My friend and I were pregnant together.

We also had gestational diabetes.

So, it didn't surprise me when we were shopping one day at the Goodwill. We had skipped lunch, Katie turned white start to shake. She told me over and over again that she was hungry. She has said she was getting something to eat, but she never did.

When she starts to shake, I went to get her a soda. I noticed in her purse. She had an empty soda bottle and three cupcake wrappers. So, I wasn't too worried when she was turning pale. Which is hard for Vietnamese person to do.

I was waiting for the natural sugars to take effect and for Katie's body chemistry to straighten out.

When super nurse arrived!


She pushed me out a way. And began to take a pulse without a second hand. This woman continued to try to take "vitals," and and tell me how bad of a friend I was for not calling 911 right away. She even took a blood pressure without a blood pressure cuff for stethoscope.

Then Katie dropped the bomb. She told her I was an EMT.

This woman look like she ate the most bitter lemon ever.

I was told that I should hand in my certification. That I had no right to be an EMT. This coming from the woman who just assessed vitals without the proper equipment.

All the while, this woman is reaming me out about not following MY EMS protocols. She started to go on a rant about how my "firefighter pride" could have killed my friend.

Katie's eye opened wide.

"Wait. I could die." she said. I said no. Super Nurse insisted she could.

I finally snapped. "What the hell makes you think she is going to die?"

"You have not fully assessed her. You cannot take vitals by just looking at her and palpating her pulse. You have no history on her. And if you would have paid attention to your patient. You would have noticed she had improved tremendously. But whatever nursing school you came out of has done you a total disservice, but teaching you no bed manners. You the hell are you to scare a patient like the why you did?"

She fired back with being educated at the skills center.

Wait.

WTF

You're a CNA! Not only was I more qualified to assess the patient, but I also noticed she had taken her face shield out and had it tucked in her hand.

Now, I have never been rude to anyone in the medical field, but let me tell you something. I let her have it.

"Seriously, lady. You need to learn your chain of command. Lady, while you spent this entire time berating me I could have not been distracted in case my friend did deteriorate. Don't worry I would have saved her ass in time for you to come around and wipe it."