And I do my job so well

My last shift made me feel like I've mad a difference in a person's life for the legit first time.

I had a pt who needed an IV because of being on IV antibiotics and the doc wouldn't consent to an oral route. So I asked a colleague to help me out - they were a difficult stick and have had plenty of sticks so I figured I would get the best instead of rumagging around in their arms trying to find meself one! Well after break we managed to get a chance to get a go at it.... we both go in the room.... and JUST as she sticks my pt....

OFF GOES THE CODE BLUE ALARM

Now a few months back we were getting sooooo many fake alarms because of the ppl who designed the building and made the code blue buttons look like they could be call buttons..... so they put a shield over them to defer ppl from doing this..... now when they're pushed they're usually legit.

So our unit doesn't actually have our own code blue cart.... we have an AED.... BUT we ARE just down the road from one (we are next to cardiology and they have PLENTY of legit codes so it's only apt that they have their own!)...

Well it just so happens that where my pt's room is is riiiiiight across from where we store the cart (incl suction and oxygen tank in case the wall one doesn't work).... so because I wasn't being used in my own pt's room I went racing out and grabbed said stuff and raced to the room where the code was.

Upon entering the pt was in high fowlers so I immediately dropped the bed flat while a different colleague applied a non-rebreather... as we were getting this all done EVERYONE arrived.... the code team - the ICU team and of course all of my unit colleagues....

The ICU nurse handed over the CPR board.... while someone else applied leads on the pt and yet another went about hooking up the suction in the room....

The ICU nurse yells out "everyone stop we need to see if there's a pulse"

She subsequently checks for a femoral...

Nope, nothing.... "OK, start CPR"

Well my colleague, bless her heart, is vertically inclined and said that she would do CPR - ya I stepped on that one and told her ya right (oh ya, for some god unknown reason someone had put the bed HIIIIIIIIIIGH in the air) so there was NOOOOO way that she was getting to this guy's chest in order to start compressions! I told her to lower the bed and I would start CPR...

And goodness did I.... all that was going through my head was getting the rhythm right and the depth.... and immediately as I pushed down on this guy's chest did I hear (and feel) the "crack" of breaking ribs..... geeze it felt like I broke his damn sternum! And for the next 5-6 compressions I broke more ribs.... the thing that was going through my head at the time was "well if I'm breaking them then I'm doing something right!".... then time seemed to make me realize that I'm supposed to be counting for 60 compressions so that this guy could get some breaths!.... so off I go counting.

About 3/4 of the way there the RT decides that they're going to intubate and so off they go trying to put a tube in this guy..... and boy did they yank on his jaw and neck trying to get him intubated.... hell I could even see down his throat!!! But at least he was able to be intubated!

Then the lead doc decides that I had done CPR for long enough and declares that I need to change places.... so I stop.... and they check for his pulse....

SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!! A steady rhythm with a pretty good BP!

People seem to calm down and we wait a few minutes watching him and waiting to see if his heart will stop again.... and thankfully it didn't.

We got him stabilized and transported him to ICU where he started to come to and actually trying to move.... ALL a fabulous sign!

I can't wait to go back to work and find out what has happened since. It was all very thrilling to be a part of this and to actually be successful! To think that I actually DID something to bring LIFE back to someone! And trust me, you could see the INSTANT that life came back to his body. It was magnificent! THIS is the reason why I love nursing.... why I want to work in critical care.... to make such an astounding difference in someone's life.