Pio Nono Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 JMJ 7/9 - Fourteenth Wednesday Hi everyone. My name is Pio, and I'm a traumaholic. Has anyone on PM ever worked in an emergency room? I'm on my Clinical Pastoral Experience (C.P.E.) this summer, and every few days I am the chaplain "on call" for 24 hours. What that means is that, should a level-1 trauma come in to the hospital, I get called in to the emergency room (mostly to deal with the family of the patient). At first I was terrified. Poor Fr. Pontifex had to put up with my sleepless nights, and he still has to pretend to listen to my emergency room stories. However, I got called in this morning at about 1:30, and I was pumped! A lot of the doctors and nurses in the emergency room tell me that they feel the same way, so I'm assuming that being a "trauma junkie" is normal...? I'll be glad when I'm done, but for now, I'm enjoying being on call! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picchick Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 [quote name='Pio Nono' post='1595890' date='Jul 9 2008, 09:43 AM']JMJ 7/9 - Fourteenth Wednesday Hi everyone. My name is Pio, and I'm a traumaholic. Has anyone on PM ever worked in an emergency room? I'm on my Clinical Pastoral Experience (C.P.E.) this summer, and every few days I am the chaplain "on call" for 24 hours. What that means is that, should a level-1 trauma come in to the hospital, I get called in to the emergency room (mostly to deal with the family of the patient). At first I was terrified. Poor Fr. Pontifex had to put up with my sleepless nights, and he still has to pretend to listen to my emergency room stories. However, I got called in this morning at about 1:30, and I was pumped! A lot of the doctors and nurses in the emergency room tell me that they feel the same way, so I'm assuming that being a "trauma junkie" is normal...? I'll be glad when I'm done, but for now, I'm enjoying being on call! [/quote] I AM A TOTAL [size=4]TOTAL [/size][size=2]Truama junkie...just ask my family. It is crazy. Someday I want to be a flight nurse which is like a paramedic but we will go to real bad truamas. I also plan on working in the ER someday. [/size] Firetrucks and ambulances are my thing. I love seeing them drive by with lights and sirens!! It is soooo awesome! When I worked in the hospital as a student nurse I had the opportunity to go to the ER from truama reds/yellows. For me it was so cool. My heart would be racing as I tried not to run through the hospital. (THAT alone took a lot out of me) When I got to the ER they would put me right into the room and the trauma coordinator would start explaining to me what was going on. I was like a fly on the wall at that point but it was soooooo cool. During my senior year I was able to actually take part in a serious case. They man came in with diabetic ketoacidosis and everything was moving rapidly. I felt so at home jumping in and doing thing I knew I could do. It was totally awesome. When everyone calmed down one of the nurses turned to me and asked me who I was...she thought I worked there Welcome to the truama junkie club!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkwright Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 ew.... blood and guts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picchick Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 YUM! I mean that in a very junkie sorta way....i live off of this stuff! I used to watch EMERGENCY!...this is what got me started onto this whole kick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkwright Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 My mom is a med surg RN. Sadly she can't tell us any of her stories because we'd all get sick. One day she came home and had blood on her scrubs, we freaked (my sister, dad, and myself... even the dogs I swear!). Since then, mom doesn't get hugs until she changes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I was a member of a medical explorer post in highschool (my mom wanted me to be a doctor). I liked the ER and morgue. Once you get over the initial EW factor, the adrenaline kicks in. I think that may be where you are at. There is a weird feeling that comes from seeing into people's private lives. Cops, priests, doctors, lawyers, EMT's see people at their most vulnerable, learn all their secrets, and there is a feeling of power that comes from that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picchick Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 (edited) [quote name='CatherineM' post='1595965' date='Jul 9 2008, 10:53 AM']I was a member of a medical explorer post in highschool (my mom wanted me to be a doctor). I liked the ER and morgue. Once you get over the initial EW factor, the adrenaline kicks in. I think that may be where you are at. There is a weird feeling that comes from seeing into people's private lives. Cops, priests, doctors, lawyers, EMT's see people at their most vulnerable, learn all their secrets, and there is a feeling of power that comes from that.[/quote] EXACTLY!! Except I am not in the power feeling...except the power to help them at their most vulnerable time. All sick people in a hospital are vulnerable but there is something about traumas that make it even more so... Edit: By the way...this is like my favorite thread right now Thanks, Father Edited July 9, 2008 by picchick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pio Nono Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 JMJ 7/9 - St Andrew Kim Taegon [quote name='picchick' post='1595977' date='Jul 9 2008, 10:56 AM']Edit: By the way...this is like my favorite thread right now Thanks, Father [/quote] Not a priest yet...eleven more months. Thanks for the promotion, though. Yeah, it's crazy - I don't feel like I'm on a power trip, but it's definitely a psychological rush. Even when it's not category-1 stuff (which, incidentally, indicates severe trauma like puncture wounds, traumatic amputation, depressive skull fractures, &c.), I still get a rush when I hear the lady on the intercom say, "Attention, Code Blue, Room xxxx". I have to resist the urge to run straight there. The only thing that makes me question this feeling is that, in order to respond to a trauma, some sort of trauma actually has to occur. Answering a Code Black (massive casualties, i.e. more than fifty category-1 injuries at once) would give me such a high, but at the same time someone actually has to be hurt... I'm addicted to traumahol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkwright Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 You two... hahah... remind me not to get hurt near your hospitals. I'd hate to have some trauma junkies trying to save me as their all 'high' on my injuries! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picchick Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 [quote name='Pio Nono' post='1596032' date='Jul 9 2008, 11:45 AM']JMJ 7/9 - St Andrew Kim Taegon Not a priest yet...eleven more months. Thanks for the promotion, though. Yeah, it's crazy - I don't feel like I'm on a power trip, but it's definitely a psychological rush. Even when it's not category-1 stuff (which, incidentally, indicates severe trauma like puncture wounds, traumatic amputation, depressive skull fractures, &c.), I still get a rush when I hear the lady on the intercom say, "Attention, Code Blue, Room xxxx". I have to resist the urge to run straight there. The only thing that makes me question this feeling is that, in order to respond to a trauma, some sort of trauma actually has to occur. Answering a Code Black (massive casualties, i.e. more than fifty category-1 injuries at once) would give me such a high, but at the same time someone actually has to be hurt... I'm addicted to traumahol. [/quote] I thought you were a priest Sorry...when will you become one? Man...Code Blacks would be a hay day for me. And I too hear the code blue and want to run there One of the Trauma Yellows (Category II type thing...Trauma Red would be Cat. I) that I went to was REALLY awesome. The lady twisted her ankle and her bones popped out of her leg. It was really cool for me because I had the opportunity that none of the doctors or nurses did. She was really upset about this and I had the time to help make her comfortable. After her surgery she ended up on my floor I was super excited because there was some continuity of care. There is a definite rush though that goes on. Parades are crazy for me because I get that rush just hearing the sirens [quote name='rkwright' post='1596042' date='Jul 9 2008, 11:52 AM']You two... hahah... remind me not to get hurt near your hospitals. I'd hate to have some trauma junkies trying to save me as their all 'high' on my injuries![/quote] Yeah but what better way TO get saved! Because we'd love what we're doing and we'd do it right as a result. I CAN'T WAIT TO BE AN ER/FLIGHT RN!! I wish I had the experience under my belt already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachael Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Never worked there, but I've been there a couple of times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I almost passed out after watching my first EGD (upper G.I. endoscopic procedure). I don't think trauma is the place for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StColette Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Never worked in the ER lol but I've visited there quite a few times lately lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosieranna Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 My mom is an advanced practice nurse and is a total trauma junkie. She absolutely LOVES codes. She also enjoys lancing boils, but that grosses out me and my sister. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I got over being a trauma junkie when I became a trauma patient. The tubes aren't so fun when they are poking out of your own body. Now I'm into forensics shows instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now