No patients were hurt in the writing of this blog...

Interesting day at work today! I learned an interesting fact today, it takes one 120 lb. PT to lift a pt. that 3 people cannot lift. The patient in question is not a large patient, he is just suffering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome and does not have full function or coordination of his limbs. Also, it comes down to training and technique. The poor patient cannot figure out why I can move him by myself and it took 3 other people to try and they had difficulties, as he knows that I am not Super-Woman with super strengths. I, not wanting to bash the strengths/or should I say weaknesses, of others point out that I am trained to perform such tasks, and told him that I ate my Spinach this morning and have been avoiding Kyrptonite. I then provided the other individuals with some training in the area of easier transfers.

Then, I was working on another floor, and had the "pleasure" of getting called into being the "Third Responder" for a Code Blue (Cardiac Arrest...meaning the patient doesn't have a pulse and isn't breathing). Now, normally, when a code is called, I avoid the room and stay out of the way...as I know that the nursing staff have it handled and would rather me not be present. Also, as I'm a contract staff, I do not know their roles for who is to do what. Basically, I stood there not knowing what to do (as the other two were doing CPR, the only thing I would have known how to do). Finally, the guy stopped the fake code and went over how to do it better. Then, he stopped to take time to explain the crash cart, and explain the different "roles." We then ran a second "mock code" and things ran much more smoothly. I was able to properly perform my role of "third responder" and delegated out the tasks that I couldn't perform (such as starting the IV line) and assist in the CPR. I did learn a lot, but I still prefer my strategy of just staying out of the way and let the nurses and respiratory therapist do what they do best. Of course, this isn't to say that I won't and can't do CPR, I would gladly do that to help save a person's life, I just hope that I don't have to. It is nice to know how the "code" is supposed to officially run just in case I were to ever be in the situation.