Hi all, I figured I'd create a post that is different than asking about interviews, GPAs, and health care experience. So maybe this could spark some life into this forum. I'm looking for some currently employed AAs (or any health care professionals) to speak on the matter as well. I apologize for the volume, but here we go.
It's been an interesting week to say the least. I work as an anesthesia technician in a small hospital and I have recently been accepted to one of the AA schools. Typically, my days aren't all that stimulating. It's pretty rare to see more than about 30 surgical cases a day (only 10 ORs and about 6 are used a day).
I thought I had seen plenty of anesthesia experience by helping with intubations, prepping for cases, troubleshooting anesthesia machines, knowing the names of all the anesthesia supplies, etc. I really have only experienced about 2 emergency situations and I was unable to be apart of them. That is until earlier this week, there was a man who had undergone a minor surgery and was having trouble breathing after being extubated. Fast forward 30 minutes and that same man is coding in the PACU with about 6 other patients watching. Keep in mind, this guy is pretty obese with a laundry list of problems.
We must have had 2-3 anesthesiologists, about 4 CRNAs, and multiple other nurses in attendance (OBVIOUSLY way too many people). They're doing ACLS, putting in central lines, a-lines, pumping the guy with epi, sodium bicarb, have multiple drips running, meanwhile two different nurses are taking turns doing CPR. I've been working as a PCT for 8 months and an anesthesia tech for the last 5 months and I've never had to do CPR on a real person until this moment. Eventually, I hopped into the rotation. I feel like I handled myself quite well, but it was still a very eye opening experience. All in all, the end result wasn't a positive one. The pathology eventually came through saying the man had a clot near one of his heart stents...
My question is this, do you ever really get used to seeing people die first hand like this? Whenever an emergency situation arises like this, do any of you still feel scared/nervous?
Also, have any pre-AA students been able to experience this kind of situation yet? It definitely puts things in perspective that this is going to be part of what you're signing up for. It isn't all sunshine and rainbows in the OR. Situations like these almost make you feel more alive and grateful for the things you have...
I'm a tech too (just started in the summer) and saw my first code the other week. It happened about an hour into surgery. The room was crowded with doctors, nurses and assistants doing the same thing with the epi, lines, cpr, etc. Towards the end I was getting in the rotation for cpr, but after an hour, the surgeon called it.
Was a harrowing reminder that, however infrequent, this could happen to any patient with any procedure (this patient was seemingly healthy). It is an understatement to say how sad it was moving the patient off the table.