Downtown

Well, I had forgotten just how sick some of the folks can be when they come into the hospital. Especially the big level 1 trauma centers, they get it all. Here in Phoenix there are a few, 3 I think, level 1 trauma centers. Since the population of Arizona is largely in 2 main cities (Phoenix and Tucson) and then there are lots of little communities throughout the state, when someone is really sick they send them to Phoenix. This is my first week in my new position, I have had one patient with a chest tube, pca and epidural both of which were set up as pca's...yes, she could control the bupivicaine in her epidural, which was in for the sole purpose of controlling the pain at her chest tube site. Never seen that before. I also had a patient with 2 chest tubes, one was attached to a little accordian looking collection bag (never seen that before) an ng tube, a g tube, a foley and a picc line. The ng was to wall suction plus he was using a yankaur suction for his saliva so, we had to get the old fashioned portable suction. Yeah, more tubes than I have seen in a year, I got them all in a week. They call that initiation by fire. The nurses I worked with, although inexperienced, were very helpful and friendly.
I am getting used to the drive, still not liking it, but, getting used to it. Wish me luck. Non noc nocere.