#emergency rn

[whatsyouremergency]

Thank you respiratory therapists.

Thank you EVS.

Thank you nurse’s aides.

Thank you social workers and case managers.

Thank you unit secretaries.

Thank you pharmacists and pharmacy techs.

Thank you transporters.

Thank you X-ray and CT techs.

Thank you security guards.

Thank you for being there with us and for us.

[whatsyouremergency]

Happy Nurses Week, heroes.

[whatsyouremergency]

Hey guys, what’s the consensus?

Are we still washing our hair after every shift even if we’re taking care of the non-COVID patients?

Cause I have back to back shifts and I’m tired.

[whatsyouremergency]

Hi! I hope it’s okay for me to ask a question! I’ve wanted to be in medicine since I can remember. I’m not sure why. I’ve decided (loosely) on nursing or becoming a paramedic. I am so committed to this, but I just want to know how strong does your stomach need to be to do the job?

Hey! You can ask me questions any time!

Medicine is such a fun career! Congrats on that choice! You have so many options. Explore them all and figure out your best fit.

It’s funny that I got this question today because literally yesterday I had an INCIDENT.. I have been a nurse for ten years. I went back to school and within the last year have become an advanced practice nurse. So I am fancy. I have seen some of the nastiest traumas, I have cleaned a patient covered in his own poo up to his armpits had a patient vomit into my gloved hands. None of that phased me. Then just yesterday, I had a patient who started coughing up phlegm and I gagged so hard into my N95 that my eyes watered and I started sweating.

I’m not sure if you’ve read my blog, but I’ve answered this question in the past. Yes, you need a strong stomach. No, you do not have to be completely immune to all gross bodily fluids and injuries. Every nurse/medical professional has one or two things that they can’t deal with. For me, it’s phlegm. Clearly even ten years later, it’s still phlegm. The only thing I think you really need to be 100% okay with is blood. If the site of blood makes you uneasy, you need to make sure that’s something you can get used to. Everything else becomes easier as you go. Except for phelgm. So sometimes you just gag and carry on with your day.

[whatsyouremergency]

Nobody signs up for emergency medicine because they have a death wish. We are here because we want to help. We don’t fear stressful situations, we thrive in them. In times like these, when there are so many unknowns, we may question why. Why are we risking our lives for this? Why are we showing up every day when everyone else is home?

We are trained for this. We remain calm when everyone else is panicking. We can help.

Be there for your friends who are scared, your family members who are uninformed. Do your own research and understand the changes happening everyday. Protect yourself at work. Wear PPE. Change your clothes at work before you go home. Turn off the news and social media for a while.

It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay if you panic bought toilet paper. You’re human. We are in this together. We’re all scared. But we’re also all superheroes.

[whatsyouremergency]

Me and my work bestie when we haven’t seen each other in a week.

[whatsyouremergency]

Me: Attempting to do one non-work related, time sensitive, thing while at work.

Every single one of my patients:

[whatsyouremergency]

“To all the women who silently made history.”

Happy International Women’s Day.