Code blue = Blue hand

 So we had our first code about 2 days after the doors opened on our new facility. In fact I think I have seen more codes in this facility that all the years in the old hospital. This guy came in blue and nonresponsive. He was alert and breathing when EMS picked him up. He just slowly started to crash the closer he got to the ER. This was the longest code that I have ever done and the most things I have ever done in a code. I usually man a station unless I am the runner then I do a little bit of everything. We would do a few rounds of CPR and get this guy back. Intubate him and get him back. Then his heart would slow down again…leading to more rounds of CPR. Which I participated a lot in. I also go to place and NG tube (tube down nose) to help pump out contents from his stomach. First fast emergency one I did. I am use to setting up my stuff and having some organization. Anyway in the process of place said NG tube the “new” suction on the wall decided not to work…and well let just say in the process of trying to get it to work my shoes became covered in lovely, smelly, chunky green liquid. Great right. Finally with the help of the charge nurse we figure out the “new” suction’s issue. The company they went with fitted the canister with the wrong size canister…wow that was brilliant. Anyway back to the patient who was now stable with none one doing CPR. I was now inserting yet another tube, this one in his privates. While in sterile gloves he goes Brady on me…so the other nurses who were still in the room….began CPR while I quickly finished the procedure and then I joined back into the cycle of CPR on this guy. We were trying to keep him stable enough for Med flight to swoop in and take him to a Cardio hospital. Finally we get the right med combination and he becomes stable and Med flight shows up and takes him. We did the first code we flew out. Since now we have a helipad. I got to help load the patient. It was awesome!
The next day I couldn’t figure out what I did to the top of my hand. I was telling my charge nurse I figured I hit it on the door jam on one of the rooms. I had a huge knot on top of my hand. She chuckled…what? Show me how you did CPR. So I did…ouch I yelled. I got it…pushing down on this big guy with my hand on top of my other hand…I bruised the heck out of it. I knew I was exhausted from all the extra CPR we did. I didn’t realize I could injury my hand so bad.