why I love the ED

Things I've learned from volunteering in the SFGH emergency department

• dealing with urine and feces doesn't bother me nearly as much as my anxiety that people will think I smell like urine and feces. 
• my broken Chinese can come in handy. But I need to improve.
• nurses are awesome.

I've been volunteering in the emergency department at SF General Hospital for a few months now, and it's been a great experience. I volunteer Sunday mornings, so it can be pretty slow at times. I spend a lot of time cleaning gurneys and restocking blankets. But I LOVE it when it's busy. I've seen a little bit of everything - gunshot wounds, open fractures, car accidents. I've also had to perform chest compressions a couple of times.

Today was a hectic morning, but in a ridiculous way that made me laugh. The craziness probably started when an inmate from some nearby jail was brought in. He would not stop shouting things at the doctors and nurses - his voice filled all 4 zones of the ED. Out of the many shouters I've heard, he probably ranks at the top for both volume and relentlessness. Then, I heard a nurse call for help and saw what seriously looked like a zombie trying to attack her. Okay, it was really just a patient with altered mental status, but almost as freaky! Within seconds, there were 6 of us surrounding him, trying to put him in restraints. But he was very strong for a barely conscious man. Finally, I realized that the main hallway was full of patients and visitors, all watching us deal with screaming inmate guy and zombie man.

Throughout all this craziness, the staff were so calm and collected, even making jokes so that I could not help laughing myself. I love the atmosphere of the ED, where hectic moments actually bring out the best in these doctors and nurses. I love how ED doctors have to work well in a team and think quick on their feet, but know how to have fun with their job as well. I know I have awhile before I think about specialties, but what discourages me from considering EM would have to be the lack of depth in any one area of medicine. That would probably kill the nerdy science side of me. But for now, I'll just keep enjoying the unexpected and hilarious moments in the ED.

<3 kathleen