Sometimes people have a bomb dropped on their lives in the emergency room. Sometimes we find out things that no one expected and its really, really bad. The doctor has to deliver some news that will change their lives forever. So the doctors breaks the news. The nurse goes in to deal with the aftermath.
This is what nurses do. We deal with the human part of medical problems. Not only do we do the treatment necessary, we help people deal with what is happening to them. Whenever there is a threat to a persons physical self, its damn scary. Some times its more scary than others. It is the beginning of an ordeal that could last for months, even years. Many times they will die. We know they will die, but we don't tell them in the beginning. No one wants to hear they are going to die on the day of the bomb drop.
We are saying to ourselves: "oh shit..this isn't good..." We feel sad, knowing what the person will go through. We wonder what will happen to them. We will never know. Is it better that way?
Sometimes, when I'm up front in triage, it's an annoyance to only see the front part of the story. I like to follow up as much as possible to find out the next chapter, confirm or disprove my clinical estimation/assesment skills, ans just bring a period to the end of the sentence.
ReplyDeleteWhen the doc has to go in and dropp the bomb, not knowing the rest of the story is almost without exception a blessing.
If I wanted the other, I'd work in oncology or hospice care.
In the same way countless nurses shake their heads at those of us who choose the emergency field, there is no way I could nor wish to do and deal with what they do every day.
Takes all types to make a world go around, and I (as, I suspect, everyone like me) get more than my fill of devastating suffering without prolonging the agony.
"Take therefore no thought for the morrow. Sufficient unto each day are the troubles thereof..."
This is one of the most difficult parts, is the unpredictability.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to see a bomb drop, please read aaronkelleykenya.blogspot.com. This is an ED physician who went on a mission to Kenya, where he lost his 1 year old daughter to a brain tumor.
ReplyDeleteThe blog is heartbreaking, yet inspirational & if anyone can donate to the family, they should.