Nursing Notes

I work in an ER and we see suicides all the time. And we get at least 3 suicidal ideations a night. We all care about you. I promise, we do. A team of complete strangers who have worked 3+ 12 hour shifts this week who are being screamed at all day and night and probably haven’t had lunch and trust me, we still love you and care about you.

We had a 16 year old patient last night who we couldn’t save. We were in that room with this patient for over an hour, we did everything we could. And let me tell you, we all cried. The EMT’s, the nurses, the doctor. We all huddled together in the doctors dictation room and cried.

I went through the rest of my shift with smudged mascara and tracks on my cheeks.

I remember the names of all the patients that have taken their lives on my shifts.

I remember squeezing the hands, smoothing the hair, kissing the foreheads, and wiping away the blood and the vomit of every patient that has left me too soon.

I can still see every face that I have zipped into a body bag.

Trust me, someone cares about you. You have never met them yet. You don’t ever think about them. They are never remembered when you talk about heroes and role models.

1. Fist: Make a fist around the epi-pen, don’t place your thumb/fingers over either end

2. Flick the blue cap off

3. Fire. Press down into the outer thigh (the big muscle in there), hold for 10 seconds before removing (the orange cap will cover the needle). Bare skin is best but the epi-pen will go through clothing. Avoid pockets and seams. 

- Ring an ambulance even if everything seems to be fine!

More info for those who have asked - 

Bare skin is best, but epi-pens go through clothes so don’t stress too much over that

Always, always ring the paramedics after using an epi-pen or even have someone else do it straight away. Another dose may be needed which paramedics can administer. 

Location, location. Apologies if outer thigh was a bit vague! If you stand up and allow your arms to hang by your side where your fingers fall against your leg is a great place. 

Legal issues, in Australia first aiders are protected by a Good Samaritan Act whereby the provision of reasonable assistance to those injured or ill is protected by law. I’m unsure how this translates to around the world but I’ll do some research