The morning starts with a bang.
Doctor’s gather in the hallway, rainbow lorikeets coming to roost.
Bedside, the red button is pushed, “don’t worry M…, lots of people will arrive soon, you need some extra help.”
Blue curtains whooshed back,
“Need me to call?” “Yep”
A seamless dance begins, crash-trolley in, furniture back, medics swoop, a nurse tells the story “this is M… 70-year old lady with ……”
A junior doc kneels, tap tap taping, looking for a vein, another, stethoscope in ears listens to M’s lungs, two others confer, “we need to, I think, lets ….”
M shaking, her face sheet-white, the nurse soothes, another preps an IV, checks the existing spaghetti (where will it fit?) another documents events.
Diagnosis ✔️treatment ✔️plan ✔️, then, quick as they arrived, the docs are gone, M’s crisis under control (for now.)
She’s exhausted, eyes shut.
Button-pushing nurse clears up the mini-medical hurricane, face frowny, day just starting, thinking of her other patients, two of immediate concern, ‘dropped down’ from ICU lady, a crumpled tiny heap in the bed, numerous lines, pumps, drains, catheter too, massive wound, not out of the woods yet, needing skilled nursing care and TLC.
And the other, a far-too-young-to-be-dying woman, her carefully prescribed painkiller regime, NEEDING it when she buzzes (wouldn’t you?) rages, shouts at a minutes delay. Hope she’s ok?
The nurse wonders how her holding-down-the-fort buddy is going? Teamwork really is the dream work here.
In the background a sweet elderly lady, buzz, buzz, buzzes, shouts “my drugs, where are my drugs? I WANT them” upset, out of her normal routine, “I know, i’m very sorry, bringing them now” placates.
Rest of the day is difficult, a chasing tails day, every small thing that could go wrong, does.
With a push the nurses finish, satisfied, spent, needing a bit of TLC themselves.
Chatting on the way out, slowly leaving hospital world behind, enjoying the sight of the blue sky, warm sun on skin.
Arriving home, “how was work?”
“Fine.” How to explain?
The nurse eats, sleeps, rests body and brain, preparing to do it all over again. Tomorrow will be better.