25th, 2009 at 14:23
Im sorry. Reminds me of those cases w/ elective surgery and unremarkable stay that just code and dont make it. Makes me paranoid.
November 5th, 2009 at 16:47
Really love this blog. The stories are all so touching. Thanks so much for sharing.
January 12th, 2010 at 12:09
To Whom It May Concern,
This is Ryan Flaherty Editor for Hospital.com, We are a free medical publication whose sole purpose is to offer a free informational resource to both the consumer and professional public. We are featured on some of the major online medical resources.
I’ve found your blog through a few of our mutual online affiliates and would love to work with you as well. I have interest in being included within your blog roll and would love to explore possibilities. Thank you for your time, I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Ryan Flaherty, Editor, Hospital.com
1 International Blvd.
Mahwah,New Jersey
United States
O (201) 252-8293
C (201) 247-8553
Editor@Hospital.com
February 18th, 2010 at 06:12
Where the bloody hell are you? Hope your alright!
May 21st, 2010 at 04:57
Hi,
Richard Hemby here from OnlineCollegeGuru.com, I’m contacting you about a nursing web awards we’re currently running with the following categories:
* Best Nursing Blog of 2010
* Best New Nursing blog of 2010
* Best/Influential Post of 2009-2010
* Top Nursing Twitterer of 2010
* Most Useful Nursing Website of 2010
* Most Useful Web/Mobile Tool for Nurses of 2010
1st place, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will receive Kiva gift cards for best nursing blog, new nursing blog, and best nursing post. Besides Kiva gift cards, we have some pretty nice web badges for other categories.
We have just started accepting nominations and we would really appreciated (really!) if you could give the awards a plug on your blog so we could make this the biggest and best nursing web awards! Tweet it too if you could!
Here’s the awards website:
http://onlinecollegeguru.com/awards/nursing/2010/2010-nursing-web-awards-begins/
We’re definitely open to feedback (new categories for instance). So please shoot me an email or leave us a comment on the blog.
Thanks!
Richard
September 21st, 2010 at 19:40
Hi,
We created an infographic about the nursing shortage.
http://www.veterinarytechnician.com/nurse-shortage/
If you like it, we would love it if you could share it on your blog.
Please feel free to use the embed codes at the bottom. The 450px version would fit perfectly on your blog.
Thanks!
September 23rd, 2010 at 19:19
Oh! it shocked when you knew what happened… Touching story!
October 14th, 2010 at 23:39
THE BEST DIRT AROUND:
Allnurses.com administrator sirI
AKA Siri Gail Edwards Richter
Is ON PROBATION with the Arkansas State BON
For violating 17-87-309(a)(4)&(6) which includes
(4) being habitually intemperate or being addicted to the use of habit-forming drugs
AND (6) being guilty of unprofessional conduct
And was fined $2500.
http://www.arsbn.arkansas.gov/publications/Documents/may_2009.pdf
Scroll down to the Disciplinary Actions section for March 2009 on page 28.
WOW. THEY HAVE GREAT ROLE MODELS AND MENTORS OVER AT ALLNURSES.COM, DON’T THEY?
August 13th, 2011 at 07:55
Really love this blog. The stories are all so touching. Thanks so much for sharing.