How To Save A Life

Okay, I'm going to try something different. I'm going to post both here in my blogspot and my AOL journal. Read and comment where-ever you want. :)

Well, to get started, let me say that work last night was just a thinly disguised chaos (I am an RN and have worked in the ER for 11 years in case you don't know anything about me). I get there and see my assignment, which included the "code room". We don't keep this room occupied all the time and try to save it for critical patients only. And that's exactly what I happened to inherit last night. Mr 43 found down by his roommate, who initiates CPR after calling 911. EMS arrives, intubates, and begins ACLS (advanced cardiac life support - drugs & shocking). Mr 43, it seems, had been indulging in a massive amount of drugs. Positive for marijuana, benzodiazapenes (valium, ativan, etc), and opiates (heroin, pain pills, etc). Most probable scenario would include respiratory suppression followed quickly by cardiac arrest. No pulse or respirations when EMS arrived. Was a PEA (pulseless electrical activity - means electrical activity put out by the heart w/o contractability, otherwise no heartbeat) on the monitor at the scene, same when he arrived at the hospital. Pupils fixed and dialated. No neuro response at all to deep painful stimuli.

Okay, here is where the story gets a little more interesting. Mr. 43 was found by his roommate after seeing him "just fine" before getting in the shower, and not breathing 10 minutes later when he got out and started CPR immediately. Okay. How many of you have seen anyone walk by someone, get in the shower, bath, get out and dressed, check on someone, and initiate CPR in 10 minutes, male or not? I found that hard to believe. It was probably more like 20 minutes. Add another 10 minutes or so for EMS to arrive, intubate and begin ACLS. Then add transport time to the hospital and another 30 minutes of code activity to obtain a sustainable rhythm. Are you keeping score? Looks like at the least 1 hour of minimal-moderate cardiac perfusion activity. Ending result? Massive cerebral edema (brain swelling caused by drug overdose and hypoxia - no oxygen), no spontanous breaths (so total ventilator assisted), cardiac output by drugs only. Basically...dead.

When I arrived at 7pm last night, Mr 43 was just returning from CT Scan. I hurried into the room and helped get him re-situated, i.e., placed back on the monitor, vent reconnected, etc. I come back out and go to the day nurse "Okay...tell me about the other rooms" because I not only had the code room, but another three additional rooms. Here is where my night went bad right away because I can't handle a 1:1 patient and be expected to have any free time to take care of 3 other patients! I said as much to the charge nurse, too, but what could she do? Every other nurse there had 4 patients. Could I expect them to have 5 apiece? Neither situation was safe. So what happened? My patients waited anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours to receive much needed medication. Thank the good Lord they were all stable because if not...never mind, I don't want to think about it. Oh sure, if something bad had happened I could argue in Court that the charge nurse should have made sure my other patients were being taken care of while I had my critical 1:1 patient, and I'm pretty positive that I would be exhaunerated, but I really don't ever want to face that situation.

Okay, this is what I'm going to do. I got name stickers from each of the patients I had at the beginning of the shift and wrote down what was wrong with them and how long it took me to get to them from the time the orders were written until I completed the task. Now I'm going to write a very long letter to our Nursing Director and Medical Director and explain the situation and the hospitals legal liability, along with making suggestions on how to fix the problem. I can only hope this catches someone's attention and changes be made accordingly.

So, because I had to start my shift drowning, I was so far behind on my charting by the end of my shift that I didn't clock out until 8:54am, a full two hours after my shift ended. That sucked! I didn't get home until after 9:30am and I was so worked up I couldn't go to sleep until 11:30am. Add that to the fact that I couldn't sleep past 1:00pm yesterday, and I wasn't 100% at my game because of getting over my tummy virus, and I was pooped! Up side? I slept like a log!

I do work again Sunday and Monday night, so here's hoping for calmer nights. Oh shucks! I probably just jinxed myself, lol.

Hope your Friday and Saturday were spent with family and friends. Catch up with you later! De ;)

Extra Food For Thought:

Saturday Six - Episode 150

How do you rate? It's a simple question, really. But then again maybe it isn't. We'll soon find out!

Last week, it was Nichole of "My Two Cents" was first to play last week for the second week in a row and who, like me, ranked as "Bob Barker" in the game show host quiz. Congratulations again, Nichole.

Here are this week's "Saturday Six" questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal...but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as "first to play," you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. Rating them on a scale of one to ten, which of the following aspects of your life would you think rates the highest: mind, body or spirit? Spirit.

2. Rating them on a scale of one to ten, which of the following aspects of your life would you think rates the lowest: friends/family, love or finance? Finance.

3. Considering all six categories, which do you think would rank closest to the middle, a "5"? Body.

4. Take the quiz: How does your life rate?

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.5
Mind:	7.1
Body:	5.5
Spirit:	8
Friends/Family:	7.2
Love:	5.5
Finance:	8.5
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

2008 Version:

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	5.2
Mind:	5.4
Body:	4.5
Spirit:	6.7
Friends/Family:	5.3
Love:	0
Finance:	6.6
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

5. Of the first three questions, how many of your responses match the responses of the quiz? One.

6. Which of the test's responses do you disagree the most with and why? Well...it rates finance as number one and perhaps that is a very stable part of my life right now, but I do consider my spritial life more important.

The Sunday Seven - Episode 77

Some call it soda, some call it pop. Others call it Coke or Pepsi even if it's the other one. But how ever you refer to soft drinks, it's time to name your top choices.But first, Frida, of "I Really Hate Blog Names," was first to play last week, and had quite a few interesting selections for Valentine's Day candy messages! Congratulations, Frida!On to this week's question!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:Name your top seven favorite soft drink flavors or varieties.

1. Diet Dr Pepper
2. "Real" Dr Pepper
3. Diet Berry Dr Pepper
4. Diet Vanilla Coke from Sonic
5. Peach Fruit 02
6. Strawberry Fruit 02
7. Rasberry Dannon Water

**As you can see, I ran out of soda (and I call them all "coke" btw except for water) flavors. I'm pretty much a stick in the mud.

Saturday Six - Episode 149

Come on down! You're the next contestant on the Saturday Six! And if you can't figure out the topic of today's themed-edition, then you're on your way to a big loss with nothing but a case of Rice-a-Roni for consolation!

Last week, it was Nichole of "My Two Cents" was first to play last week. Congratulations, Nichole.

Here are this week's "Saturday Six" questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal...but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as "first to play," you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. Take the quiz: What game show host are you?

Hmmmm. I'm not totally surprised by this answer.

2. What game show do you think you would be best as playing? Either "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire", "Wheel of Fortune" or "The Price is Right".

3. What game show do you think you would be worst at playing? "Jeopardy". I don't think I would ever remember to phrase my answer as a question.

4. Have you ever applied or auditioned as a contestant for any game show? If so, which one? I tried several times to get on "Millionaire" when Regis was hosting. I kept missing the third question.

5. If you had to apply or audition for a game show, which one would you most likely choose? Either Millionaire or Wheel.

6. If you found out you had to host a game show, which one would do you know well enough that you could actually host? See #5.

Saturday Six - Episode 148

Do you ever think about where you live? Rarely, if you're busy working, raising a family, trying to find a little time for yourself. There's something special about every place. Maybe this week's edition will give you pause to think of what's special where you are! We had lots of players last week, but it was Wil of "The Daily Snooze" was first to play last week. Congratulations, Wil! Here are this week's "Saturday Six" questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal...but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as "first to play," you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. A friend arrives from out of town and wants to go to dinner at a nice locally-owned restaurant: where would you take her? OMGosh! I have no idea. We tend to be stick in the muds and visit what is known. Probably something Mexican.

2. Your friend then says he wants to learn something about the history of your city: where would you take him first? The Phoenix Musuem of History sounds like a good place to start.

3. Does your current hometown have any specific kind of weather threats (i.e., tornado alley, etc.) or natural disaster threats (i.e., earthquake faults, volcanic activity) that concerns you? Generally the biggest weather threats in my part of Arizona are Heat/Cold/Flash Floods.

4. Take the quiz: What city shares your personality?
You scored as Paris.
You are Paris, France! You are fiercly independent. You have very refined tastes and enjoy extravegance and a bit of self-indulgence.
Paris 70%
Provo 65%
Killarney 65%
Boston 60%
Rio de Janeiro 55%

5. Have you ever visited this city or lived there before? Nope, but from what I’ve heard Paris is very pretty, if you can get past the "hate Americans" attitude.

6. Based on what you know about that city, either firsthand or from others, do you think it would be a good fit for you? Do you think it would be a better fit than the city in which you now live? Well, I don’t know a whole lot about what it would be like to live in Paris, but personally, I like a big city with all it’s ammenities, so it would probably work for me.

Saturday Six - Episode 147

My best friend likes to quiz me each year on who's playing in the Super Bowl, or the World Series, or any other major sporting event. He knows that I'm not much of a sports fan. He might be surprised that I'd dedicate an edition of the Saturday Six to such an event.

But before we get to the questions, it's time to recognize Otowi of "Otowi," who was first to play last week. Congratulations! Also, I must thank Frida of "I Really Hate Blog Names," who was first to visit, and pointed out that I had inadvertently copied a wrong link from the previous week's edition.

Here are this week's "Saturday Six" questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal...but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as "first to play," you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. Who's going to win the Super Bowl? The Colts! And this has been my answer all along, not just as I’m watching the game. See my post yesterday in my other journal De’s Thoughts.

2. Have you been invited to any Super Bowl parties? (Or are you throwing your own?) Not this year, DH is working and I’m off for a change.

3. If you were invited, would you go, even if you hate football? Yes.

4. Have you ever thrown a party focused on a television program? Yes.

5. If you were given free tickets to the Super Bowl, would you attend? Why or why not? Yes! I’ve always wanted to attend a Super Bowl, and I hoping that since I live in Phoenix that there will be a possibility I will be able to go in 2008.

6. Do you worry about security at such an event? Would those worries prevent you from attending or in any way make you less likely to attend? I worry about security at all events since 9/11, but I’m not letting the terrorist win.

Bo Bice: Doesn't Remind Me of Anything

Bo Bice Doesn't Remind Me

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Sunday Seven - Episode 74

"Sometimes you feel like a nut...sometimes you don't." Yes, even a classic advertising jingle can provide the topic for a Sunday Seven question! (If you have trouble coming up with answers, here is a source of inspiration.

But first, Otowi, of "Otowi," was first to play last week . Congratulations!

On to this week's question!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Name your seven favorite varieties of nuts:

1. Cashews
2. Honey roasted peanuts
3. Pistachios
4. Pecans (but I'm allergic)
5. Walnuts
6. Macadamia
7. Almonds

The Survey Place
random
1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was your first thought? How did I get so fat again?

2. When's the next time you will have sex? Soon.

3. What's a word that rhymes with "DUCK"? Puck.

4. Favorite planet? Uh…the one I can breath on.

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list? David.


6. What is your favorite ring on your phone? Beautiful.


7. Who was the last person you hugged? Caleb.


8. What were you doing 20 minutes ago? Laundry.


9. Name the brand of shoes you're currently wearing? I don't have on shoes, just socks.


10. Bright or Dark Room? Like right now? Bright. Favorite…dark.


11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you? Cat? Funny as heck!


12. If you're in a room with two beds, which one do you sleep on? The one that’s got a bedside table to the left.


13. What were you doing at midnight last night? Messing around on the puter.


14. What did your last text message you received on your mobile say? It was a private message from David.


15. How do you like your eggs? Either scrambled or over hard.


16. What's a word/phrase that you say a lot? Oh snap!


17. Who told you that he/she loved you last? Caleb.


19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? Tylenol.


20. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed? Uhhh, is this a trick question? My camera card needs to be recovered because I accidentally deleted my pictures after I downloaded them. What a dummy. These are pictures from our recent trip to San Diego.


21. Your favorite age you've been? I’ll pick 36. Married to my DH and just had Caleb and Hannah was here.


22. Your worst enemy? Easy…myself.


23. What is your current desktop picture? A picture of my backyard as the sun is rising over the mountain.


24. What was the last thing you said to someone? “David, can Caleb have some cough medicine?”


25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly[, which would you choose]? Uhhh, I don’t like to fly, so my answer is a million bucks.


27. The last song you listened to? “Doesn’t Remind Me of Anything” by Bo Bice.


28. If the last person you spoke to was getting shot, what would you do? After I stood in the way, then I would kill that person. I’ll agree with Cat and say this is an evil question.


29. If you could punch 1 person in the face , who would it be? It would have to be anyone who tried to hurt my family.


30. What is the closest object to your left foot? A file folder.

?otd
You know the hour more of sleep you got [yesterday] morning. Well, if you could use it to do anything else this week, how would you use it? This didn’t effect me as AZ doesn’t do time changes. But back in OK I always welcomed that extra hour of sleep.
November: what is the first thing that comes to mind? It’s my birthday!
What was the last project that you took on? (a project can be anything you want it to be ....) Uh…my house.


You've just been awarded the starring role .... what role did you get and what play/movie/tv show is it in? I don’t know. I’m not really an actress.

If you were in the Hollywood, what would you be: producer, director, costume designer, actor, etc...? The director, because I would be able to tell people what to do and actually get paid quite a bit for it. Sounds fun!


What do you do with your pocket change? Dump it in the change bucket.


I'm a flower!
I am aPetunia
What Flower Are You?
You are a tried and trusted friend who will be there for your friends when they need you. But you have a tendency to be nervous about doing things that go against the norm.
That’s nice…

Curious as a Cat
Week Number Forty-One: If you were to make a collage to describe yourself to others, what sorts of pictures or symbols would you include? The Trinity, family, friends, nursing, mountains, sunrises…
What do you like to do that other people think is gross (or not fun, if you do nothing at all gross)? Talk about gross things I guess. I’m a nurse, after all.


Manic Monday
I've Been Everywhere...What's the longest road trip you've ever taken? Oh geez, that would be when we moved from Sumter, SC to Phoenix, AZ in 2005. It was over 2,000 miles. I thought we’d never get across Texas!
Do you like traveling in the car? It’s okay as long as I get a front seat, passenger or driver.


What do you do to keep yourself (or your kids, if you have them) entertained while on a car trip? I either listen to the radio, a CD or talk to someone. The kids play their Game boys and watch movies on the DVD player.


What's the oddest thing in your glove box right now? Oh I don’t know. I can’t think of anything right now.


Monday Madness
October 30
1. Small town or big city? Definitely big city! I been there, done the small city thing and I ain’t ever going back there again!!!
2. Do you have a favorite childhood memory, and if so, would you share it? I would have to say the summer we had the cornfield we could run forever through.

3. How do you calm down when something has really upset and/or angered you? Do you swallow it? Call a friend and rant? Go in the bathroom and cry? Punch a wall? Walk around muttering to yourself, complete with scary hand gestures? I try to be by myself and calm down. Leaving me alone is a very good thing, otherwise it my lead to all of the above.

4. What attracts [sic] you to memes? They are a fun and easy way to learn a lot about people and express yourself.

5. How reliant are you on computers to get through your day? OMG! I can’t live without one either at home or work!

6. In a crisis, are you calm or do you panic? Calm. You should see me work a code blue.


Monday's a Bitch
Fright Night1.Where does Halloween fall on your "holiday excitement scale" (i.e., Does it top Christmas, New Year's, your birthday, the whole shebang? Or is it just another day?) Oh it’s not that important to me as an adult, but it is fun to see the kids dress up and have fun. Probably rate it a 4/5 out of 10.
2.At what age do you consider someone to be too old for trick or treating? I’ll agree with Cat, no adults or kids that have graduated high school. After that I’ll consider you a pediafile.

3. What was your lamest Halloween costume? Oh geez, last year Kathryn and I wore purple wigs with ears. I suppose we were supposed to be cats.

4.Is handing out candy fun for you, or more of a nightmare? I love it! It is so much fun seeing all the little kids and their costumes.

5.Do you see Halloween as an excuse to show some skin and get away with it? If not, what do you think of people who dress this way? If I looked halfway sexy showing some skin I would do it. But please, don’t come in to my ER drunk and only wearing a busterier and a thong. You are going to get talked about all night long.


MONSTER
Your Monster Profile
Shadow LunaticYou Feast On: Peanut ButterYou Lurk Around In: The Backseats of CarsYou Especially Like to Torment: British People
What's Your Monster Name?
heh heh

The TV Meme

Patrick recently ran a meme about television shows you've seen.

The instructions are simple: change the color and/or boldface the shows you've watched at least three complete episodes of, and Bold and Italicize a show if you're certain you've seen every episode of it.

You can add up to three shows to the list, but keep them in alphabetical order. I added "Dog The Bounty Hunter", "Forensic Files" and "The First 48".

24
3rd Rock from the Sun
7th Heaven
Adam-12
Aeon Flux
A.L.F
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alias
Alice
Allo Allo
American Idol/Pop Idol/Canadian Idol/Australian Idol
America's Next Top Model/Germany's Next Top Model
Angel
Arrested Development
Babylon 5
Babylon 5: CrusadeBattlestar
Battlestar Galactica (the old one)
Battlestar Galactica (the new one)
Baywatch
Beauty & the Beast
Beavis & Butthead
The Ben Stiller Show
Beverly Hills 90210
Bewitched
Bonanza
Bones
Bosom Buddies
Boston Legal
Boy Meets World
Brady Bunch
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Bug Juice
Chappelle's Show
Charlie's Angels
Charmed
Cheers
China Beach
Columbo
Commander in Chief
Coupling
Cowboy Bebop
Crossing Jordan
CSI
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dallas
Dancing with the Stars
Danny Phantom
Dark Angel
Dark Skies
Davinci's Inquest
Dawson's Creek
Dead Like Me
Deadliest Catch
Deadwood
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Designing Women
Desperate Housewives
Dharma & Greg
Diff'rent Strokes
Doctor Who (new Who)
Doctor Who (series 1-26)
Dog The Bounty Hunter
Dragnet
Due South
Dungeons and Dragons
Dynasty
Earth 2
Emergency!
Enterprise
Entourage
ER
Everwood
Everybody Loves Raymond
Facts of Life
Falcon Crest
Family Guy
Family Ties
Fantasy Island
Farscape
Fawlty Towers
Felicity
Firefly
Flamingo Road
Forensic Files
Frasier
Friends
Full House
Futurama
Get Smart
Gilligan's Island
Gilmore Girls
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Green Wing
Grey's Anatomy
Growing Pains
Gunsmoke
Happy Days
Head of the Class
Hercules
Highlander
Hill Street Blues
Hogan's Heroes
Home Improvement
Homicide: Life on the Street
House, MD
I Dream of Jeannie
I Love Lucy
Invader Zim
Invasion
Iron Chef (Japan)
Iron Chef (USA)
Ironside
JAG
Jackass
Jeopardy
Joey
John Doe
Kath and Kim
Knight Rider
Knots Landing
La Femme Nikita
LA Law
Laugh-In
Laverne and Shirley
Law & Order
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: SVU
Little House on the Prairie
Lizzie McGuire
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lost
Lost in Space
Love, American Style
M*A*S*H
MacGyver
Magnum P.I.
Malcolm in the Middle
Married...With Children
Melrose Place
Miami Vice
Mission Impossible
Monk
Moonlighting
Mork & Mindy
Murphy Brown
My Family
My Favorite Martian
My Life as a Dog
My Mother the Car
My So-Called Life
My Three Sons
My Two Dads
Mysterious Cities of Gold
NCIS
Night Court
Nip/Tuck
Northern Exposure
Numbers
One Tree Hill
Oz
Parker Lewis Can't Lose
Perfect Strangers
Perry Mason
Picket Fences
Pirates of Darkwater
Pokemon
Power Rangers
Prison Break
Profiler
Project Runway
Psyche
Quantum Leap
Queer As Folk (US)
Queer as Folk (British)
Queer Eye For The Straight Guy
ReGenesis
Remington Steele
Rescue Me
Road Rules
ROME
Roseanne
Roswell
Samurai Jack
Sanford & Son
Saved by the Bell
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Scooby-Doo Where Are You?
Scrubs
Seinfeld
Sex and the City
Six Feet Under
Slings and Arrows
Smallville
Small Wonder
So Weird
South Park
Spaced
Spongebob Squarepants
Sports Night
Square Pegs
St. Elsewhere
Star Trek
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Enterprise
Stargate Atlantis - New season
Stargate SG-1 -Newseason
Superman
Supernatural
Surface
Survivor
Taxi
Teen Titans
Teletubbies
That Girl
That 70's Show
That's So Raven
The 4400
The Addams Family
The Andy Griffith Show
The A-Team
The Avengers
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Bionic Woman
The Book of Daniel
The Colbert Report
The Cosby Show
The Daily Show
The Dead Zone
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The First 48
The Flintstones
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Golden Girls
The Jetsons
The L Word
The Love Boat
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mighty Boosh
The Monkees
The Munsters
The Mythbusters
The O.C.
The Office (UK)
The Office (US)
The Pretender
The Prisoner
The Real World
The Shield
The Simpsons
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Sopranos
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
The Twilight Zone
The Waltons
The West Wing
The Wonder Years
The X-Files
Third Watch
Thirtysomething
Three's Company
Top Gear
Twin Peaks
Twitch City
Upstairs, Downstairs
Veronica Mars
Wings
What Not To Wear (US)
What Not To Wear (UK)
Whose Line is it Anyway? (US)
Whose Line is it Anyway? (UK)
Witchblade
Will & Grace
Wonderfalls
Wonder Woman
Xena: Warrior Princess
Young Hercules

If you wish to play along -- and if you're reading this, consider yourself so challenged, the easiest way to do so is to copy the list above to TypePad or NotePad so that the boldface or italicized formatting will not copy with it, then you can adjust as necessary on your own blog.

Bo Bice: Valley of Angels

See Bo Bice's new video: Valley of Angels

Pictures of My Family

Just in case anyone was curious. ;) De