So Tuesday afternoon I went over to the hospital to get my patient assignment and I logged onto their chart so I could learn about his condition and his personal situation. I had to research my patient and write everything down so that I would know what I would be getting into on Wednesday morning!
When I got to the hospital on Wednesday, I went up to the nurse that was assigned to my patient and asked her if there was anything I should be updated on since yesterday afternoon and informed her that I was her student until 11:30 and I could help her with anything that I had learned about up until this point. She told me that my patient had called 911 last night and told the operator that he was being held hostage. He also became really upset and began yelling and hitting and told everyone that he was being held against his will in a psych ward.... he admitted himself for his leg pain and heart problems... So I didn't get to do the bed bath or vitals like I was supposed to. Instead I got to help him order breakfast. Right as I am about to leave his room he asks me to help him find his pants that he came in with. I reminded him that they were probably with the rest of his belongings and he said, "Please look for my blue jeans!" So I looked around and found his jeans in a clear plastic bag. I brought them over to him and he pointed to a camo looking holster on his belt and I was like, "that looks like your cell phone holder" and he goes, "nope I think that is my knife." Good.. I just showed the hostage patient where his knife was... I put it away in a cabinet under a bunch of his other belongings and left before he asked me to locate anything else for him! When I get into the hallway someone asks me if I want to help with a bed bath! I jumped on the opportunity because I knew I had 3 hours and I wasn't going to spend that sitting in the break room...... The patient I gave a bed bath too was near 400 pounds. I had never helped someone this big with a bed bath, but I figured it would be fine and it was. She was the sweetest lady in the world and obviously didn't seem to have a problem taking off her gown for us and telling us how to help her get the best washing even if it meant telling us how to lift her rolls or how to help her roll over. She loved us so much that she wanted us to send in our instructor so that she could compliment us! (:
After I get out of that room I hear that there is going to be an emergency chest tube placement in one of the rooms... I jumped on that opportunity and booked it over to the room to see if there was any chance that I would be able to get in. I went in the room and watched as the doctor prepared the patient to have the tube placed. There were about 12 people in the room watching this poor patient. I started to get nervous when I noticed that they weren't going to be putting the patient under for this procedure. 2 nurses were helping to hold down the patients arms and legs as the doctor gave a shot of local anesthetic. Next the doctor asked for his scalpel.. Now I really started to get nervous and really excited at the same time. I felt invisible in the room just watching as the doctors and nurses all did their job to have this procedure done. I could tell that the patient was in an extreme amount of pain as the doctor cut open his chest and then slid the near 8 in. tube into his chest. I started to feel slightly light headed, but I just kept reminding myself to breath... apparently the patient was in too much pain because the nurse that was holding down his legs looked at me and was like "can you please hold his legs, he needs more morphine!" I was thrilled to be able to help and to get a better look! Once I started holding his legs I regretted my decision. I now had to feel him fighting against me and by his force I realized that he was in even more pain than I thought. He could barely talk because of how old his was but he managed to form the words, "get off me". I couldn't believe that this was such a normal procedure. I looked down as the doctor was sliding in the tube and then he says "wait for it... THERE" and all the sudden air started sputtering from the end of the tube. It was done and in successfully. Hearing that noise, seeing the blood, and feeling the pressure of the patients kicking was all I could handle. The nurse took over his legs and I turned around to look outside and started breathing. I was in the way back of the room farthest from the door. I looked at my friend Cali and the look on her face told me I was in bad shape. I said "I think I need out!" and she just goes "Your face is so white, get out of here." I started to squeeze my way out of the room as the doctor was about to stitch the patient back up... Each step I took, my vision got blacker and blacker! I thought I was going to collapse! I immediately went to get ice water and I could feel my hands and legs shaking. My vision was struggling to come back and I thought I was going to puke. Cali followed me out and made sure that I stayed distracted by asking me to follow her and she started asking about her patient and what she should do. I felt better pretty quickly, besides the shakiness. I realized that I was fine watching the shot, I was fine watching the incision, I WASN'T fine watching the patient be in so much pain and look so incredibly helpless. It made me feel sick knowing he was hurting so bad. Pain is one of my biggest fears and knowing that he was going through something so hard and just being held down through it was too much for me. I am so happy that I was able to be in there to see something like that, but I hope I don't have to watch many more procedures involving an awake patient...........
