Trust...

Every time I go to work, people initially trust me!  That's an awesome feeling!  You see, I'm a nurse and I work in the ED...

I always initially trust the patients that come into my care, will advocate for them, try to address there immediate needs...

However, occasionally that trust is broken.  When you are "allergic" to every medicine/drug except the one specific one you want... my eyebrow will be raised.  And when you tell me that there is only one specific medicine/drug that will work for you... and this your 4th visit in a week...both my eyebrows will be raised.  But I will still attempt to start your IV, cutting off the other hospitals ID band to access a vein, so you can get your medicine/drug...  I will even use the US (ultrasound) to identify that small vein in your arm to be able to give you that relief that you need!

But when I get a critical patient, that is literally trying to die...

And I get a little busy...

When you activate the call light, please, please don't have an attitude... with me or the person that responds to your request... especially when it is for food (we are not a cafeteria), a pillow or blanket (we are not a hotel), or more pain medicine (when you just got a dose 5 minutes ago and you have 15 more minutes till you can have another) when you know the time-frame for more!

Some of the best times I have ever experienced in the ED is when a critical patient has the attention of not only most the staff... but most of the other patients in the ED!  Seems when the other patients realize that a person is on the verge of dying, and every person in the ED is trying to save there life... often most of the patients are gaping... that's when the requests become almost non-existent!

So, please trust me again...  if it seams that you are being ignored, you're probably stable, not going to die of starvation, hard stretcher, or chilliness of the room!

But a few will still complain...  oh well... one million complaints will not even to begin to affect the feeling of just one saved life... or the gratitude's/compliments of those families!


Peace!