Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Being A Bruiser At Work

Time for a little post about work.   I work in a very dangerous place...dangerous in many forms, not like a policeman, fireman, or Indian Chief, but in the form of cords, wet floors, needle sticks (dirty needles),  low hanging lights, just to name a few. Items like these:
See all the wires? See the IV poles with the legs that stick out? There are also knobs on the tables that you bump into and let us have permanent  bruises on our legs.  Battle scars! But last week our good friend Donna fell in the operating room on a wet floor.   She tore her hamstring muscle on her right leg.  She gets the biggest bruise award.....Don't look if you're sqeamish!

This is the back of her thigh...bruised from the knee up! OUCH!  Then to make matters even better,  yesterday one of the Docs accidentally stabbed her with a drill point...double OUCH! Yes, we work in an interesting environment!  But I snapped this pic of Donna with another co-worker, Stephanie...Donna looks great and she's a real trooper..or she takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!
The past couple of weeks I've been helping one of our RN's...Shay, learn how to be a scrub nurse.  Here's a few pics of our adventures in scrubbing for a total hip replacement.
Getting our helmets and battery packs on so we can survive in our space suit get-ups...we call them "togas". I'm hiding behind Shay...I'm so shy!
Shay is getting all zipped in while I get her ready to be "gloved".
Toga on.....check!  Gloves on...Check!
Success!! She's laughing, I'm waving...so  lovely.
Shay turned 40 this week so of course that was reason to celebrate and bring food to work.  I  made my Greek chicken recipe the night before and Jack got up early and threw it into the oven for me...(thanks Babe!) then I took these little bits of yumminess out of the oven:
House smelled great at 6am! Then it was into a crockpot to keep warm all day and arrived at work to put them with the other tons of crockpots full of yumminess in different forms....we know how to party!
Yep, we may get bruised,  bitten, smacked by patients, stuck by needles, tripped by wires, slip on wet floors and stand for hours in space suits...but we know how to party and how to do a good job for our patients and also how to love what we do, inspite of what we do.....


18 comments:

acorn hollow said...

Poor Donna! I hope she is feeling better soon that leg must hurt!!!
I would love to attend one of your food events it looks yummy
Cathy

Julia said...

And to think that people thought I would have made a great OR nurse. I think I'm safer working with the calves. lol but the calves don have great food parties.

Poor Donna, she really is getting the bad end of the stick. That must hurt. I hope that she make a full recovery. She could always defend herself with with a big needle when that doctor tried to drill a hole in her. poor thing.

Thanks for keeping us informed hat you all came out of there alive.

I slipped once on a wet floor at the church hall and I bought some skid proof walking shoes and they are great on slippery wet floors.

Happy Valentine

Hugs,
JB

Julia said...

Please excuse my typos. I'm in a rush .
JB

Debby said...

Poor Donna. Ww, that was some fall. How could you not fall with all that going on. You have to wear helmets. My goodness, don't you get hot in all of that stuff. Somehow those goodies and surgery should not be in the same post, just kidding.

Stacy said...

That is a mean place you work in.

Kay G. said...

I am sorry for your friend's horrible bruise.
Now, I know I am terrible, but all I can think of...please let me have some of the chicken!
Could you give us the recipe?

Now, before my stomach started talking...please be careful at work! Doctor's orders! :-)

Sweet Tea said...

Just reading about this makes me squmish. So thankful for wonderful people like you who work to improve people's health and can also keep their sense of humor. Your group sounds like a GREAT group to work around. Hope Donna heals up - I also hope you gave her extra chicken since she had a Boo-Boo!

karen said...

Poor Donna - hope she's healing up ok. All in all, you work in a great place, with wonderful people. I miss having coworkers around me. Be careful and stay safe!

joanne said...

I'm so glad Donna is alright. That does sound quite dangerous but I can tell that you absolutely love it! And all the gear...wow. That sure has changed over the years eh?

PoetessWug said...

Poor Donna!...I remember all of the hospital dangers! And you didn't mention running into door edges, or fingers pinched on beds! LOL

Cheltz said...

Youch, Donna! Can't she catch a break??? And I laughed at that picture of all the crockpots :). Years of experience, I'm guessing!

Nonnie said...

I am thankful for you hard working nurses and was always impressed at how deftly my DH's amazing nurses were able to handle the maze of cords around his bed and the different wires in him. So sorry for Donna's fall and hoping she heals up quickly in every way. The bruises look very painful.
And I am interested in the recipe for that chicken, too.

Vicki Boster said...

Oh no- bless our sweet Donna!!
I know all to well about the wires and trip hazards-- I've had my share of mishaps too. Try to stay safe-- I know it's not easy!!
Vicki

rjerdee said...

Oh no, not Donna! Hasn't she been through enough? Geez...so sorry for you guys...but you are the main strongholds in the health industry. If it weren't for nurses, there'd be no health care. Keep up the enthusiasm...we depend on you and have a happy Valentine's Day!
Lots of HUGS,
Becky

MunirGhiasuddin said...

Oh Wow, I did not even realize the number of perils you all go through. I thought sleepless nights and restless empty tummy days were bad enough. Are you guys sure that you are not angels of patience?

Happy Valentine's Day to you and your loved ones from all of us in our family:)

selvageedge said...

Yikes! What a nasty bruise. I hope it is feeling better. Seeing you in your gear makes me wonder how you can all function during surgery. It kind of looks like a weird dress up challenge at a kids birthday party. Or like astronauts. :)

B. WHITTINGTON said...

Thanks, Yaya, for ordering my collection of short stories, Ezra.
I can't wait for comments, good bad or otherwise.
Enjoyed the above post. Had no idea you wore some of those mammmoth outfits. Wow. I can't say enough good things about nurses here in Ohio. R has been in the hosp over a dozen times in the last year and he's had the best. Accolades to you and all the nurses everywhere who take good care of their patients. Hugs.

Susan Anderson said...

OUCH! Why did this have to happen to Donna who's been through enough, right? Sheesh.

I'm glad they make your space suits so you have the protection you need. I would be a little nervous working in the environment you do, especially with blood and fluids.

But boy, am I glad all of you do this for us!

=)