Tuesday, January 01, 2008

It's A New Year, It's A New Year, It's A New Year...

An odd shift.

'Remedial' duty for me and another Reg. Something to do with NYE being busy... Whouldathunkit?

Felt off my game all shift; probably because I was so very tired. It happens. The Department had a fairly steady stream of trauma. I suspect BBP will have a better write up than I.

However...

This sums up NYE in an ED for me:

Half eleven:
Quiet, ish. Not too many waitin', minors or majors. All is calm.

Midnight:
Jolly nurses and doctors patrol the Department, wishing all and sundry a Happy New Year.

Midnight plus one minute:
An hysterical woman is suddenly there, out of nowhere, as if by **whammo** special BeerMonkey magic, wailing and gnashing teeth, having consumed slightly more than her bodyweight in alcohol, hence her presentation.

Midnight plus two minutes:
The Department is now full of people whose only reason for being there appears to be that they can't handle their beer. And most (all) of the local Police.

So: to sum up...

All quiet; Shroom looks left. He looks back, and there is a screaming crying woman in an ethanolic miasma. He rubs his eyes. He opens them and suddenly cannot move for Police. And drunk shouty men.

Instant transformation. Amazing.

I don't wish to generalise, but I am never surprised by how the drunk ladies are mostly tearful, and the fellas punchy.

I think the most satisfying thing I did was help an old geezer, steaming drunk, hold himself up to take a pee. Sometimes, I guess, it's the little things.

Well, I hope you all had a good one, free from blunt head trauma.

PostScript
For those of you who strayed to BBP, I did indeed give myself a papercut; then another identical one, just to prove the first wasn't a fluke. I thought about booking in... But my manners aren't as good as he seems to be implying...

5 comments:

Nurse Sandra May said...

Hey- BBP said you took an SVT (why is it popping up all over place now!) Anyway, how come everytime i rock up in the ED they never get me to blow in a syringe. Surely, it would be much simpler to do that than fart around for hours like i always end up doing?

Argh!

Patient Anonymous said...

Hey there. Glad you made it through. And glad you could help "steamin'" take a pee. If nothing more you saved the cleaners some work?

No blunt head trauma for me--except for maybe some boredom? I stayed home and debated just going to bed before the clock struck midnight. I ended making it, cuddled up under the duvet with a book until 2008 was official.

Take care Shroomy,
PA

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a way to ring in the new year!

Hope you had a happy Christmas, and a good 2008.

Unknown said...

Mmmm. I hope your 2008 is improving. Mightily.

I think "drunk shouty men" is about the finest descriptive phrase I have heard all year. I like that and like your blog. Hang in there, buddy. It is bound to improve.

yours truly,
Mrs. Laundress

Chrysalis said...

I'm checking in on you Shroom, you know I've been in and out with my checking. Hang in there.