Funny Story

Here at Gritman Medical a code white calls for a rapid response team. So if you think your patient is rapidly depreciating and need more nursing hands you call a code white.

Okay, so I am orienting to the labor and delivery floor and have been getting along with most of my co-workers. One particular day a nurse was getting her patient up after delivery for the first time. While this patient was sitting on the toilet she starts to feel dizzy and feint. The nurse starts yelling "CALL A CODE WHITE! CALL A CODE WHITE!" I was walking past and hear all this commotion and join the party.

As I walk in the bathroom this nurse was holding the patient from behind with one arm across the patient's chest and the other hand on her forehead holding her upright. Another nurse was rapidly trying to take her blood pressure. It took every ounce of energy to not start laughing. For one thing 1) If a patient is feeling dizzy and feint, keeping them upright will continue to decrease the amount of oxygen to the head and increase the risk of actually passing out and two 2) Why take a blood pressure? We already know it's going to be low. Why not wait 2 min to take it when the patient is safely back in her bed. I proceed to help the dizzy patient put her elbows on her knees with her head down. I opened up the ammonia and make the patient take deep breaths.

Meanwhile the nurse is still trying to hold this patient up and glaring at me for interfering, she continues to yell "CALL A CODE WHITE" I look at her and say "How many more nurses do you need?" There was like 5 of us in there now.

I tell the nurse taking the blood pressure to get the machine out of the bathroom. I make another nurse take this huge IV pole out of the bathroom and the 3rd nurse brought in a wheelchair. Within 3 min this patient was back in bed.

Later in the shift, the nurse who was holding the patient up and yelling for the code white came to me. (You know how I said I get along with most of my co-workers? Well let's just say I'm glad she works day shift and I work nights) Anyway she said, "Just so you know, I was holding her up so she wouldn't choke on her tongue."

Once again, I was holding back from laughing. I don't think the patient would've choked on her tongue while leaning forward, but whatever girl.