Car Parking

Excellent piece of parking on the Studland Road on Friday night. Rover
Metro upside down in a tree. Three people on board very lucky to
escape without serious injury. Got to feel the power as we held the
Studland Ferry twice and made it stay open late.

Sick

Have been off sick with D&V for a few days.

One Out, One In

Last two jobs of a batch of four nights - cardiac arrest which ended
up as a DOA followed by a maternity delivery as we cleared from that.
From the end to the beginning in 5 minutes. This job really can be a
topsy turvy world.

Two Cardiac Arrests

Recently discharged from hospital after rehab for a fracture following
a fall she had sat at home with abdominal pain increasing through the
day. When it finally became too much at 4 in the morning she pressed
her lifeline. On our arrival she was being assessed by one of our ECPs
and it became rapidly obvious that she was in a bad way. She arrested
twice as we moved her to the back of the ambulance but each time we
got her back with minimal effort. The ECP had warned her family that
she was probably not going to make it but they had not seemed to
understand. I suppose denial is a marvelous thing. We blued her in
with the student supporting her breathing using a BVM and got her in
to resus alive and just speaking. The decision was made quite quickly
that she had suffered "and intra abdominal catastrophe" which at 96
was going to be the end for her. Her family had followed us in and
were allowed in to say goodbye before she slipped away. I feel we did
the right thing in not aggressively treating her but enabling her
family to say goodbye.

The other one was far simpler - last seen at 0300 then found by
nursing home staff in arrest at 0600. No CPR attempted and hypostasis
evident. Lets get the DOA form.

Why?

If you are 14 years old and female why do you feel it is necessary for
you to travel 15 miles to the nearest decent sized town to drink 2
litres of vodka? After this why do you think it a good idea to then
accept 2 unknown pills from the male complete stranger sat next to you
in the street? Why are you friends then surprised that you start to
vomit copiously and pass out in the street? Why are you then allowed
to take up an A&E bed when you really and truly only have big social
problems? By the way don't be surprised when Social Services come to
call.

Short Notice Shift Changes

The bane of my life at the moment is currently short notice shift
changes. I'm a relief technician which means I have no permanent crew
mate or shift pattern. I cover for peoples absence due to sickness or
leave. This is usually fine, currently I'm working mainly weekends out
of choice to suit my wife's working pattern and keep the kids out of
child care. However sometimes the Scheduling department really do piss
me off. Normally this is when they change my shifts with less than 24
hours notice to suit the Trust. I know that operational needs mean
that I have to change shifts to fill vacancies. All I expect is to be
told rather than have to find out for myself. A simple emailwould be
nice.