I left off with the fact that I had no emergency first aid kit or even a bandaid in an event in which I was hired for 4 days to be the first aid responder and medication distributor....what is wrong with this story so far?
no first aid kit
a dorm with a cot no linens, no towels, no shit!
I have to say that all of the people in this event were quite awesome and it was a very important event for those involved.
I ended up with two large moving boxes full of medications when all was said and done. It really seemed quite easy, all the meds were labeled, most kids would be taking meds in the am and pm, a few at noon and 3 or 4 with an odd presribed medication at 2 and 4 pm. I organized them as best as I could, they were all in plastic baggies so no problem. I asked where I would be keeping these meds in between dispensing, I was informed that they were to be kept by my side at all times. I was to follow the kids around during activities in the event they needed some first aid and I had to keep the medications with me at all times. I was having a problem digesting this new information, the activities, according to my itineray showed that the youths would be all over the campus at different times, I was not going to be able to carry these boxes with me everywhere, the solution came from noone. I pondered this over a few minutes and decided to empty out my roller suitcase and put the medications in that, I am so clever. That idea worked well, but it got tiresome running all over the campus with this huge suitcase, even if it did have wheels, it was humid and hot and my allergies showed their ugly side rendering me a prisoner to my own baggie of medications, which by the way, make me verrrrry sleeeeepy!
It wasn't long before several youths spotted me where ever I was, how could they not I was the lady in blue scrubs with a huge roller suitcase, and required me to render first aid for myriad of little problems. The complaints were not critical enough to call 911, just minor enough, thank god to appease with some good advice, and a kiss on the boo boo.
One kid pointed out that he had seen an automated emergency defibrillator on the wall in the lobby, Yippi! I thought, so if someone has a heart attack, I am set! the only one having a heart attack would be me, and I am sure that the defibrillator is simply and adornment at this college because I doubt anyone is going to even think of it much less know how to use it.
One kid cut himself and came for a bandaid, I knew it, now what, great. I held pressure to his bleeding cut while I thought of what to do next. I walked him intot he bathroom and washed it out and continued to hold pressure, he asked me why I did not have bandaids? hmmmm! well I said, in my clever and authoritative voice, band aids are over raided! they harbor bacteria, it is better to air out your wound after the bleeding stops! I do not really think he believed me but I was the nurse and he was polite, so he went with it. It stopped bleeding, and he went on with his life, later I checked it, it looked great to which he said, hey you were right I can't even tell where it was....ha! I am soooo gooood!
Later a girl injured her ankle while jumping off of some stairs, her friends came running looking for me they were sure she had broken an ankle, well I thought, that would require an ER visit, I am safe. Her ankle looked great, not even swollen, so I had someone run to the cafeteria to get ice, her friends helped her get to my makeshift nurse station, you know, where all the supplies werent, so I can help this hobbled child. I propped her leg up, in front of the door where she could see the others having fun out in a far-away field. I had a plan, knowing that teen-aged girls are a little dramatic, and taking advantage of her vulnerability, I figured she was a bit needy, I told her that her injury was minor and I expected her to be up and walking in less than an hour, she then asked me how I knew this, eeeek! what to say! Well I said, see how when I pinch your toe, it turns white, then when I let go, it quickly turns red? she said, "yes", well, I said, that means your circulation is great (it does mean that), and so your healing will be fast ( little white lie here, some medicinal license at best), she believed me. In less than 10 minutes she wanted to try and see if she could walk, it was a miracle, she not only could walk, she ran to the field, damn, I so goooooood! So that is how it went, I found myself passing medication pretty much all day because these kids all have one thing in common, no sense of time and medication non-compliance, but I was getting paid so what could I do?
Sleeping was not so fun, muggy, no linen, I slept on a cot with nothing but a thin mattress! ahhh poor me!
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