Code Grey

I've learned that there are a lot of "codes" to be aware of when working in a hospital.  When you hear a code over the loudspeaker, you immediately know what is going on, where it is happenng, and what to do about it.  I wear a card around my neck, along wth my identification tag, which lists the codes on it, along with instructions for what to do.

Code Red - Fire
"RACE" - Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish/Evacuate
"PASS" - Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep
(These are more fully explained in a handout we keep at the desk)

Code Orange - Hazardous Materials Incident
"SIN" 0 Safety first, Isolate and Deny Entry, Notify the emergency line and supervisor.

Code Yellow - Bomb Threat: Search immediate area.  Instructions will be provided as needed.
(I asked someone if this code had ever been used and she said not to her knowledge...but in this day and age, you never know!)

Code Green - Evacuation
Prepare to evacuate your area.

Code Triage - Internal/External Disaster
HICS activation (Hospital Incident Command System).  Follow pre-assigned duties and instructions.

Code Pink - Abduction <2 br="" years=""> Monitor assigned locations, report suspicious persons to the emergency line.

Code Purple - Abduction/Missing >2 years
Monitor assigned locaions, report suspicious persons to the emergency line

Code Grey - Abusive/Assaultive Behavior
Only enter area if safe or trained to do so to assist, if possible.

Code Silver - Weapon/Hostage Situation
Do not go into area announced, stay in department, shut all doors.

I hadn't heard a code called since I've been working at Sutter, but yesterday a Code Grey was called twice.  Both times for the same room, several hours apart.  In fact, I was coming back from the Auxiliary Room when it was called the second time and nearly got run over by a very large security guard running for the elevator.

After a short time, you get the "Code Grey - all clear" announcement, letting you know that the situation has been resolved.

I checked on the room where the Code Grey was.  It was a room that had two visitors that day, earlier the spouse of the patient, bringing flowers, and later the adult chld of the patient.  The patient was 86 years old, so who knows if this was a problem with the family or an out of control senile person.  I hope only the latter.  I'd hate to think that the two very nice visitors caused a ruckus.

It was otherwise an OK day at the information desk.  A woman came in asking who could clean up "a mess" she had made outside.  Apparently she had spilled soup down her front and I gave her a towel to clean up and called for someone to clean the "mess."  When the facilities person came, neither she, nor the guy from Human Resources, the ubiquitous Dodie, could find a mess anywhere.

Then there was the woman who showed up, walking slowly in her walker.  She said she was late and she had an appointment and where should she go?  I asked the name of her doctor, but she didn't know the name.  Then I asked what department she was supposed to go to, and she didn't know that.  I asked her what herappointment was for and she didn't know, but said she had diabetes and "maybe it's for that."

I took a stab and called Internal Medicine.  At least the patient knew her own name.  While I was on the phone to Internal Medicine, her daughter came in and I handed her the phone to explain what was going on, thinking she might know more than her mother.  She didn't either, but said she thought maybe it had something to do with her heart.  The receptionist put them on hold and I told them that both Internal Medicine and Cardiac were in a different building.  She waited a long time and finally decided they'd just go there instead, since they were late already.  They started toward the back of the hospital and I told them it was the building on the other side of the parking lot and they were very indignant that they would have to walk all that way, because they were already late.

I stayed on the line waiting for the person to come back and it turned out that Internal Medicine had forwarded the call to Sacramento and the woman there didn't have a clue what I was talking about.  I hope she got to where she was supposed to be.  I didn't see her again.

After those two little flurries, the rest of the day was very calm.  I was a reading a book that was not gripping, the front desk was somewhat stuffy and I had a terrible time staying awake.  In fact, I nodded off several times, to ber awakened by someone standing at the desk.  Very embarrassing.

It was a relief when it was finally to come home.  I stopped at the store to get dog food and then came home, climbed into the recliner and fell asleep until about 6:30, at which time Walt told me that Jeopardy would not be on until 10 p.m.

When I got up to cook dinner, my body was just out of sorts.  In fact, I felt pretty much like my mother described yesterday.  I managed to get dinner cooked, but didn't have the least interest in eating.  I watched the first episode of Brain Dead (which described how I felt!), which is an odd new show and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, and then decided all I really wanted was to go to sleep, so I went into the living room, fully expecting to wake up around midnight, but I slept until 4:30 and then went back to sleep in the recliner and slept another two hours, waking up feeling normal again, but really not wanting a pork chop for breakfast.

Ned was here in the morning to pick up paint so he could paint brackets at his house.  He said he had stopped by have breakfast with his grandmother first and I asked how she was and he said she was fine.  He called her first and woke her up but when he got there she was up, dressed and with makeup on.  So I guess the problems of the day before had passed, as I suspected they might.  Or maybe the genes that make her attentive to men of an age kicked in.  Maybe the thing to do next time she feels so awful is to bring a man around for a visit.