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Linda's Email to Cathy: The Importance of Being a NurseDear
Cathy,
I feel compelled to share this with story with you. Patty and I
were discussing the disunity in nurse world on our plane ride home, a flight we were not
supposed to be on, but now believe we were for a reason.
As we were discussing all that you all have done and all that is
left to do, we noticed a stewardess running up the aisle with an oxygen tank. I
went up to see if we could help, and with one look at the man at the other end,
motioned for Patty immediately.
We were just 45 minutes into a 2+ hour flight,
with a Nepalese man who spoke no English, barely conscious, weak pulse in 40-50
range, and that wonderful ashen color we all know and love.
The flight attendants wouldn't open their emergency kit without some
documentation of a license from one of us, I searched my wallet frantically
until I found my first RN card. That was enough. We got the kit, got a
bp (70/palp).
To make a very long next hour and 15 minutes short, on a very
turbulent flight we were able to start a line, ration the 1 liter of IV fluids
we had (the second 500cc bag of which had a leak, and had to be held clamped so
as to not lose all the fluid) to keep his blood pressure up enough to keep him alive, Patty
doing all of this with severe motion sickness, at one point losing it into her
barf bag and never letting go of that man's wrist, checking for his
pulse.
We coordinated with an MD on the ground, arranged with the captain
to clear all traffic, and get us down and to an awaiting ambulance. Our thought, as
one of about 15 meds he had on him was Lasix, was that his potassium had dropped
to an extremely dangerous level.
Anyway, I bring all this up because a neurosurgeon was the only other medical person on the flight. He was a very nice guy, and I
mean no disrespect, but he held the O2 tank. When asked to spike the second
bag, he looked at me as if I were speaking Nepalese! And the quote of the day
from him, as the paramedics arrived to get the man to a hospital after landing,
was "I'm just a neurosurgeon, you need to talk to those two nurses. They did
everything."
I was proud that day to be a nurse. We are a
strong breed trained to adapt to any situation and perform. I believe we earned
the respect of the passengers, flight crew and one very scared looking
neurosurgeon that day, (not to mention the patient and his family, and we found
out later, an FAA inspector sitting a couple rows behind!) and my hope is that
all those people go home and tell their family and friends what two nurses from
Colorado did that day on that plane.
This is what and whom we are fighting for,
and healthcare workers of all types or worth that fight. It is not something
that any one of us, spent and worn out from a tough few days or weeks, wouldn't
have done in a second, because that is what we do and the type of people we
are. We feel ready to continue
to fight the fight here in Colorado for a better
working environment for our healthcare workers. Just thought I would share our story to remind all of us of the big
picture.
Best Wishes,
Linda
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