Caring for your own

God bless the nurses, EMTs and physician's who must care for their own. Just this week, I heard of an Australian colleague down under who had to be resuscitated as a Jane Doe trauma by her colleagues. She was a hit and run victim. Only after they had been working on her, did they discover who she was from ID.

She was treated with aggressive trauma resuscitation and advanced life support by one of the finest trauma teams in Sydney, at Royal North Shore. Rhonda was a fellow nurse in the ER. She was brought in unconscious and with such massive head trauma, she was unrecognizable. Magnificently, they went through their paces. Trauma surgeons, Resusc intensivists, trauma coordinator, trauma nurses, respiratory, their wonderful techs. At one point, she coded and was revived.

The angels of mercy in that emergency department cared for her with dignity and grace. Brilliance and excellence. Care, compassion. Technique. I have seen them in action many times. I was priviledged to work along side them. They are nothing but superb.

Then the horror, her ID. All were aghast. It was one of their own. -and it was bad. She survived to the ICU, but follow-up brain scans indicated brain death. She didn't make it. RIP Rhonda Moon.

That is the nightmare. We care for patients everyday, but it rips your heart out when they are your own.

In another case, we resusc'd a baby, unsuccessfully for an ER pediatrician who was the mother. In another ED, I worked, a gun shot wound was brought in, CPR'd and didn't make it. The ER unit clerk never even looked up. It was only the photo revealed in his wallet as they checked his ID that illuminated it was her husband. She sat a mere 20 feet away, never knowing they were working on him.

Life is fleeting. Life is short. Live for today. Live with a vengeance. Love whole-heartedly. Care for those who care for others.

March of Dimes

I have been hearing about March of Dimes at work this past month. But through several blogs, came upon the story of the little girl featured in all the posters. How tragic that only this month, a mere few days ago, Madeline Spohr died.

The internet is a funny thing. A powerful vehicle. A voice of people who have never met, but find common ground. The story of Mike and Heather and their little Maddie is tragic. The love of a child that you know you might lose. Hospitals, nurses, oxygen, treatments, hope and despair. Not unlike what many parents of chronically ill children face.

Was it her adorable face, that lit up like an angel that captured so many? I am not sure. But the powerful message is. Life is precious. Short. Unpredictable. Live for today. Be happy and love with a vengeance. All lessons that my little Harrison with Duchenne's know.

So today, take time. Make it a purple day. Make it a Maddie day. Give generously. back. As of now, Maddie's March of Dimes page is still up, so please go visit and donate if you can.
Maddie’s Monster, designed by Mike and Heather in Maddie’s memory, are now available for purchase from Curly Q Cuties. Purple in honor of Madeline, with eyes as big and blue as hers, these plush dolls are sure to warm your heart. Proceeds from the sales of Maddie’s Monster will go to the March of Dimes.

This blog today is purple, in honor of Maddie. Purple was her favorite color.

Mourning ER

Okay, call me hokey. . .but I am just missing the hell outta the show ER. I know there is Grey's Anatomy and all, but I loved the original Crichton masterpiece. Did ya see the finale? I balled all the way through it. . . all those stories and memories. Hard to believe it was on for 15 years! Geesh I am old.

At least nurses had more of a role in ER. Grey's rarely shows a nurse and when they do she works OR and sleeps with McDreamy. WTF?

Nursing was a strong piece of the ER TV show. Network television has yet to produce a solid show about nurses. For whatever reason, they cannot help themselves and just stereotype the heck out us. They should call me! I could script a goody. An ER spinnoff that focuses on the real stories of nurses. Just look at all the nursing blogs out there - especially the ER related ones. Do we have material or what? My Master's thesis was a full length screenplay about a male nurse. Crikey!

Ah, maybe in another life!

Re-Open for Business

Due to the traumatic events that were going on in my life, i.e. death of my career . . .I inadvertently became the blogger we all detest - the blogger who doesn't blog. That is just how long it has taken to sort this whole job thingy out. I am so bloody thankful I am a nurse! -and thus could even get another job. In today's economy, in any other profession, I would have lost my shirt! and house! and who know's what else.

Numerous interviews in my only two suits. Smiling so much my cheeks hurt. Acting fabulously interested in the drably uninteresting. Finally, I am DONE. I was offered a position as, you guessed it, an educator. It is within my own health care system, but thank God, a different venue. So now I happily schlep the 65 miles to be free of Cerberus. It is a bitch to get there, but once there. . . bliss!

Now, to get back to the stories for blogging. Tonight is my big diva event - being celebrated for that nurse award. I splurged on a pedicure. Made sure my dress fit and got a new pair of shoes. Hubby is preparing his gear. Should be a festive evening.

Please keep reading. Thanks for sticking it out!