Another Night Shift

Another night shift. Last one on my rotation. Its always easiest to
stay awake and alert on the third one. I mean your body has gotten
used to the time shift so you aren't dragging as much but you also
know that after the last one you just have to get back into day mode.
Won't have to worry about that for a few days at least.

Tonight started off slow enough. Get called to a 15 year old girl
hanging outside one of the local Ice Cream Shoppe in need of a
psychiatric evaluation.

Before starting this job I had no idea how well adjusted I actually
was as a child. Nowadays I find many of our psychs are young kids,
having trouble relating to their parents and likewise their parents to
them.

This girl was no different. She was very manic and happy to get into
the ambulance. It was a short ride to the ER but more than enough
time for her to tell me an abbreviated life story filled with strife
and fights with her mother. Tonight it had escalated to "I wish you
were dead" statements. The girl had tried to cut her wrist with a
pair of scissors. I looked at it and thought to myself that I could
probably do a better job with a McDonalds straw. She did not want to
die. She was just looking for someone to actually pay attention to
her and listen to her story. More often than not thats what we end up
dealing with. Of course some people are a little more aggressive and
successful with their attempts but some of these people have years of
practice trying this. So I lent an ear and noted everything, giving
the nurse a good report as I turned this girl over to her care.

Later I met the girls mother, she refused to take her home and when it
was explained to her she would be charged with neglect she said a few
choice words and walked out of the ER, refusing to take her daughter
home.

Our next call was for a complaint of chest pains. A sweet little lady
of 93, lives alone, and who was just about to go to sleep after
letting her cat in and felt pain on the left side of her chest, she
thought it was just gas pains but it is best to get checked out. Many
elderly are afraid to actually go to the hospital. In their later
years they value their independence more than anything. So following
the chest pain protocol, Oxygen, Baby Aspirin, Nitroglycerin, and a 12
lead EKG and a short 5 minute drive to the ER, we turn her over to the
night staff.

Then it is off to grab coffee, straighten up the ambulance and be
ready for the next call. This is life.