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  • Notes From The Field: A Day in The Life of An Outpost Nurse

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    Two people have called me brave recently. The first being one of the emergency physicians at Lion's Gate Hospital, in North Vancouver, where I normally work, when I told her I was heading up North for three weeks to man a one nurse outpost in Northern B.C. The second was one of the intensivists at B.C. Children's Hospital who I ended on the phone with yesterday while caring for one the community's precious residents. Let me explain. It was a Northern spring day like no other. It was also the day that the physician makes their once a month helicopter journey visit to this isolated community of 120 people. Low visibility and snowy conditions forced the pilot to turn around and head back before even getting anywhere near us. Sure enough,low visibility, blizzard conditions and no doctor within two hours and all, it would also be the day that a patient, whom I had seen a couple of days earlier and advised "if things don't improve or get worse - come back and see me again", would be carried back into the clinic looking not so well. I got on the phone with my weather bound doctor who profusely apologized for not being able to be there to help me out, and was quickly advised to get the patient to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. Looking out the window I could see the weather was getting worse and not better, and arranged for a road ambulance to meet us halfway between us and the neighbouring town. READ: 120+ km of Forest Service Road, snow, snow and more snow. As we were preparing our patient for transport out the phone rang again and I was offered an Air Medivac. B.C. Air Ambulance had a pilot convinced he could land at the nursing station despite the very limited visibility and my frequent reminders that we already had one pilot abort their attempt only hours before. I knew that an air Medivac truly would be the better plan, as the patient was too sick to not be monitored during transport out, and therefore a nurse or paramedic really needed to be with the patient en route to the hospital. If we were to take the patient out by road that would leave the rest of community without medical support for the entire time that I would be away. There is no such a thing as a quick jaunt to the hospital when you live in these isolated communities. In this instance the nearest hospital is a 2.5 hour drive away down a dirt road in good weather. Despite being doubtful that the pilot could indeed land I agreed to let them give it a try. Hours later, and a patient who was showing no signs of improvement no matter what wrench and kitchen sink I was throwing at them and I started to think that it may have been a better idea to start driving the patient out after all, as at least they would be that much closer to seeing a physician and heaven help us if things got really bad, would have more medical support. This is when the Air Ambulance crew patched me to the BCCH Intensivist who complimented me on being so brave (hmmm....I thought to myself...why does everyone keep saying that? do they know something that I should??) and gave me a few more suggestions on what I could do for the patient in the interim. Well, mother nature ruled and did not provide a clearing in which the Air Ambulance Crew could make their approach, so we packed the patient in the truck and drove cautiously down the snowy Forest Service Road towards help in the hopes that the helicopter crew would spot us en route, as they told us they would try, find a clearing to land and take over care of the patient. 75km into our journey and a nerve-wracking 90 minute drive later, we saw a helicopter overhead. We stopped on the road, and the helicopter landed right there behind us. Did I just audition for a role in a James Bond movie?! The patient was transferred and I heard today is doing much better. And after needing a day to recover and realize truly how much responsibility I have for the people in this town, I can breathe easier knowing all is well, and help does c

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    Two people have called me brave recently. The first being one of the emergency physicians at Lion's Gate Hospital, in North Vancouver, where I normally work, when I told her I was heading up North for three weeks to man a one nurse outpost in Northern B.C. The second was one of the intensivists at B.C. Children's Hospital who I ended on the phone with yesterday while caring for one the community's precious residents. Let me explain. It was a Northern spring day like no other. It was also the day that the physician makes their once a month helicopter journey visit to this isolated community of 120 people. Low visibility and snowy conditions forced the pilot to turn around and head back before even getting anywhere near us. Sure enough,low visibility, blizzard conditions and no doctor within two hours and all, it would also be the day that a patient, whom I had seen a couple of days earlier and advised "if things don't improve or get worse - come back and see me again", would be carried back into the clinic looking not so well. I got on the phone with my weather bound doctor who profusely apologized for not being able to be there to help me out, and was quickly advised to get the patient to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. Looking out the window I could see the weather was getting worse and not better, and arranged for a road ambulance to meet us halfway between us and the neighbouring town. READ: 120+ km of Forest Service Road, snow, snow and more snow. As we were preparing our patient for transport out the phone rang again and I was offered an Air Medivac. B.C. Air Ambulance had a pilot convinced he could land at the nursing station despite the very limited visibility and my frequent reminders that we already had one pilot abort their attempt only hours before. I knew that an air Medivac truly would be the better plan, as the patient was too sick to not be monitored during transport out, and therefore a nurse or paramedic really needed to be with the patient en route to the hospital. If we were to take the patient out by road that would leave the rest of community without medical support for the entire time that I would be away. There is no such a thing as a quick jaunt to the hospital when you live in these isolated communities. In this instance the nearest hospital is a 2.5 hour drive away down a dirt road in good weather. Despite being doubtful that the pilot could indeed land I agreed to let them give it a try. Hours later, and a patient who was showing no signs of improvement no matter what wrench and kitchen sink I was throwing at them and I started to think that it may have been a better idea to start driving the patient out after all, as at least they would be that much closer to seeing a physician and heaven help us if things got really bad, would have more medical support. This is when the Air Ambulance crew patched me to the BCCH Intensivist who complimented me on being so brave (hmmm....I thought to myself...why does everyone keep saying that? do they know something that I should??) and gave me a few more suggestions on what I could do for the patient in the interim. Well, mother nature ruled and did not provide a clearing in which the Air Ambulance Crew could make their approach, so we packed the patient in the truck and drove cautiously down the snowy Forest Service Road towards help in the hopes that the helicopter crew would spot us en route, as they told us they would try, find a clearing to land and take over care of the patient. 75km into our journey and a nerve-wracking 90 minute drive later, we saw a helicopter overhead. We stopped on the road, and the helicopter landed right there behind us. Did I just audition for a role in a James Bond movie?! The patient was transferred and I heard today is doing much better. And after needing a day to recover and realize truly how much responsibility I have for the people in this town, I can breathe easier knowing all is well, and help does c

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    Notes From The Field: A Day in The Life of An Outpost Nurse

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    mandyhengeveld
    Two people have called me brave recently. The first being one of the emergency physicians at Lion's Gate Hospital, in North Vancouver, where I normally work, when I told her I was heading up North for three weeks to man a one nurse outpost in Northern B.C. The second was one of the intensivists at B.C. Children's Hospital who I ended on the phone with yesterday while caring for one the community's precious residents. Let me explain. It was a Northern spring day like no other. It was also the day that the physician makes their once a month helicopter journey visit to this isolated community of 120 people. Low visibility and snowy conditions forced the pilot to turn around and head back before even getting anywhere near us. Sure enough,low visibility, blizzard conditions and no doctor within two hours and all, it would also be the day that a patient, whom I had seen a couple of days earlier and advised "if things don't improve or get worse - come back and see me again", would be carried back into the clinic looking not so well. I got on the phone with my weather bound doctor who profusely apologized for not being able to be there to help me out, and was quickly advised to get the patient to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. Looking out the window I could see the weather was getting worse and not better, and arranged for a road ambulance to meet us halfway between us and the neighbouring town. READ: 120+ km of Forest Service Road, snow, snow and more snow. As we were preparing our patient for transport out the phone rang again and I was offered an Air Medivac. B.C. Air Ambulance had a pilot convinced he could land at the nursing station despite the very limited visibility and my frequent reminders that we already had one pilot abort their attempt only hours before. I knew that an air Medivac truly would be the better plan, as the patient was too sick to not be monitored during transport out, and therefore a nurse or paramedic really needed to be with the patient en route to the hospital. If we were to take the patient out by road that would leave the rest of community without medical support for the entire time that I would be away. There is no such a thing as a quick jaunt to the hospital when you live in these isolated communities. In this instance the nearest hospital is a 2.5 hour drive away down a dirt road in good weather. Despite being doubtful that the pilot could indeed land I agreed to let them give it a try. Hours later, and a patient who was showing no signs of improvement no matter what wrench and kitchen sink I was throwing at them and I started to think that it may have been a better idea to start driving the patient out after all, as at least they would be that much closer to seeing a physician and heaven help us if things got really bad, would have more medical support. This is when the Air Ambulance crew patched me to the BCCH Intensivist who complimented me on being so brave (hmmm....I thought to myself...why does everyone keep saying that? do they know something that I should??) and gave me a few more suggestions on what I could do for the patient in the interim. Well, mother nature ruled and did not provide a clearing in which the Air Ambulance Crew could make their approach, so we packed the patient in the truck and drove cautiously down the snowy Forest Service Road towards help in the hopes that the helicopter crew would spot us en route, as they told us they would try, find a clearing to land and take over care of the patient. 75km into our journey and a nerve-wracking 90 minute drive later, we saw a helicopter overhead. We stopped on the road, and the helicopter landed right there behind us. Did I just audition for a role in a James Bond movie?! The patient was transferred and I heard today is doing much better. And after needing a day to recover and realize truly how much responsibility I have for the people in this town, I can breathe easier knowing all is well, and help does c

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    A Day in the Life of a Northern Outpost Nurse Two people have called me brave recently.

    The first being one of the emergency p hysicians at Lion's Gate Hospital where I normally work, when I told her I was h eading up North for three weeks to man a one nurse outpost in Northern B.C. The second was one of the intensivists at B.C. Children's Hospital who I ended on th e phone with yesterday while caring for one of community's precious residents... let me explain... It was an everyday kind of spring day; during which the physician was due to fly in for their once a month visit to this community of 120 people. Low visibility and snowy conditions forced the pilot to turn around and head back before even getting anywhere near us. Sure enough,low visibility, blizzard conditions and no doctor within two hours a nd all, it would also be the day that a patient, whom I had seen a couple of day s earlier and gave the "if things don't improve or get worse - come back and see me again" speech, would be carried back into the clinic looking like **** . I t ook one good look at this patient and thought "oh rats". I got on the phone with my weather bound doctor who profusely apologized for not being able to be there to help me out, and was quickly advised to get the patie nt to the nearest hospital. Looking out the window I could see the weather was g etting worse and not better, and arranged for a road ambulance to meet us halfwa y between us and a higher level of medical care. READ: 120+ km of Forest Service Road, snow, snow and more snow... As we were preparing our patient for transport out the phone rang again and I wa s offered an Air Medivac. B.C. Air Ambulance had a pilot convinced he could land despite the very limited visibility and my frequent reminders that we already h ad one pilot turn around from this isolate community only a few hours before. I knew that an air Medivac truly would be the better plan, as the patient was to o sick to not be monitored during transport out, and therefore a nurse or parame dic really needed to be with the patient en route to the hospital. If we were to take the patient out by road that would leave the rest of community without med ical support for the entire time that I would be away. There is no such a thing as a quick jaunt to the hospital when you live in many of these remote Northern communities. In this situation the nearest hospital is a 2.5 hour drive away dow n a dirt road in good weather. Despite being doubtful that the pilot could indee d land, I agreed to let them give it a try. Hours later, and a patient who was showing no signs of improvement no matter wha t wrench and kitchen sink I was throwing at them and I started to think that it may have been a better idea to start driving the patient out after all, as at le ast they would be that much closer to seeing a physician and heaven help us if t hings got really bad, would have more medical support. This is when the Air Ambu lance crew patched me to the BCCH Intensivist who complimented me on being so br ave (hmmm....I thought to myself...why does everyone keep saying that? do they k now something that I should??) and gave me a few more suggestions on what I coul d do for the patient in the interim... Well, mother nature ruled and did not provide a clearing in which the Air Ambula nce Crew could make their appearance, so we packed the patient in the truck and drove cautiously down the snowy Forest Service Road towards help in the hopes th at the helicopter crew would spot us en route, as they told us they would try, f ind a clearing to land and take over care of the patient... 75km into our journey and a nervewracking 90 minute drive later, we saw a helico pter overhead. We stopped on the road, and the helicopter landed right there beh

    ind us. Did I just audition for a role in a James Bond movie?! The patient was t ransferred and I heard today is doing much better. And after needing a day to re cover and realize truly how much responsibility I have for the people in this to wn, I can breathe easier knowing all is well, and help does come when you need i t...you just have to be patient and apparently brave...

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