Today we had a code. For a two year old.
You know....I see a lot of dead people. It's just the nature of my job. Quite honestly, it doesn't bother me. (Because I don't know the dead people...nor really anything about them...and most of the time they are "
mostly dead" before they ever get to the hospital.) However, when it's a kid. It's different. There is never a good peds code. Ever. The child today had an accident. Accidents happen, that's life. But this one resulted in death.
The patient wasn't mine. The doctor that I am working with was running the code. All the nurses were assisting in care...chest compressions, IVs, medications, etc. Everyone was doing their job. But what about the dad? There was no one to be with the dad.
Enter me.
I am good at what I do, but that's just it. There was nothing for me to do. So I stood in the room next door with the dad, and I had NO idea what to say. I asked him if he had any questions or needed me to call anyone. He didn't. I put my hand on his shoulder. He moved away. He was very tearful and upset. But what did I have to offer? I had no words. I was performing no actions (even though one room over was a flurry of action). And in the end, I had no good news.
What do you say?