Doctor’s gather in the hallway like rainbow lorikeets coming to roost.
Bedside, a red button on the wall 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 lungs, two others confer, “we need to, I think, lets….”
M is shaking, pale-faced, her 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 is under control (for now.)
She’s exhausted, eyes shut.
Button-pushing nurse, her day just starting, clears up the mini-medical hurricane, face frowny, thinking what’s next, of her other patients, especially ‘dropped down’ from ICU lady, a crumpled tiny heap in the bed, numerous lines, pumps and drains in – situ, catheter too, massive wound, not out of the woods yet, needing much skilled nursing care and TLC
The nurse also wonders where her holding-down-the-fort buddy is? How’s she going? Teamwork really is the dream work here.
Meantime sweet elderly patient, buzz, buzz, buzzes, shouts “my drugs, where are my drugs? I WANT them” upset, out of her normal routine, “i’m very sorry, I know, bringing them now” placates her.
Rest of the day is difficult, a chasing tails day, every small thing that could go wrong, does.
With a massive 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 their skin.
Arriving home, “how was work?”
“Fine”
The nurse eats, sleeps, rests body and brain, preparing to do it all over again. Tomorrow will be better.