I'm just home now for a short while, after my first medsurg shift. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, except that it would be busy for me. I guess I was expecting busy but doing more or less routine things.
It wasn't quite that way. For the most part, yes, but I'm currently coming down from an adrenaline rush -- I'm realizing I'm perhaps more of an adrenaline junkie than I realized.
I met all kinds of patients today, some very nice, some not so much. The nice ones were truly lovely.
Then there was my patient who I went to take a set of vitals on, who congestion was audible when you entered the room and was breathing quickly, using the accessory muscles/retractions and the tracheal tug that I'd read about in textbooks (it's really something to see in real life -- I didn't realize it would look quite that dramatic!). I couldn't get his O2 sats - I tried and tried, then got a different machine and tried again on his toes, and finally got a reading -- 68% and his legs were cool and mottling.
I got help quickly. They were still working on him when I finally left the hospital tonight, but he seemed to be breathing a bit easier.
I was breathing a bit easier too.
I did something good and useful in my work today. What an awesome feeling.
I can see how one would learn so much working on a medsurg floor. But I also love the idea of specializing where you're working on a 1:1 ratio and being an expert in your particular field.
So many options, so many choices. Again, what an awesome feeling.
I'm loving this!!!
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