Sunday, Tuesday, And Friday

Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday are special days at Walter Reed. On those days a plane lands at Andrews Air Force Base carrying a very special cargo. The special cargo are the men and women who are returning injured to the United States from Iraq and/or Afghanistan. Three buses pull up to the back of the plane. One bus heads off to National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. A second bus take patients to Dewitt Community Hospital on Andrews Air Force Base. A third bus will arrive at Walter Reed AMC. A group of nurses and Army Medics meets the bus as it arrives at the main entrance of Walter Reed. Our Wounded Warriors who are able to will walk down the ramp and be escorted to the "Cast Room" where they will be evaluated by a team of nurses and doctors before being admitted to their respective floors. Other Wounded Warriors are carried off on litters while escorted by Air Force Flight Nurses and Doctors and taken directly to one of our Intensive Care Units. It is always difficult to watch these young men and women be unloaded from the bus, but it is always nice to know that they are still alive and are on their way to recovery.

Might be a little difficult to see, but that is our specialty made bus/ambulance arriving at the Walter Reed Main Entrance.

If you think about it on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday nights around 5pm, say a prayer for our Wounded Warriors as they are arriving through the gates of Walter Reed.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Mock Code

In my quest to be a better Critical Care Nurse I have started teaching. Yup, as scary as that sounds to so many of you that know me, I am teaching. I am one of twelve on Walter Reed's Mock Code team. Every year while at Walter Reed I will be responsible for holding 4-8 Mock Codes in different parts of the hospital for the different departments. Many of our departments and clinics will thankfully go long stretches without experiencing a medical emergency requiring activation of the Code Blue team. The down side is that those staff members can get a little rusty on their skills. So our team will go and simulate a medical emergency and evaluate the response. The Officer In-Charge of the department or clinic can then schedule any further training that may be recommended. This way all of the Walter Reed staff will be ready to go when something happens.

Moving to Silver Spring

Yup, I am moving again. I have really enjoyed the house that I have been in for the past year and my landlords have been great. I am bummed to be moving but am excited to be getting an apartment all to myself. I have had roommates for the past 5 years and am looking forward to a space that is all my own. I will send out a mass email to the family with my new address. If you don't get the email let me know and I will get it to you.

My new apartment is a one bedroom on the 17-floor. My view is amazing!!!! I can see the National Mall, Walter Reed, the National Cathedral, National Naval Medical Center, Arlington, and Alexandria. It is amazing. When I get settled I will put up some pictures of the view!