Wow, I saw a lot of shit this week.

Week in review

Tues at PACU

*TEE (transesophageal echocardiogram)
*Cardioversion (shocking someone to make heart beat in proper rhythm...in a person who didn't gave fatal arrhythmia.
Should be done in those who could have better quality of life from it. This lady had terrible skin wounds, morbid obesity, & renal failure.  I'm like, really? Funny beats were this lady's lowest priority. We got her out of arrhythmia, alright, but she was so bradyed down (slowed) she wasn't hardly getting blood around. (perfusing).
*Art line (arterial) in wrist
*TURP (trans urethral resection of prostate)
Murphy drip (major irrigation after *TURP)
*Dopplered a lady's pedal pulses after total knee

Wednesday

*Personally tried/failed 2 IVs for lady in renal failure
 (made me feel better when 2 other RNs failed. She's in renal failure for crissakes, & has no veins).
*Miscommunication with primary on meds, gave meds late. Boo.
*Gave 40 meds. FORTY. IN. ONE. DAY.
*Learned more about sickle cell crisis as I cared for a guy w/ it.
Sickle cell guy was *arrested* in the hospital! lmao. What a day.

Thursday

*Discharge on terminally ill guy ( who got the majority of yesterday's 40 meds), who hugged me and said he'd remember me. (aw!)
Pedi experience:
*Post surgery care on girl who just turned 16 & had a near fatal car wreck.
(She had a 'headband' of staples from ear across head to other ear. Way better through the hair than on forehead, scar-wise. VERY important for 16 year old, too.)
* Discharged her home, yay! I think she'll be ok.
*Assisted w/ 2 failed IV starts on a toddler
*Assisted w/ 3 failed in-and-out caths on infant. (on a failure-to-thrive baby)
*Assisted w/ 4 failed IV starts on same infant.
*Saw first hand how well sucrose drops work for pain relief in babies! Short term, but oh-so-helpful in procedures.

(He was bone dry. We fed him 3-4 oz of formula, a LOT for such an itty bitty...& then he projectile threw all of it up. Poor little guy.
Baby's 2nd admission in the last couple weeks. His mom was feeding him sugar water. Only. Not formula.  Grrrr!)

So it was interesting working on & with  children this week. Still sorting out how I feel about it.

Really great week, experience-wise.