Sadly some of the stories I would like to share publicly would end up getting me sued.

It is insidious.

One I will share.

I was on night duty in an Intensive Care unit and my patient, who was on a ventilator with a tube inserted to help her breathe. The doctors wanted for that tube to be withdrawn 2 centimetres. As an X-ray it showed that it had been inserted too far in and was at risk of entering the right main bronchus.

This is a two-person procedure. The team leader walked past the cubicle after her tea break and I asked her for her assistance.

She said she was going to check with the Nurse in charge first and then come back. I waited and she did not come back. I was about to ring her when my patient had a medical emergency because the oxygen levels plummeted as the ETT (breathing tube) had migrated into her right main bronchus.

I then pushed the emergency buzzer and help arrived, the tube was withdrawn 2 centimetres and the crisis was resolved. I was absolutely furious because if I had had the assistance that was needed in the first place, the crisis would have been avoided.

I then reported to the Nurse in charge who was male, what transpired and that I had asked for assistance, and it got turned on me, that I should have rung him earlier.