by Lynne Griffin

Created on: May 28, 2009

The day began like any other. I was racing to get to work on time, speeding down the interstate passing every vehicle in sight. I work in a large hospital in southern Louisiana, and they are fairly strict about being to work on time. Ironically, I am an emergency room nurse and pray I don't end up there in a terrible car crash.

Still, it's hard to get out of the door when I plan to. The thing that hangs me up most often is my hair. I can slap on makeup in 30 seconds flat, but when I go to fixing my hair, it's an intense process. Okay, I'm a girly girl, what can I say...but if I have bad hair, the whole day will be wrecked. Us southern girls are silly that way...

I arrived at the hospital and parked around back under a shade tree. Gathering up my purse and lunch bag which was filled with Lean Cuisines, bottled water, diet Dr. Peppers, and hairspray, I galloped past ambulances and patients towards the time clock. Perfect...10:37am. One more minute and I would've been tardy.

John greeted me as I walked in the door. He is one of the male nurses who works with me. He is always ready to go to lunch at 10:38, and therefore glad to see me. I'm his lunch relief. I crammed all my stuff into my tiny locker as I listened to him rattle off things that needed to be done while he was at lunch.

In the background, a Bun coffeepot which had probably not been turned off in 15 years, hissed and spewed an aromatically strong and inky brew. I rapidly poured myself a generous Styrofoam cupful and headed to the nurse's desk. No sugar, no cream-that would be sissy coffee.

The nurse's station was bustling with action. I glanced at the activity board that listed the patients presently in our department. Every room was full except for two. Let's see, three heart attacks, one stroke, one overdose, one dislocated hip, and two lacerations. Also waiting were an assortment of sore throats, stomach aches, vomiting, anxiety attacks, twisted ankles, toothaches, miscarriages in progress, and headaches. And just for variety, we had an unruly drunk bellowing expletives being watched over by security. Four of the five phone lines were ringing. The ambulance radio was blaring trying to get our attention to tell us about the two patients they were bringing us from a car accident.

I don't mean any disrespect by referring to patients by their ailments-it's simply the easiest way to keep up with what is going on with each of them in the midst of complete chaos.

Our ER has

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