So I didn't think any of this was interesting, but I've been told that people might be interested in the daily experiences and stories of someone who works in hospitals. As a result, I've decided that (for lack of better content) I'll post some of the more interesting ones here. If people like this sort-of thing I can keep doing it, if not, I'll go back to thinking of better content to post.
This week we inherited a new patient list from another team, as we rotate around teams very frequently. So we got about 30 patients, none of whom we know, and had to immediately start poking them with needles. This makes us very unpopular among the patients, as their first impression of us is: "Hi, my name is X from the XYZ team, sorry but is it okay if I take your bloods right now?"
Unsurprisingly, we get cursed at a lot.
Of particular note was this one lady. We had to put in an NG-tube, a nasogastric tube which goes thru the nose to the stomach for feeding/aspiration, into her because she can't eat normally. The NG tube is a bit unpleasant to have go in, but isn't very painful usually, just kindof gross and uncomfortable feeling. Most patients grimace and bear it, but we got asked to put this in to a lady with a traumatic brain injury that has left her rather aggressive. So her family had consented to the tube, but she was fighting us every step of the way. Constant curses, grabbing and pulling the tube back out, more curses, a few insults that didn't even make sense (which figures, since brain damage), threats to have us fired, the whole shebang. So this turned a 5 minute procedure into a 30 minute fight that took two of us, and three more nurses. She has the tube now, very firmly taped to her head so she can't pull it out (again). She also forgets the tube is there every 10 minutes so now we get 10 minute lulls before she realizes its there and starts cursing again.
We had another patient, who admitted themselves thru emergency, and then didn't want any medical treatment. Doesn't want to be touched, doesn't want to talk to doctors, doesn't want to be given medicine. They want to magically become better from being in hospital and to go home. Upon being informed that this is generally not how hospital works, they cursed at us extensively. It's poor form to laugh at patients, so we had to take turns turning away from them and covering up the laughter, because it just gets that ridiculous. Mind you, this person was fully sane and capable of normal thought. They just really wanted it to work that way and were upset that it didn't. So are we buddy, so are we. I suspect they are going to self discharge before I see them again.
Lastly we had a patient handed over to use from surgical. They had apparently eaten several pens, which had to be removed urgently due to the risk of perforation and obstruction. Supposedly the pens still work, but I wasn't there to see that bit. Anyway, surgical handed them over to use because this patient is also pathologically homicidal due to some psych issues. Thanks for that surgical. We don't have a psych ward on site, so said patient is relegated to being in an isolation room with the door kept locked. There's a note on the door specifically mentioning not to bring pens inside. Apparently they still want to eat pens as well.
Anyway, that was some of my patients from the last week. We had others who are very quiet and polite, naturally, but that's not nearly as interesting to write up.