I am a nurse in the E.R. at a local hospital, and nothing seems to faze me anymore. What I see is sometimes shocking (such as the time the father put his baby son in the freezer to stop him from crying so much--it ended up that the little fellow died; nothing could be done to save him--), but in today's screwed up world, I somehow seem to expect to see something like this.
My name is Gloria Michelle Trainor, and I am 44 years old. I have been a registered nurse going on 20 years now; and I work here at Nashville Memorial Hospital here in Nashville, Tennessee. I am married with 5 kids, and I also have 3 dogs, all Pomeranians.
I have seen everything from drug overdoses, stabbings, muggings, fatal car crashes, and whatnot, and I have seen people come into the E.R. with parts of their bodies missing or ripped off; and as hard as we try to save lives, we can't possibly save EVERY one! It is always sad when we lose somebody, but death is as part of life as is life itself, and so we must learn to accept it and go on when it DOES happen. But it is still hard, especially if it is somebody we know, or if it involves a little child, such as the little boy who had been placed into the freezer by his father.
It is also hard when I see people I know come into the Emergency Room, such as my co-worker Louisiana Sandusky's children. For example, one time, her daugher, Ronee', came in to our E.R., suffering from a bad asthma attack, and it was hard seeing her looking so blue or near unconsciousness; yet, we tried to ease her breathing troubles; and we ended up saving her life when we gave her some medicine that finally eased her blocked bronchial tubes; and in a few minutes, she was breathing much easier. Or when her son, Johnny, came in, suffering from what appeared to be meningitis. The little guy was so sick, and he appeared to be slipping away fast; but then the diagnosis was made; and we started administering the appropriate treatment, and in a few days, he started rallying back, and he then started to get better.
Johnny and Ronee' still come into our E.R. from time to time (both have chronic health problems: Johnny has muscular dystrophy, and his sister has asthma and allergies as well as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis), but both are doing well. (Well, actually, JOHNNY is; Ronee' is now in the hospital with a staph infection in her knee; she is expected to be in the hospital until sometime next week if they can get the infection under control.) We have come to expect children with chronic health problems to return to our E.R. from time to time, but when their young lives are endangered, it always makes for some very tense moments.
Besides chronically ill children, we also deal with people who are poor, homeless, stricken with communicable diseases or diseases like AIDS, people who are mentally ill or are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and people who don't speak English (Spanish is very common); and we have to treat these people as well; and it makes our tenure in the E.R. far from being dull. We deal with everything from sneezing, coughing, or crying babies with nothing more than colds or ear infections to something as major as workers being injured in a factory explosion or fire; and we have to treat them according to the severity of their injuries or illness. Sometimes people who have been waiting for a while get overlooked; but when someone comes into our E.R., gasping for air, or their heart has stopped, their care comes first over somebody who may have something like a sprained ankle or a broken wrist. It may not seem fair to prolong these people's pain, but this is how it often is when it involves an emergency when someone's life is being threatened. The person with the breathing problem or stopped heart is always going to be looked at first, no questions asked. Their lives are in danger, so they have to be treated first, over anyone else. The same applies to those who are bleeding uncontrollably.
I love my job; it is challenging, never dull, and each day brings on a new set of challenges. I have always wanted to be a nurse, ever since I was really little; and when I started to go to college and attend medical school, it was a dream come true for me; and I have NOT been sorry that I have chosen the career I have. If I can make a difference in one person's life and try to help them feel better, then my job is worth it, and it just makes my job all the more rewarding and fulfilling!
Want to review or comment on this short story?
Need a FREE Reader Membership?
Reviewed by Robert Blackwell
7/11/2003
Nurses and teachers...the two most precious professions in society. Nicely done, my friend. **kotc**
Spoken Word
This CD will touch the deepest inner part of your humanness and spirit, you will never be the same after listening to the depths of struggle, the reality of life, the touching voice of truth. It will shock you, move you to tears. It w
Suspenseful and close to home, Rain of Deception 2 will leave you in Tears. Much like Part 1, this will shocking sequel will keep you on the edge of your fingertips.
Believe you me, I have seen it all at my job!
