So there I was, having a tough night in the ER. Five PTs, couple of belly pains, acute pancreatitis, intractable pain (not drug seeker but the real thing d/t spinal stenosis) and yes, one actual drug seeker (great actor though). Orders coming in simultaneously, docs calling to give more orders, call bells going off, charting being done on scrap paper for later input into the computer, you know, the usual new grad time management spin and futz.

Actually get to d/c one of the belly pains. She’s developmentally and physically disabled, very pleasant, just has a full plate medically so to speak. Everything’s done and her aide is starting to wheelchair her out when the PT yells, “Wait, I forgot say goodbye to {insert my 1st name}!”

The aide wheels her over to me and the PT grabs my hand and tells me how nice I was, how well I treated her and that she was glad I had been her nurse. All I could say was “you’re welcome.” Anything else and I probably would’ve teared up. She then leaves. I turn around, and the medical director, charge nurse and other staff are standing there smiling at me.

And magically, everything fell into place after that. Got everybody else admitted or discharged, finished up my charting and left on time. As Travolta said in Broken Arrow, “Ain’t it cool?”