Almost Lost

Where to begin...

The day started out excellently. I arrived at my designated time after rushing over from my medical terminology class, nervous as can be. I enter the ER and standing there is the Tech I first had months ago when I was a student and completing my clinicals. She instantly recognized me and ushered me into the department, quickly introducing me to staff including very friendly Doctor's and Nurses. One of the other Techs actually said he remembered me from my first clinical there. Imagine that!

So everything is going great, the Tech that I am assigned to is wonderful and I'm feeling huge relief and major thankfulness that the day is going swimmingly. The department is busy, and I'm following the Tech going room to room assisting with everything, and feeling generally great about it.

And then...

In walks a Paramedic in training. He approaches me and asks what I've seen so far. For some reason, I'm stumbling over medical terms, and generally sound like I have no idea what I'm talking about. I tried to relay the info to him about a man who is hypotensive (low blood pressure) and tachycardic (fast heart rate). We chat, and he tells me to go listen to an elderly woman's lung sounds. I reply I don't have my stethoscope. FAIL!! He wasn't pleased, but after some begging, he loans me his. I leave feeling rather sheepish.

I enter the room and ask the elderly lady for permission to listen to her lungs. I tell her to take a deep breathe, she does, then holds it for a long time. (Psst, don't do that) I tell her to exhale. She does. The key to breath sounds is to inhale and exhale in an even manner so that whoever is on the receiving end can listen and see if there are issues. This lady also has a horrific cough (result of COPD and emphysema) so all I can really hear is diminished breath sounds bilaterally (both lungs).

Did I also mention that her friend told me that this lady is feisty, and my dear patient also proudly announced that she is...er...the term for a female dog? Imagine all this coming from a very cute looking woman in her mid eighties! All things considered, this made it a bit tough to get the job done.

I head back over to the Paramedic in training, and explain to him what I've heard. He begins this series of questions about the respiratory system. I was pretty much lost at the beginning, and as he questioned me, I realized how little I know, and by the time our conversation was finished, I was convinced he thought I knew nothing, and I felt quite poorly about my lack of knowledge.

Thanks to my excellent Tech she re-assures me that I'm fine and then allows me to do EKG's (electrocardiograms) on a few patients. It goes marvelously, and I'm starting to feel confident in my skills.

Until discouraging moment number two occurs. (I'm telling you, this was not my day)

The director of the Emergency Department approaches us and tells my Tech that I am not allowed to do anything in the way of patient care. No EKG's, no splinting, no vitals, no nothing. Her explanation? How does she know what I have learned in school is compatible to what the hospital has its employees do? As I tried to explain she kept putting me down in the name of "not trying to put me down", and telling me that I'm untrustworthy and overall, may not be competent, because really, she has no idea who I am.

Sad moment indeed.

Honestly at this point, I don't know what I would have done without my Tech. She is a marvelous woman who is real, honest, and professional. We talked about the issue at hand and decided that what I needed to do next is get in touch with the EMS director at my school and see if we can get this issue straightened out because really, what's the point of me spending all this time and money if all I can do is stand around and watch? I'm not allowed to do anything hands on, so I honestly was very discouraged.

Bad as the day looked; I still wound up having fun and enjoying myself:

• A man walked up to me with a cup full of urine and asked me what he should do with it (...)
• I went to take a temperature on a 95 year old woman and she thought it was a rectal thermometer, so she began lifting up her gown. I told her it was for her ear, so she opened her mouth instead
• A man told me that "walking" was just too much of a nuisance (nothing was medically wrong with him)
• The man mentioned earlier who was hypotensive and tachycardic told me jokingly that he's "dying" and hates "when that happens"

Some days will be good.....others will be bad. But you know, I'm going to keep plugging away at this with all that I have. Maybe it'll all work out eventually, and if not, I have the benefit of standing in the corner of the medical rooms getting to watch everything done on the patients. I'll be officially the best observer on the planet ;)

What an adventure, indeed.

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the sureest stepping stones to success."