Shaken

I work with psychotic people, drug addicts, drunkards, homeless, violent people. Those who want to kill themselves or others. Some who have not seen a shower in weeks, some who have not been sober in almost as long. Some who think spitting is what you do when you see someone you don't know. Some who attack police officers, some who attack hospital staff. You learn to be cautious, on the defensive, never turn your back, never let a patient within arms reach, etc.

Despite all those things the only thing I really worry about in this job is making a bad call. Telling a doctor someone should stay in this crazy place and them not really needing too or worse telling someone they dont and they do.

Last night I saw a patient at around 9:00, less than 12 hours later she tried to kill herself. Shaken - yeah that describes it.