Tales from the hospital ward

 Patient flow in the emergency department is a big deal. Just like if you kink the hose with the tap on full the hose will eventually burst off the tap and water flows out everywhere you dont want it to be. But some nurses who work on quiet, in control wards, (Paediatrics wards are a prime example), don't get this concept. At handover its hard to hear what is being said for so many reasons. There are lots of people in a small space, many talking loudly to get their voice heard over others. Its noisy. The nurse giving handover is behind a mask and a face shield. Its really difficult to hear what they say in the best of circumstances. Handover has just finished in the Emergency department. It is overflowing. Beds with the incoming are lining the corridors. The Ambos are standing with their patients in the airlocks. Ok, so I didn't get the full identification on the mother and child in this scenario. Handover is finished, and I am asked to take mother and child to the Paediatric w...

 Saturday Morning. I wake up feeling mentally dragged through a prickly hedge, all scratched up. My thoughts are fixated on the behaviours of these aggressive, demanding people. The situation. Its Friday, I am a relief nurse, and on this day I am sent to work a shift in an adult mental health, low dependency unit. Background After handover, I have 5 consumers allocated to me, I go to the room of my one of my allocated consumers. In the room, there is a16 yr old girl, lying in bed appearing to read a novel, who, told me to   “F off, get out of my room.” She is refusing to eat or drink and has deep, self inflicted wounds. She is refusing to allow staff to look at the wounds. She stays in the bed for some six hours. Later, at end of shift, she craftily comes out to the social area and sits with a real weirdo guy doing a jigsaw, and they have a happy little chat. More than likely she sneaks food while she is there. She makes it appear that she is not eating to prove her point. She...

  I am not, as predicted by a divorce lawyer, a "lonely old woman". I have been freed from the entrapment of a controlling relationship. At 60, I am realisticly aware that any new relationship will quickly deteriorate into a burden. Waking up with another old fart would be depressing I couldn’t deal with their toileting issues           Integrating them into my family would not work             I would feel compelled to:                                                                                                      cook and clean for them      take them to medical appointments   ...

 Gurgling. the old italian was gurgling. There was a collection of fluid at the back of his throat that he could not swallow.   It was 730 am. The assistant fed him a 1/2 cup of juice and a spoonful of cornflakes with milk for breakfast. He then pushed her away and swore at her. He was assessed as a high risk of aspiration- he was sitting bolt up right in bed, and was given food when wide awake After about 45mins   the old man started coughing and coughing, choking, spitting everywhere, spluttering, vomiting. He pushed away the yankeur sucker that i tried to shove into his mouth, he got really angry with me for continuing to try, and swore at me in Italian. It lasted at least 30 mins.   Loud, blustering coughing, on and on. The 3 co patients were all crying , “save him”, “some body do something”. “Please stop it”. “I cant stand it”.   The room sounded like a cacophony of mayhem and madness. Finally the old man coughed up enough to be able to breathe again. When ...