Off to work

If there is one thing I'm really sure of, besides that I don't like chocolate, it's the fact that I really don't like to go to work. I work in a burn ICU and it's rather intense some (alright...most) of the time. Last week, I had my first patient pass away where I had to do all the paperwork and such. I didn't have to do it completely by myself. There was another nurse, Phoebe, helping me. This particular patient was burning his garden and used too much gasoline, caught his pants on fire, and couldn't get out of them fast enough. He was 88 years old and his wife made him a DNR. He expired about 30 minutes into my shift. Phoebe and I gave him a bath, washed his hair, and removed all his tubes and IVs that we had inserted. Next we obtained a transport table from the morgue and a body bag. We place him in the bag and took him to the morgue. I think under any circumstances this would be difficult, but it was really difficult for me. I never mentioned Sarah to Phoebe (although she knew what happened), but Phoebe talked alot about her husband who passed away while we were bathing the patient. I could feel the tears in my eyes and the swelling in my throat. I felt like crying. I thought I should be crying. But I didn't cry.

-Anne