"100.4 is not the same as 104, and other little known parenting facts"

Welcome to your guide of how to avoid pissing off the staff of your local emergency department. If you have ever visited your local ED, you probably have a lot of questions. Questions like "Why are all nurses so rude?" "Why didn't I see a doctor?" and "Why was my kid sent home when he is so clearly on death's door?" I hope to answer your questions by addressing some of the frequently asked questions in my own ED.
Let's begin.

Chapter 1: Why you have to wait in a room full of sick people.
Chapter 2: How the nurse knows your child never had a fever of 110.
Chapter 3: Who that woman wearing the white coat was and why she was only in your room for five minutes.
Chapter 4: Why your child was not given an antibiotic.
Chapter 5: Why no one laughs at your jokes about swine flu/MRSA/the full moon etc.
Chapter 6: What a primary care pediatrician is.
Chapter 7: When it qualifies as an "emergency."

Accomplishments of the day

I forgot to mention my 6 weeker the other day was also severely dehydrated. If I took a fine point pen and drew a line, that was the size of this baby's IVs. Be impressed. :-P

Today I finally did a male cath. It was pretty easy. I was about the fabulously stick an enormous vein in his tiny little arm but my pager went off. And then another nurse tried the vein and blew it. I was a little sad. I think I could've gotten it to work (she kept saying all day how she wasn't comfortable doing IVs.)

I also did assisted the doc with a pelvic exam all by myself. I'm not sure he really knew what he was doing...

My preceptor was sick and let me run all over the place by myself.
I loved it.

The charge nurse ordered the whole ED pizza. Because we are such hard workers.
Yummy.

I anticipated the need for a pregnancy test (that the MD forgot to order with her urinalysis) and so saved my patient several extra hours waiting for her bladder to refill before she could get xray'd and moved on to the next step.

I also caught a croupy baby getting worse before he could crash on us. I was so glad. One because he didn't crash. And two because I AM FINALLY LEARNING THE GAME!!!! Yay!

I placed another IV in a 14yo. The first one infiltrated and just reinforced my love of the lateral AC vein. From now on if I see it on a patient, that is where they are getting stuck, I don't care how nice their other veins look, the lateral AC is my baby.

Random thoughts from the day

I got a successful blood draw AND IV in a 6 week old with only ONE stick. Yes, I do still *heart* IVs.

Gwen got a list of ways to avoid catching the flu which we all committed to memory (who knew shoving q-tips soaked in salt water up your nose would do anything?)

You know you're fried when a baby accidentally scratches you while you're trying to get a pulse-ox wrapped around her finger and you silently swear at her. I instantly felt so bad (and so glad I had the self-control not to actually say it).

I like IVs

Today I got my first hand IV, my first 9 month old IV, and my first really dehydrated kid IV.

Luckily these were not all the same kid.

Long time

Work:

I *love* it. Kids are awesome, scrubs are comfy, and adrenaline is fun!
I'm getting really comfortable with IVs, which was the thing I was most worried about. My youngest successful IV was a 3 year old. Now anyone over the age of like, 7, I'm completely cool with.
I have managed to contract something from the little bioterrorists but it seems like it's already settled in my chest so hopefully it will be gone by Monday and my voice will be back. *crosses fingers*

Cincinnati:

Also loving it. :) The apt is still taking shape, much the chagrin of my savings account. Oops.
Found a church. Sounds like the last thing I'd be saying after my last post but they're still on thin ice so we'll see how it works out.

Running:

My injured knee is rehabbing very slowly I still can't run more than a quarter mile or so without it threatening to flare up so I...
...joined a gym. (Further dissappointing my savings account, as I paid for a year in advance as incentive to go.)
I'm also swimming, which has been fun. Haven't been in almost 2 weeks though due to a heavy schedule last week and being sick this week.

Random pet peeves:

People who honk their horn and try to encourage me to try to turn left into fast moving traffic....and aren't even behind me! What?
People who stop at stop signs......and then sit there. Hello, you are in everyone's way! Park somewhere else!

Happy fun-ness:

Broke out the winter clothes and blankets! *note: this will not be happy nor fun in a few weeks* Scrubs are just so much cuter when they have long sleeves under them!
VS had an amazing deal and I picked up a bunch of underwear for 2.50 each. I saved like 70% or something crazy. Yay!
TV shows are back and provide me with unending entertainment for when I'm not doing something more entertaining. Or working.