Gross
It had been a pretty busy, fast paced night with the usual collection of head injuries, gallbladder attacks, fractures, psychos, chest painers, gastroenteritises (gastroenteriti?) and such. Finally we had cleared out the ER and settled down for a little break.Ding! One more patient rang the bell.
No problem, a teenager with an upper respiratory infection.
In and out. It was late, or early (depending on your perspective) and we were all sort of spaced out in the 4 am daze. So I didn't immediately notice the wadded-up pile of sheets, blankets, and gown next to her. Or the wrinkled sheet sort of covering the stretcher, or the obviously used pillow. The patient didn't seem to notice either, nor did her parents. Finally, I did.
"Is this your pile of stuff, or was it already here?" I asked.
"It was there when we got here" she said.
She had just sat down next to the pile.
Nasty. I predict a scathing Press-Ganey.
Labels: nightshifts, nurses, patients, teenagers, WTF