The Day The Kids Played Emergency Department...

The hospital I'm employed at had their "Career Day" today for all the area high schoolers around the area. Most of the departments in the hospital had booths set up and chatted with the kiddies. Of course, my department was there. We talked about what we do in the Emergency Department, showed the students many of the supplies we deal with on a daily basis. We have two disposable bedpans full of "lifesaver" candy, a foley bag full of apple juice that made it looked like somebody's pee. We hooked students to the heart monitor and ran a strip of their heartbeat . We took blood pressure reading on them and let some run a mock code.

A mock code involves a training manniquin we can attach a 3 lead monitor to and also we can defibrilate the manniquin. Many students got to defib the manniquin with a real defibrilator, real electricity set at 200 joules. 200 joules will stop your heart dead if you were shocked. Also other students participating used a Ambu bag to ventilate after Justin or I intubated the patient. Medication simulation was also performed.

I have help with this event the last 3 years and have a blast every year. It's funny... what is mundane in our job, facinates the hell our of teenagers. Talk at you later...

Eric