Story Time and a Sponsor

Today was the last day of my 5:30 in the morning clinical rotations. The mobile x-ray team gets an early start for the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) babies so that the daytime nurses can get an up to date report on their patients. Plus, the white coats make their rounds around eight to nine in the morning, and they need the most accurate information for the babies.

After the NICU patients, the three of us headed to the fourth floor for our adult patients. We walked into our last room and I greeted the RN. We got the image receptor,which receives the x-rays, in place behind the patient. (FYI: The worst place to get scattered radiation is at the head and feet of the patient because of the direction of the primary beam.) I walked towards the door, called "X-ray",and put some more distance between myself and the x-ray beam. About this time I heard the x-ray tube rotoring up. This is when the x-ray tech holds the trigger button half way down to rotate the anode, which is going to receive an electron stream to create x-rays on the anode disc. The "rotoring up" allows the x-ray tech to time the x-ray beam, with an inspiration or exspiration of the unconscious patient, and allows the technologist to get a good image.

I noticed that the RN hadn't moved so I quickly moved to stand between her and the patient, effectively shielding her from a radiation dose. As soon as the machine beeped to let us know that the x-ray had been taken, she turns around and asks, "Did y'all just take an x-ray?!"  I told her that yes, we had taken an x-ray and that I had stepped in between her and the patient. At this point, she drops her needle and medication that she had been preparing, and stomps out of the room.

Later on during the day, a male RN from the same floor told me that she was extremely mad at me. Really? I told him, and I quote,"Well, here's the rest of the story...' and proceeded to tell him the same story that I just told you.

I guess that no good deed does go unpunished.

As a tidbit, remember TDS, like touchdowns for radiation protection.  

Time - spend as little time around radiation as possible.
Distance - The greater the distance between you and the source of radiation, the better. The Inverse Square Law link, if you want a deeper understanding.
Shielding - The more mass between you and the source, the less radiation dose you'll receive. 

I've got some big news about my first sponsor for Planning and Foresight. The details are in the works, and I'm really excited about doing reviews for this new sponsor. The reviews will be MREs for an established company that is looking to expand their market.

As always, Keep Right On Prepping - K