A few of my mum's standout memories working as a nurse at Mount Gould Hospital, Plymouth in the 1950's. The Korean war had just begun, Polio Vaccine was saving thousands of lives, and the legends of Lego and Sputnik were just about to be deployed. This was the time my mum did her nursing training … Continue reading Nursing in the 1950’s
Why medical teams WALK to an emergency.
One of the responsibilities of the Emergency Department where I used to work was to attend medical emergencies (or 'codes') elsewhere in the hospital. We would dispatch a medical emergency team (known as a MET team), comprising a senior doctor and nurse. When their pager goes off they respond by pushing this rather big trolley … Continue reading Why medical teams WALK to an emergency.
The PAT slide.
He was a big man. In the midst of a big code. And he was in big trouble. We needed to move this man from the MRI table back onto his bed in a real quick hurry. To do this we would use a large rectangular plastic spatula known as a PatSlide. Described as a … Continue reading The PAT slide.
10 Floors.
This story from my nursing career is so preposterous that is must be absolutely true. As indeed, and I am prepared to swear on a stack of bedpans, it is. TENTH FLOOR: I had just dropped a patient off on ward 10A. I stepped into an empty elevator. Simple. I pushed the button for ground … Continue reading 10 Floors.
Canberra Firestorm.
On Saturday 18th January 2003 a freak and devastating firestorm tore through my city. 4 people died and over 500 homes were destroyed. It resulted in the 2nd largest single hospital disaster response in Australian history. I was working as a nurse in the emergency department that day. 2 days later I wrote this story. … Continue reading Canberra Firestorm.
One shift. 3 stories.
This post was originally published on thenursepath.blog. It is a fictional adaption of my actual experiences working for 35 yrs as an emergency department nurse. Warning: Strong language ahead. My name is Caleb.Ive had this pain in my arse for 2 weeks now. The doc says its a hemorrhoid or something. All I know is, … Continue reading One shift. 3 stories.
