I did my ER observation time at Harborview Medical Center on Saturday, the 15th. HMC is the level I trauma center for the whole Northwest and they get crazy busy. My shift started at 1800 on Saturday night, ending at 0400 on Sunday morning and it was a non stop whirlwind of trauma. During my observation time, we saw multiple MVA patients, a stabbing, a self inflicted GSW to the head, numerous unstable patients being flown in by Helo … It’s a wild place. That’s that what was going in in the trauma bays. In the “less emergent” section here was a non stop parade of minor medical patients, overdoes, dyspnea, chest pain, and quite a few jail inmates in restraints.
But, for all it’s crazyness, if something bad ever happens to me or my family, HMC is the only place I want to end up at.
Here’s a look at the inside…
Resus room at Harborview, ready for business.
A stretcher in the resus room. Trauma Blocks are on the bed.
A forest of backboards outside the ER waiting to be picked up by Fire and Rescue.I ganked these pics from a Harborview Doc’s photo page.
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