As I come to work on a Monday's night shift. Two other hospital staff follow soon after, taking with them an unconscious man to be admitted to the ICU.
The drama of getting the patient settled in begins. He is barely responsive, thus making a number of tasks easier to carry out, whereas certain things, more inconvenient or challenging. The whole body reeks of kerosene, I cut up the T-shirt while another nurse removes the trousers as we clean the man up. We quickly hook him up on the machines that will be monitoring his vital signs and start collecting blood and urine specimens to be sent off for various tests.
The routines are done and the man remains unconscious, I go back to attend to my assigned patients for the night and start to read through the new guy's case notes as soon as my to-do list for the hour is cleared. Lo, this is another case of drug overdose; his colleagues had found him lying unconscious with an empty bottle of kerosene in the same office.
An hour later, the wife and daughter arrive, stunned and in tears as they look at the state in which their man of the house is. A few nurses speak to the ladies as I watch from a distance.
I never went near the patient again for the rest of the shift.
Has business been bad? Is there something wrong at home? Was he experiencing financial difficulties or health problems? Or was he thirsty for kerosene?
What an irresponsible man.
I find joy and purpose in life by helping the helpless on their hospital(sometimes death) beds, however my patience is limited for people who overdose themselves with stupid things for stupid reasons. May God pardon me for the reluctance in doing more good for such creatures, may my kindness grow.
The drama of getting the patient settled in begins. He is barely responsive, thus making a number of tasks easier to carry out, whereas certain things, more inconvenient or challenging. The whole body reeks of kerosene, I cut up the T-shirt while another nurse removes the trousers as we clean the man up. We quickly hook him up on the machines that will be monitoring his vital signs and start collecting blood and urine specimens to be sent off for various tests.
The routines are done and the man remains unconscious, I go back to attend to my assigned patients for the night and start to read through the new guy's case notes as soon as my to-do list for the hour is cleared. Lo, this is another case of drug overdose; his colleagues had found him lying unconscious with an empty bottle of kerosene in the same office.
An hour later, the wife and daughter arrive, stunned and in tears as they look at the state in which their man of the house is. A few nurses speak to the ladies as I watch from a distance.
I never went near the patient again for the rest of the shift.
Has business been bad? Is there something wrong at home? Was he experiencing financial difficulties or health problems? Or was he thirsty for kerosene?
What an irresponsible man.
I find joy and purpose in life by helping the helpless on their hospital(sometimes death) beds, however my patience is limited for people who overdose themselves with stupid things for stupid reasons. May God pardon me for the reluctance in doing more good for such creatures, may my kindness grow.
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