PALS PALS PALS

Finished day 1 of PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)

You know what I learned today?!?  I learned I should get down on my knees and thank God every day I leave work and didn't have to deal w/ a code that day.

Does that sound really bad?  I didn't mean it to.  I'm not trying to say I'm shit when it comes to dealing w/ a life-threatening situational crisis.  The few times I've had to deal w/it  I've been able to stay calm and think clearly and act correctly and effectively, or at least efficiently.

It's kinda scary...all of us in the class are experienced pedi Healthcare workers, and we get the senario, and we look at this doll-thing that's supposed to be a kid, and we all freeze up.  then they play a little video clip of the same senario they just described to us and we're all shouting possiblities out to each other and talking about what steps we would do.

I think it's the mannequins.  they eff us up.  you look at this flesh-colored piece of plastic w/ a bag poking out from the seams of its "chest" that's supposed to be the lungs, and no matter how OBVIOUS the clues are about what is supposed to be wrong, we just see this lifeless piece of plastic sitting there and our minds go collectively blank, and we start thinking about how we are going to fail the mega-code tomorrow afternoon...

well, I did.  And so did 2 other people I talked to about it.  So I'm sure there were more....except for the ONE person who is very loud, very in your face, and very "I know everything" and then has the gall to prove that she does.

It was like being in class with the Martha Stewart of Nursing....  You know she's good, but you want to smack her anyway, but you sure would be glad she's around when you have a kid that goes bad...and that just makes you hate her even more.  lol.  kinda.....


Tho- it was neat practicing a mock I/O insertion.  Tho I doubt I will ever get to try it in real life unless I float to E.D.

Must remember:
Epi- 0.01 mg/kg (1:10000) IV/IO q3-5min  max dose- 1mg
Epi- 0.1-1mcg/kg/min infusion
Epi- 0.1 mg/kg ET q3-5min


nubs