My first real work

So today was my first 12-hour shift...it was AWESOME!

So I started "work" at 0630 this morning and I woke up at 0500 to make sure I'm not late. When I finally got to the hospital though - around 0545 - the parking attendant for the parking lot that I usually go to wasn't even there yet! So I went looking around for an electronically-attended parking lot and I found one...for a much cheaper rate too! Early-birds (before 0930...pfft I'm so early, I should get 50% off the early-bird price) only pay $7 for the daily maximum. Remember the last place I usually go to cost $10 for the whole day...one small problem though...they don't take bills and I only had $20s in my wallet =_='' So I scoured the car for some change and came up with about $4...that will last me one hour....so then I decided to not do it at all b/c as soon as I walk into that hospital I'm not walking out until 7:00 PM. So reluctantly....I went into the hospital's parking lot...for $20!! T_T but tomorrow I know what to expect =P I will trade my $20s for change and keep it in the car for parking every day. Anyhow, my work day lies ahead of me...and I couldn't stay to mourn my parking money...so at 0620, I was already in the Department and the Shift Report took place for the next 30 minutes.

Shift Report is like a briefing that the Day staff get from the Night staff regarding patients who are under the care of Respiratory Therapy Department (whether they be in Wards or Emergency Dept.) and all ICU Patients...the Day staff will brief the Night staff also at 1830.

So...some highlights from my day..one of the chronically home- ventilated patients had to come into the hospital by ambulance because she wasn't doing too well at home and my preceptor was paged to the ED to wait for her. Turns out our patient was known to the hospital because we weren't the only ones paged...when she finally arrived, there were a total of 5 RTs (2 of whom were students), 3 Residents, and at least 2 Nurses....there was a welcoming party for this woman!! and when she came in...she was surprisingly doing quite well...I was almost expecting a Code to happen...but no such "luck".

Another thing we did today was I learned how to test these really old ventilators that the school does not even teach us anymore...we are taught a number of modern-day ventilators, but this hospital still runs about 10 of the old, annoying kind...it was still using dials and monochrome screens =_='' I was so used to touchscreens and multicoloured screens and digital information readouts....I had one needle-based pressure readout =_=''

Alright that's long enough, I will now go eat some oatmeal and get ready for a day off tomorrow!! =D gd night y'all!!