July 8, 2003
MarkBernstein.org
 

Good Times, Tough Weekend

Al Hawkins expected the July 4th weekend to be rough. Hawkins is a cardiac care nurse. But things went better than he expected:

...and hit the discharge button.

Ch-kow! Patient yells, arches, settles back onto the stretcher. Normal heart rhythm, color almost immediately looks better, sleeping and breathing normally. Congratulations all around along with a highly unprofessional high five or two ...

It’s always cool to be able to get to use the quick fix. Very dramatic and satisfying, even when you know of all the work that has to be done to make the repair permanent. Kind of amazing, too; to see somebody crumping in front of you and heal them with a modulated man-made stroke of lightning.

A little reminder that my profession is just like yours.