chest x-ray were sent to radiology. Habit got the better of her, and she scanned through the chart, seeing why the patient was admitted and what medications were ordered. Everything seemed to be in order so she took the chart to the nurse.
She still hadn’t gone into a patient room because she was too scared. If a code came in, she knew she would have to do CPR or help with the intubation. That made her nervous. What if she did it incorrectly and cracked the patient’s sternum? She doubted herself in every single way, double checking her every move.
Suzie, the other tech, sat beside her. “You seem nervous.”
Alexandra shrugged. “It’s the first day…”
“Are you going into the medical field?”
“Uh…I’m not sure.”
Suzie raised an eyebrow. “Then why are you a tech?”
“It sounded like an interesting job.”
“Well, let me know if you have any questions. I’ve been working here for a few years.”
“Thanks,” Alexandra said. “I appreciate it.”
When it got slow in the ER, Alexandra sorted through the charts, making sure nothing was missing. She tried to be discreet about it so the nurses wouldn’t assume she was being nosey. After what happened to her, she was paranoid something would go wrong.
“Alex,” the charge nurse said. “Can you do a wound cleaning for room six?”
“Uh, sure,” she said. The anxiety flooded her body.
Suzie eyed her, noticing the fear on her face.
Alexandra grabbed her kit and washed her hands before she walked in the room. The patient had a soiled bandage on his back. She followed everything by the book and went through every step. The wound was extremely red, full of viscous blood. At least it wasn’t extremely infected. When she finished, she felt a little more confident. She grabbed his chart and looked over the paperwork. He had an IV placed into his left hand so she looked at the order, seeing it was for normal saline. Naturally, she checked the bag to verify. When she saw it was penicillin, the panic set in. She took a deep breath and assured herself it was written on the chart. His wound wasn’t seriously infected, so she didn’t see the necessity of IV antibiotics, but she wasn’t a doctor. She looked through the chart but didn’t see the order. Instead, she saw his list of allergies. Penicillin was one of them. Now she felt dizzy. She immediately went to the machine and stopped the IV, checking to see how much was let in the bolus. She was disconcerted to see the bag was almost completed.
Alexandra immediately left the room and stood still, trying to figure out what to do. She needed to act fast. She went to the charge nurse first. “Betty, I was going over this patient’s chart and I found that a bolus of saline was ordered.”
She stared at Alexandra like she was nothing but a nuisance.
Alexandra continued on. “But a bag of penicillin is hooked up instead. And he’s allergic to that antibiotic.”
Her eyes widened. She took the chart from her hand then skimmed through it. She immediately walked into the room then returned a moment later. Her face was stoic but the panic was set in. “Thank you, Alex.” She walked into the doctor’s office and he came running out a second later. Elisa, the nurse for that room, looked up from her desk, confused.
Dr. Kenley came out a moment later. “Call Miami Medical Center. This is beyond our equipment.”
Alexandra immediately made the call and the chopper arrived. They got the patient out of the emergency room and onto the helipad on top of the roof. With the amount of antibiotic in his blood stream, Alexandra wasn’t sure what would happen. But this hospital was too small to take care of it.
When everyone came back to the ER, the charge nurse took Elisa aside. A few minutes later, she was crying, grabbing her stuff from her desk.
Alexandra felt horrible. She was pretty sure Elisa just got sacked. Elisa came to Alexandra and glared at her. “You could have came to me first.” The
She still hadn’t gone into a patient room because she was too scared. If a code came in, she knew she would have to do CPR or help with the intubation. That made her nervous. What if she did it incorrectly and cracked the patient’s sternum? She doubted herself in every single way, double checking her every move.
Suzie, the other tech, sat beside her. “You seem nervous.”
Alexandra shrugged. “It’s the first day…”
“Are you going into the medical field?”
“Uh…I’m not sure.”
Suzie raised an eyebrow. “Then why are you a tech?”
“It sounded like an interesting job.”
“Well, let me know if you have any questions. I’ve been working here for a few years.”
“Thanks,” Alexandra said. “I appreciate it.”
When it got slow in the ER, Alexandra sorted through the charts, making sure nothing was missing. She tried to be discreet about it so the nurses wouldn’t assume she was being nosey. After what happened to her, she was paranoid something would go wrong.
“Alex,” the charge nurse said. “Can you do a wound cleaning for room six?”
“Uh, sure,” she said. The anxiety flooded her body.
Suzie eyed her, noticing the fear on her face.
Alexandra grabbed her kit and washed her hands before she walked in the room. The patient had a soiled bandage on his back. She followed everything by the book and went through every step. The wound was extremely red, full of viscous blood. At least it wasn’t extremely infected. When she finished, she felt a little more confident. She grabbed his chart and looked over the paperwork. He had an IV placed into his left hand so she looked at the order, seeing it was for normal saline. Naturally, she checked the bag to verify. When she saw it was penicillin, the panic set in. She took a deep breath and assured herself it was written on the chart. His wound wasn’t seriously infected, so she didn’t see the necessity of IV antibiotics, but she wasn’t a doctor. She looked through the chart but didn’t see the order. Instead, she saw his list of allergies. Penicillin was one of them. Now she felt dizzy. She immediately went to the machine and stopped the IV, checking to see how much was let in the bolus. She was disconcerted to see the bag was almost completed.
Alexandra immediately left the room and stood still, trying to figure out what to do. She needed to act fast. She went to the charge nurse first. “Betty, I was going over this patient’s chart and I found that a bolus of saline was ordered.”
She stared at Alexandra like she was nothing but a nuisance.
Alexandra continued on. “But a bag of penicillin is hooked up instead. And he’s allergic to that antibiotic.”
Her eyes widened. She took the chart from her hand then skimmed through it. She immediately walked into the room then returned a moment later. Her face was stoic but the panic was set in. “Thank you, Alex.” She walked into the doctor’s office and he came running out a second later. Elisa, the nurse for that room, looked up from her desk, confused.
Dr. Kenley came out a moment later. “Call Miami Medical Center. This is beyond our equipment.”
Alexandra immediately made the call and the chopper arrived. They got the patient out of the emergency room and onto the helipad on top of the roof. With the amount of antibiotic in his blood stream, Alexandra wasn’t sure what would happen. But this hospital was too small to take care of it.
When everyone came back to the ER, the charge nurse took Elisa aside. A few minutes later, she was crying, grabbing her stuff from her desk.
Alexandra felt horrible. She was pretty sure Elisa just got sacked. Elisa came to Alexandra and glared at her. “You could have came to me first.” The
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