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00:00The
00:10Our job is hardcore.
00:12It is life and it's death.
00:16Everything we do relies on this bond between us all.
00:25Just stay down. No, no, no.
00:26You're okay, you're okay.
00:27You have to be comfortable in high stress situations.
00:33In this immersive series.
00:35You're in the hospital.
00:37How much? Do you want to tell me what drugs you want and when?
00:40We take you into the theatres and wards of Sydney's busiest hospitals.
00:45And into the world of nurses.
00:48Nurses are the backbone of the hospital.
00:50Through their eyes, you'll see life.
00:53Big deep breath in.
00:54Push, push, push.
00:55A girl.
00:57Death.
00:58Unfortunately, we can't save her.
01:01Girl.
01:03Girl.
01:04And everything in between.
01:08Coughs, colds and sore holes.
01:10Take me to the fire.
01:12Burn.
01:13Welcome to the front line.
01:15Two, three.
01:16One, two, three.
01:17Of one of the world's toughest.
01:18It's alright darling, we're looking after you, okay?
01:22And most trusted professions.
01:26It was scary, hey?
01:27Yeah.
01:28Nurses are superheroes.
01:29Without capes.
01:30Just in scrubs.
01:31This time on Nurses.
01:44A fall from a ladder.
01:46He has had a head strike.
01:47It's very important you don't move.
01:48Could have life-changing consequences for a roofer.
01:53He could have a bleed on his brain or he could be paralyzed.
01:57Will a man's donor heart.
01:59One, two, three.
02:01As soon as that organ hits the ice, then the clock really starts ticking.
02:05Make it to the hospital in time.
02:08Right now there's a bit of nervous energy in the room while we're waiting for the heart.
02:12And in emergency, a young woman's therapy dog.
02:16This dog is trained to detect seizures.
02:18Gives a life-saving signal.
02:21We'll sort it out as soon as possible, okay?
02:35St. Vincent's Hospital has the fourth largest heart transplant unit in the world.
02:48Last year, 71 life-saving heart transplants were carried out.
02:55In my role as a transplant coordinator, the most rewarding part definitely has to be the
03:02actual phone call to the patient to tell them we may have found them a heart or lung.
03:06It's definitely a privilege.
03:08That call in itself is such a big moment of hope for the patient.
03:24My name is Emily.
03:26I'm a transplant coordinator in the heart and lung clinic at St. Vincent's Hospital.
03:32My hometown is called Leyton Buzzard.
03:36It's a small market village about an hour north of London.
03:40And I moved to Australia five years ago.
03:44My husband's Australian.
03:46We have a wonderful life here.
03:49And we have a baby on the way.
03:51Emily has arrived at the heart lung clinic to take over an organ retrieval mission from her colleague, Lisa.
03:59Hey.
04:00Hey, Liz.
04:01How are you?
04:02Yeah.
04:03Did you get some sleep?
04:04A little bit.
04:05Eight hours ago, a donor heart became available.
04:09In terms of you guys, you're leaving at 9.30.
04:12Lisa has worked through the night, planning every complex part of the transplant.
04:18Good.
04:19So your recipient here is Craig.
04:21I called here at 9 o'clock.
04:22Yeah.
04:23Now it's up to Emily to retrieve the donor heart for the patient who is anxiously waiting upstairs on the cardiothoracic transplant board.
04:34His blood pressure is very stable.
04:38Heart recipient Craig is 52 years old and has end-stage heart failure.
04:44Any arm?
04:45Yeah, any arm?
04:46Yeah.
04:47A transplant is his only chance at having a longer life.
04:51I've had problems with my heart since 2016.
04:55And then last year, I was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and I needed a replacement.
05:01Cardiomyopathy means a person's heart has lost its ability to pump blood properly.
05:08Let's head on up.
05:10Craig does have a severely dilated left side of his heart.
05:15And just under your tongue.
05:17His pumping function is severely impaired.
05:21Craig is just coming up to a year on the list now.
05:25So to get him to this point today is huge.
05:28How are you?
05:29A bit anxious.
05:31I've been excited as well.
05:33Lisa called you in overnight.
05:35Yes.
05:36And we're going to work hard to get your heart for you this morning.
05:39It could go ahead.
05:40Yeah, it's always a chance.
05:42Obviously when we get there and have a good look at the heart.
05:45If there's anything that doesn't look quite right.
05:47Yep.
05:48All we know so far is it's a good match.
05:50Obviously your blood group, height, weight and cross match.
05:53And those things are all lining up.
05:54Yeah, right.
05:55All right.
05:56Yeah, that's cool.
05:57And I'll come see you in ICU hopefully tomorrow.
06:00Yeah.
06:01All right, lovely.
06:03See you later on.
06:04All the best.
06:06Emily is one of only six transplant coordinator nurses in the state,
06:12who work 24-7 to both coordinate the transplant and retrieve the life-saving organs.
06:19This esky will become the organ esky once we're on the other side of the retrieval.
06:25Having the right equipment once they reach the donor hospital is crucial.
06:30So in here, it's just six bottles of sterile saline.
06:36The donor heart can only survive on ice for three hours.
06:41All frozen.
06:42Once we run the cardioplege solution to arrest the heart, that's our clock ticking.
06:47So it's quite time precious from there on.
06:49Bad time to spill the ice everywhere.
06:52They're just...
06:53Everyone got your belts on?
06:54Yep.
06:55Emily and the surgical team will travel across Sydney to reach the donor hospital.
07:07How long has this guy been on the list?
07:09A year, actually.
07:10It'll be a year at the end of this month.
07:13My role as a transplant coordinator is bittersweet.
07:27Someone passes for another to live.
07:29It is hard.
07:30Obviously, with the retrievals, we actually see the donor and that can be quite confronting.
07:36Sometimes, particularly young donors or traumatic losses.
07:40I really try honing on the recipient and what their life means
07:44and do they have grandkids or kids of their own
07:47and what it means for them to have another five years, have another ten years.
07:51Some hearts get 30 years.
07:53And once you start shifting the focus to the recipient's quality of life
07:57and what their goals are, that's the life that we're saving.
08:01But there are still no guarantees for Craig.
08:05It doesn't always go to plan.
08:11All right, unload and get into theatres.
08:14Who's when we get in there, open up, have a look?
08:16If we will deem the heart not medically suitable,
08:19and then we do cancel the whole transplant from there on.
08:25And at that point, we have to close everything down
08:27and obviously tell Craig that it's not today.
08:30See if someone will let us in.
08:32So, fingers crossed for Craig today.
08:41You're at St Vincent's.
08:44There is no such thing as a typical day in ED.
08:47You can't pick how any day is going to be.
08:50I'm going to get you around for an x-ray.
08:52My role is to see people when they first come in
08:54and see what kind of treatment they need.
08:57No, no, no, she's not for you.
08:58I'm going to put a collar over just to keep your head nice and still okay.
09:01I work better when things are chaotic and loud and busy.
09:04Open your eyes. You're in hospital, mate.
09:06But as an emergency nurse, you've got to be prepared for anything.
09:09Bar 424, this is St Vincent's Hospital. Go ahead.
09:18We're coming from Bondi with a 53-year-old male.
09:22Who has had approximately a three-metre fall from a ladder onto tile.
09:27There is a gentleman coming in that's fallen from a ladder.
09:34I'm going to be team leading this trauma.
09:39Let's look at my sticker ready.
09:41Nurse Carly will be leading the team in the patient's urgent care.
09:46The trauma team is assembled.
09:47Everyone's got their roles, their responsibility.
09:50In critical situations, we have to move quickly.
09:53Every year, around 6,000 people in Australia
09:57are hospitalised after falling off ladders.
10:00Nearly one in ten falls results in injury to the brain.
10:04He's a roofer.
10:10He was working on a kind of veranda roof above a balcony.
10:14He was on a ladder of approximately two and a half to three metres high.
10:17Ooh!
10:18Some timber slats have given way and he's fallen down.
10:21At some point on the way down, he has had a head strike
10:24with a query compound fracture through the elbow and maybe a dislocation.
10:28He's received morphine, ketamine and methoxy.
10:32Don't move.
10:34The fall from a dangerous height
10:36means he could have suffered a brain or spinal injury.
10:40It's very important that you don't move, OK?
10:43I know it feels a bit weird, but we're going to do all the work
10:46and try to help us.
10:47Resuscitation nurse Yoon works with the doctor
10:50to replace the brace on the patient's neck
10:53to better protect it while they assess his injuries.
10:57Ooh!
11:00Ooh!
11:02Ooh!
11:03The poor guy is in a lot of pain.
11:04I'm on right arm.
11:06Wrap it back up.
11:07Ooh!
11:08Ooh!
11:09Ooh!
11:10That hurts.
11:11Just figuring out what your injuries are
11:13does look like you've broken your arm, at least in one place.
11:17You can see the bone poking out,
11:19which is something I really don't like to see.
11:21The patient's arm has been crushed on impact.
11:25Push against me.
11:27Yeah, give it back.
11:28Good job.
11:29But the team must also determine
11:31if he has suffered any life-threatening injuries.
11:34Brad, we're just going to take you around
11:36for a scan of your whole body, all right?
11:38We need to get him to CT to see what damage has been done,
11:41but it's really not going to be easy.
11:42All right, everyone's got a good hold.
11:44Yeah.
11:45We'll go on three.
11:47One, two, three.
11:49No!
11:50The worst-case scenario is that he could have a bleed on his brain
11:54or he could be paralysed.
11:56Sorry, mate.
11:57Oh!
12:09In emergency...
12:10One, two, three.
12:11No.
12:12No.
12:13No.
12:14Nurse Carly is treating a patient
12:15who has fallen three metres off a ladder
12:18and is in extreme pain.
12:20He has landed on his arm and he has hit his head,
12:24so he could have a bleed on his brain
12:26or he could have neck trauma or be paralysed.
12:30Sorry, mate.
12:33Oh!
12:34He's going to give you some more morphine.
12:36We really want to take the pain away,
12:38but we need to follow procedures for his own sake.
12:41Some water, right?
12:42Sorry.
12:43Clean, darling, all right?
12:44When we get back, we get a bit of ice.
12:45Just if that's broken
12:46and they need to take you to theatre,
12:48you can't have anything.
12:49The patient, Brad,
12:51needs to have a head-to-toe CT scan
12:54to check the extent of his injuries.
12:57Just lie there.
12:58We'll wheel you around.
12:59Getting the poor bugger into the CT machine
13:03is going to be hard
13:04because he's in a lot of pain.
13:06Unfortunately, we've got to roll you on and off.
13:08We've got to get these scans.
13:10Get you some more pain, let's kill it, darling.
13:12Yep.
13:13Yeah.
13:14So...
13:15Back down.
13:16Yeah.
13:17We're going to go across.
13:18You might need one more on that size.
13:20And then the board out on three.
13:23One, two, three.
13:25Oh!
13:26That's it.
13:27Oh!
13:28Oh, what's my arm, please?
13:29Yeah, got it.
13:30I got it.
13:31Oh, it's slow.
13:32Yeah, it's just...
13:33It's because it's hanging off,
13:34we're going to strap it in, mate.
13:35It isn't in a lot of pain.
13:36Obviously, we give them as much channel GZ as they require.
13:39Oh, oh.
13:40And we just use a lot of reassurance and deep breathing.
13:42Oh!
13:43Is that all right there?
13:44Oh!
13:45No.
13:46Do you want it tighter?
13:47Yeah, it's going to have to be tighter.
13:48Oh!
13:49Oh!
13:50It's just not enough. Sorry, mate.
13:51Oh!
13:52That's good.
13:53That little body.
13:54Oh!
13:55Oh!
13:58That's what it was on the side.
13:59I think it was...
14:00I'm just giving you some more pain relief
14:01before they do it again.
14:02I'm going to give you some more morphine, darling.
14:04All right?
14:05Three, just please be careful.
14:06Yeah.
14:07Yeah, we've been careful, darling.
14:08A lot of our job is just letting people know
14:11that they're going to be okay
14:12and we're going to treat them,
14:13we're going to help them,
14:14we're going to get them feeling better.
14:15Yeah, we've been careful, darling.
14:17One, two, three.
14:20Is that all right?
14:21Yeah, yeah.
14:22You good?
14:24We get him there eventually.
14:25Can you see it?
14:35There you go.
14:36Fortunately for Brad,
14:38the CT scan shows that he has no brain or spinal injuries,
14:43but his arm is a different story.
14:46Oh, my goodness.
14:47Ten floors up, heart recipient Craig is being willed
14:59to the anaesthetic bay in the hope
15:01that his life-saving transplant will go ahead.
15:04Hello.
15:05This is Craig for heart transplant.
15:11All the best.
15:12Take care.
15:13Might see you later on down the track.
15:15Yeah, hopefully.
15:16But he won't know if the donor heart is viable
15:19until they hear from transplant coordinator Emily,
15:22who was retrieving the organ at another hospital.
15:25Alrighty.
15:26So, what I'm going to do is hook you up to some monitoring, okay?
15:29Yep.
15:30So, first of all...
15:31It's an anxious wait for Craig,
15:32who has spent a year hoping for this day.
15:36Coming down here,
15:37I just felt like I've been the best prepared that I could be.
15:40Yep.
15:41In the best kind of health and everything.
15:42Yes, yep.
15:44Now, all he can do is wait.
15:46We've been told it will probably be soon,
15:48but that's about it.
15:55Yeah.
16:00Across Sydney...
16:01Just load up the van again.
16:04The transplant is on.
16:06After two hours in theatre,
16:08Emily and the team have successfully retrieved the donor heart.
16:12That's it.
16:13So, retrieval all went well.
16:15So far, so good.
16:17But now they need to get it to St Vincent's as quickly as possible,
16:21while it's still viable.
16:25See the three, Kaya speaking.
16:27Hey, everyone.
16:28Scout nurse Kaya is one of five nurses
16:30who will care for Craig in the operating theatre.
16:33Oh, that's fine then.
16:34Yep, yep.
16:35We'll be with you by 2.30.
16:38No worries. Bye.
16:42Oh, there we go.
16:46Cool.
16:47So we just got the call that we could move in.
16:50One, two, three.
16:52So, now we're able to then start setting up really quickly.
16:57It goes from zero to 100.
17:01Ready?
17:02The donor heart can only survive on ice for three hours,
17:07so timing is critical.
17:09The surgeons need to remove Craig's diseased heart
17:22so they can implant the donor heart as soon as it arrives.
17:26Clamp.
17:27It is precious cargo.
17:28As soon as that organ hits the ice,
17:29then the clock really starts ticking.
17:30Straight to ED.
17:31So the pressure's now on us as a team to get the heart back to St Vincent's.
17:48The sooner the better.
17:52Okay, cool.
17:53I've just gotten a call saying the heart's now minutes away.
17:59With the donor organs so close,
18:01it's time to take out Craig's ailing heart.
18:05He will be kept alive by a bypass machine
18:08that will replace the function of his heart and lungs.
18:12Anything that goes wrong now can have fatal consequences.
18:33Amazingly, Craig's heart will continue to beat outside of his body
18:37for a short time due to its own electrical system.
18:41The heart keep quivering away and just eventually stop beating.
18:46Craig's chest is now empty.
18:50It's quite an incredible thing to see no heart in Craig's chest
18:53for a brief period of time.
18:55So what's keeping him alive is the heart-lung machine.
18:59There's no going back now.
19:03The bypass machine can only be used as a temporary measure.
19:08It's waiting on the organs.
19:11They should be here any minute.
19:13I just want to check if the heart had arrived.
19:17It just hasn't yet.
19:20Right now there's a bit of nervous energy in the room
19:22while we're waiting for the heart.
19:25Not yet, Nicole.
19:26Not yet.
19:32In emergency...
19:33Oh!
19:34This is not enough. Sorry, mate.
19:35Oh!
19:36That's good.
19:37That's good.
19:39Oh!
19:40Nurse Carly has taken a patient
19:42who has fallen three metres off a ladder for a CT scan.
19:46Can you see it?
19:49I'm ready to go.
19:51Luckily, the scan indicates there is no head or spinal injuries,
19:55but the man's arm is another story.
19:59Oh, my goodness.
20:02It's very displaced.
20:03Yeah, I can see it.
20:04I'm trying to poke out of the skin.
20:06It's very broken.
20:08It's kind of going like this.
20:11Well done, darling.
20:12How are you going? You all right?
20:15Stop.
20:16That's it.
20:17So Brad has completely snapped his humerus
20:19and it also looks like he's done his elbow as well.
20:23He's going to probably need pins and plates
20:25to get it back together.
20:27Yeah, he'll have to go to surgery as soon as they can get him in.
20:30We can't wait much longer.
20:35Sweet wreck it will happen, mate.
20:38You'll have to go to theatre.
20:39And have it fixed.
20:41For Rufa Brad, the news is devastating.
20:45The bones are sticking out or something, isn't it?
20:48It's snapped in...
20:50So instead of it being straight like that,
20:51it's sort of going like this.
20:56Yeah.
20:57But yeah, it worked.
20:59You worked for yourself?
21:00I think the gravity of the situation has started to hit Brad.
21:02What, do you need to tell anyone you're here?
21:04As he waits to go to theatre,
21:06Carly helps Brad contact a family member.
21:09You have 57 missed calls and 93 text messages.
21:12Have a look at the emails.
21:14You need to clear this thing out.
21:15Yeah, whatever.
21:166,976.
21:18There you go.
21:19Hello?
21:20There you go.
21:21I've done a job by myself.
21:24Fell off the ladder and broke my right arm and bicep.
21:30Humorous.
21:31Yeah, it's very humorous.
21:32I love coming to work every day,
21:35being able to help people and make them feel better.
21:39How's the pain at the moment?
21:41It's okay.
21:42Alright.
21:44The people that are walking in the door,
21:46some of them think it is the worst day of their life.
21:48It's all about helping people.
21:50We want good outcomes.
21:51I'm just really dry.
21:53Yeah, I know.
21:54Do you want me to get you a bit of ice?
21:55Something.
21:56Alright.
21:57Do you need to...?
21:58I'm not in a mess.
21:59Well, the plan for Brad now is ice,
22:02and he's going to get prepped for surgery.
22:07Brad is taken to theatre,
22:09where orthopaedic surgeons will work
22:11to repair his shattered bones.
22:14It's difficult to say at this stage
22:16how much use he'll have back in his arm.
22:19It just all depends on how the surgery goes.
22:22It's time to be breath for us to Brad.
22:25Brad is going under.
22:27But there is no rest for the team
22:29back in the emergency department.
22:35965 coming to you with a 24-year-old female
22:38with a history of seizures.
22:41Paramedics are on their way
22:42with a young woman
22:43who is suffering a life-threatening seizure.
22:46I will be with you in five minutes, thanks.
22:49Copy clear.
22:50A trauma team quickly assembles.
22:54I'm going to get an airway pack and stuff.
22:57We're about to receive a young lady from a GP
23:00who's experienced a seizure.
23:02Seizures are electrical disturbances
23:04that happen in your brain
23:06that can affect breathing,
23:07can affect the cardiovascular system
23:09and potentially can cause you to die.
23:11Can I please get a water and enjoy resuscitation?
23:15Thanks.
23:16Resuscitation nurse Youn
23:17will be assisting doctors Judy Alford
23:19and Andrew Jones
23:20in the young woman's critical care.
23:23When you're dealing with life and death,
23:25it's very stressful.
23:27Do you want any more drugs out?
23:29You just have to focus on your job
23:30and hope for the best.
23:35All righty.
23:36At over...
23:37Or three.
23:38One, two, three.
23:4324 hours to email.
23:44She's got a history
23:45of rigidity and dystonia condition.
23:47She was seizing
23:48for at least 20 to 30 minutes
23:50before we arrived.
23:55She's now verbal with us.
23:57She's answering questions
23:58about her pain level.
23:59That's good.
24:00We won't interact with her.
24:01She doesn't need it.
24:02The patient is known
24:04to the emergency team.
24:06She suffers from a rare
24:08neurological disease
24:09known as progressive
24:11encephalomyelitis,
24:12or PERM.
24:14There are only around
24:16100 known cases worldwide.
24:19PERM is characterised
24:20by quite severe muscle spasms
24:23and rigidity.
24:24It typically involves
24:25the brainstem as well,
24:26so it is potentially
24:27a life-threatening condition.
24:28She was at her
24:30doctor's surgery
24:31getting a flu-back shot.
24:32She received her
24:33flu-back shot
24:34and then she had
24:35a reaction.
24:36Her condition
24:37can be set off
24:38by pain stimuli.
24:39And it seems her seizure
24:41may have been brought on
24:42by the pain
24:43of the vaccination.
24:45Was anyone with her?
24:47Anyone coming?
24:48Anyone coming?
24:49Yeah, the dog
24:50and the wheelchair,
24:52so I think she's heading up.
24:54The patient's
24:55therapy dog, Maisie,
24:56is being rushed
24:57to the hospital
24:58to be with her.
25:00You're okay?
25:01You're ridiculous
25:02again?
25:03Yep.
25:04She's fortunately received
25:05midazolam on the way here
25:06and she's improving.
25:07I guess we want to make sure
25:08that we're keeping
25:09her airways open,
25:10monitoring her closely
25:11and giving her some
25:12supportive measures
25:13and some reassurance.
25:14Looks like you've had a good
25:16dose of bentoes.
25:17We just calmed things down
25:19for you, alright?
25:21The medication
25:22that has been administered
25:23has settled
25:24her painful spasms
25:26for now.
25:28She has had treatment
25:29by the paramedics
25:30and it's helped her a lot.
25:32She's still in the danger zone.
25:34She could have another seizure
25:35and we just need
25:36to watch out for that.
25:37Great pain as well.
25:39While watching her closely,
25:41the team also need
25:42to run some tests
25:43to determine
25:44whether her 30-minute seizure
25:46has caused
25:47any oxygen deprivation
25:49to her brain.
25:52In terms of blood,
25:53I think you just do a gas,
25:54electrolyze.
25:55The initial test
25:56we'd like to run
25:57blood gas
25:58and having a look at
25:59her oxygen saturation.
26:00Also on her blood test
26:01is we want to look at
26:02her markers of infection
26:03or inflammation.
26:04So we just watch and wait.
26:06We're certainly concerned
26:07that there is potential
26:08for deterioration
26:09and we need to monitor her
26:11very closely
26:12to make sure
26:13that she doesn't get
26:14any worse.
26:15While they wait
26:16for the test results,
26:17her therapy dog,
26:18Maisie, arrives.
26:24Therapy dogs are assigned
26:25for specific conditions.
26:27Maisie is trained
26:28to sit up
26:29on the patient's lap
26:30if she detects
26:31signs of an oncoming seizure.
26:33The dogs just jump.
26:34So we know now
26:35that seizure is imminent.
26:36Maisie is right.
26:37She's taken a turn
26:38for the worse.
26:39We'll sort it out
26:40as soon as possible, okay?
26:41The worst case scenario
26:42is her to lose her airway.
26:43Seizures can cause that
26:44and if she loses her airway,
26:45stop her breathing,
26:46can't oxygenate her brain
26:47or her heart.
26:48We have to make sure
26:49that doesn't happen.
26:50We have to make sure
26:51that doesn't happen.
26:52In emergency,
26:53a young woman's dog, Maisie,
26:54has alerted the team
26:55to her oncoming seizure.
26:56The worst case scenario
26:57is her to lose her airway.
26:58Seizures can cause that
26:59and if she loses her airway,
27:00stop her breathing,
27:01can't oxygenate her brain
27:02or her heart.
27:03We have to make sure
27:04that doesn't happen.
27:15In emergency,
27:17a young woman's dog, Maisie,
27:19has alerted the team
27:20to her oncoming seizure.
27:21The therapy dog
27:23is trained to recognise
27:25the symptoms
27:26of having a seizure.
27:27Good girl.
27:28The patient's painful seizures
27:30are caused by
27:31a rare neurological condition.
27:33Oh dear.
27:35She's breathing quite shallow.
27:38The respiratory rate is elevated,
27:40which are some red flags for us.
27:43But luckily,
27:44she's in safe hands.
27:47That's the one with Dad's.
27:48That might be a...
27:50It does.
27:51That might be a good idea.
27:52Let's give it 2.5.
27:532.5?
27:54Yeah.
27:55OK.
27:56The midazolam can be
27:57a relaxing agent
27:58that can help to settle
27:59the firm, tight muscle condition
28:01that she's developed.
28:06If the medication doesn't work,
28:08they'll have to resort to intubation,
28:10which carries its own risks.
28:13Yeah.
28:14So we'll see how this goes.
28:20The anti-convulsant drug starts to work.
28:26There you go, sweetie.
28:27And has prevented her from going into respiratory arrest.
28:32What?
28:33Just giving it a flush, OK?
28:37It's never easy seeing anyone go through a seizure,
28:40but due to a condition,
28:43regularly has these seizures.
28:44So it's really sad for someone to experience so much pain.
28:48The seizure has placed major stress on her body,
28:51so now she needs to rest and recover.
28:55Let you rest for a while, OK?
28:59OK.
29:00I'll be back.
29:01Any medical condition
29:02you come into hospital with is scary.
29:05It's important to provide medical care,
29:07but it's also important to show compassion.
29:10Just pushing in slow, OK?
29:13Making sure they're emotionally OK.
29:15Providing that support is just as important
29:17as giving them the initial treatment.
29:19Does that hurt on her persona?
29:23Seizures have passed.
29:25Blood results are OK,
29:26so she'll be able to go home soon.
29:28With the patient now stable,
29:30her loyal dog, Maisie,
29:32is also having a well-earned rest.
29:35I think therapy dogs are great.
29:37Seeing one come into the hospital
29:38is always a warm welcome.
29:40I mean, dogs are amazing in general.
29:42They provide you with comfort, companionship,
29:44but I think Maisie's extra-amazing
29:46because it also helps with medical condition.
29:48And it's very invaluable.
29:49In theatre at the Heart Lung Clinic,
29:51the surgical team have removed Craig's ailing heart.
29:53In preparation for his new donor heart.
29:54The surgical team have removed Craig's ailing heart.
29:58In preparation for his new donor heart,
30:05which has just arrived at the hospital.
30:11Thanks, Dave.
30:12Thanks, Dave.
30:13They've made it.
30:14But the heart won't survive for much longer on ice,
30:16so it's headed straight to the operating theatre.
30:18All right.
30:19That patient's got on the table and the AVO.
30:20All right.
30:21That patient's got on the table and the AVO.
30:25So, the heart's just been reeled in.
30:26You're on ice.
30:27So, we need to move quite quickly to reach out to the hospital.
30:28Thanks, Dave.
30:29They've made it.
30:30But the heart won't survive for much longer on ice,
30:33so it's headed straight to the operating theatre.
30:36Craig's new heart is ready.
31:01Craig's new heart is ready.
31:03The heart's gone into the patient.
31:22And now they're just anastomosing the major vessels,
31:29which is when we join one structure to the other.
31:32While surgeons begin the delicate process,
31:35connecting the vessels of the donor heart...
31:37Hi, is that Jenny speaking?
31:39..transplant coordinator Emily makes a special call to his sister.
31:44It's good news.
31:45It's all going ahead for him today.
31:47When it comes to that phone call,
31:49it's normally quite emotionally fuelled
31:51and to be the person that makes that call, yeah, it's definitely a privilege.
32:03You're up in Queensland, I hear.
32:06Yeah, I always enjoy that bit, no matter what time the night it is.
32:09He will be very well looked after.
32:15After almost two hours in theatre,
32:18it's time to see if Craig's new heart will beat by itself.
32:22So right now there's a bit of nervous energy in the room.
32:39We're just waiting and hoping now that the heart will start beating.
32:49It's quite intense just waiting for the new heart to take.
32:52It's a really crucial time right now.
32:54It's been close to a minute and the heart isn't beating.
33:17Over in theatre two, Craig's heart transplant is still underway.
33:21The team are anxiously waiting to see if his new donor heart
33:27will beat inside his chest.
33:32It plugs off.
33:34Brings off the donor heart.
33:39It's quite intense just waiting for the new heart to take.
33:42It's a really crucial time right now.
33:51If you just look on the top reading, that's like the Christian's rhythm.
34:04Yeah, his heart's beating.
34:06Which you can see also on the screen over there.
34:08It's incredible to see Craig's heart beating.
34:16What a gift someone else has given him today.
34:21It's very special.
34:23With his new heart beating well,
34:25the surgeons begin closing Craig's chest.
34:34I just wanted to please hand over Craig after the heart transplant.
34:38Craig will go to our ICU and then the nursing teams there will take over.
34:44Take good care of him.
34:45It's a privilege to be part of this team and give Craig a new heart today.
34:50It's a really, really great outcome.
34:52So we're all feeling very good, very happy.
34:55It's been a good day.
34:57The surgery has gone well,
35:00but the nurses in intensive care will need to monitor Craig closely.
35:03Transplant surgery itself comes with huge risks of bleeding and stroke.
35:14Obviously until we know Craig is stable post-operatively in intensive care,
35:19that kind of first 24 hours is really critical for him.
35:24When you've been involved in the retrieval side of someone's transplant,
35:28I feel kind of responsible that it goes well.
35:30Until I see him tomorrow in an ICU,
35:33I know that things are trending along the right way.
35:36It is an anxious wait.
35:49Patient Brad fell off a ladder from a balcony
35:52and is on his way to theatre in the hopes that orthopaedic surgeons
35:56can repair his crushed arm.
35:58So Brad has completely snapped his humerus
36:02and it also looks like he's done his elbow as well.
36:04Brad is a roofer by trade, so his livelihood is at stake.
36:08Nice deep breaths for us there, Brad.
36:11One, two, three.
36:15One, two.
36:17Perioperative nurse Nikita will be leading the nursing team in the surgery.
36:21So today I'm being the scalp, which means I'm running around getting everything that the surgeon needs.
36:29Two, two blades.
36:31Orthopaedics is very intense.
36:34Your patients are at their most vulnerable, so you have to be on your game all the time.
36:41Beautiful.
36:43I think Brad's injury would be so painful.
36:48He's got two fractures and it's a nasty injury.
36:52This is definitely quite an intense trauma.
36:55The surgery will involve putting plates and pins in Brad's arm and elbow.
37:04So, probably a little small plate down there.
37:06Yep.
37:08Yep.
37:09First, the surgeons must examine the injury to assess the extent of the damage.
37:22Usually you find with anything that's a trauma, the surgeons have to do a lot of exploring.
37:27They need to, you know, make sure that there's no nerve damage.
37:29They need to make sure that there's no vessel damage.
37:31Are you down on the front?
37:32No, no, no.
37:33I'm just watching you out.
37:35Once they reach the broken bones...
37:37..the surgeons can start fixing Brad's arm.
37:42Use the x-ray to see where we've aligned the fracture,
37:46so that it's anatomically correct.
37:51Once aligned, screws will hold the bones in place
37:54so that Brad can hopefully use his arm.
38:00But working with power tools to drill into bone
38:04doesn't always go to plan.
38:07We had a little issue where one of our drill bits broke.
38:10We do have this happen quite often when patients have got really strong bone.
38:14The drill bit actually isn't strong enough to actually go through,
38:17so this gentleman has got very strong bones.
38:24After hours of cutting, drilling and pinning,
38:27the surgeons have rebuilt Brad's shattered arm.
38:36I love orthopaedic, so this is my favourite specialty.
38:40It's one of my favourites because it's very clear-cut.
38:43It's broken and we can put it back together,
38:46and nine out of ten, that patient's going to be back to normal again.
38:50And we're done.
38:52Yay!
38:56We had a great result with Brad.
38:58Bones were put back together,
39:00and there was no damage done to his nerves.
39:03All finished.
39:05So, after I think about six or eight weeks, depending on Brad,
39:10he should be back to normal.
39:12Back on the tools.
39:15Now that we're finally done, it's cleaning time.
39:18And then we get ready for the next surgery.
39:20Good job, sister.
39:22I love being a nurse, and I think that all the nurses will agree with me
39:27when we say we don't do it for the glory.
39:30We actually just do it because we genuinely love what we do,
39:33and we love caring for people and making sure that everything works out well for them.
39:37I actually can't imagine myself doing anything else than being a theatre nurse.
39:44Okay, bye.
39:46Thanks for today.
39:51It's the morning after Craig received his new heart,
40:08and transplant coordinator Emily is keen to check on his condition.
40:13We're en route to ICU, so level five, to check in on Craig.
40:19It's only just sort of about 14 hours post-op now.
40:25Being a transplant coordinator comes with the highs and the lows.
40:29The highs are finding them an organ, and the lows are those that sadly
40:34don't always make it post-transplant.
40:37A bad day is when you go up to ICU and see them with their family at their bedside,
40:43and you kind of know things aren't going the right way.
40:45They're pulling out on the patient because there's nothing else we can do.
40:51So, fingers crossed for Craig today.
40:54Hello, hello.
40:56Hi Craig.
40:58How are you going?
40:59I'm not here to bother you too long, but...
41:03You're all right.
41:04You look great.
41:05I feel good.
41:06And pains and under control.
41:08It's all good, yeah.
41:09Okay.
41:10You're only just 14 hours post-op.
41:12Yeah, that's right.
41:14So, yeah, you're doing amazingly.
41:15All that gym work fade off, hey?
41:17Yeah, well, that's right.
41:18Hopefully.
41:19It helps you get through these big surgeries.
41:21Yeah, it's good.
41:22Yeah.
41:23It helps you get thirsty too much.
41:24We've got a long way to go.
41:25Yeah.
41:26But, yeah, it's all moving in the right direction.
41:27Yeah.
41:28All right, well, keep it up.
41:29You look great.
41:30Thanks so much.
41:31No worries.
41:32Cheers, guys.
41:34Looks good, huh?
41:35From yesterday.
41:37Yeah, day one post-transplant for him to look like that.
41:40I mean, he's not even 24 hours yet.
41:42So, yeah, thanks for the work, obviously, of our surgeons and wonderful ICU team.
41:52Hi, it's Jim here for Craig.
41:55Craig's sister, Jennifer, didn't know if she'd see her brother again.
41:59Now she's flown from Queensland to find out he's doing okay.
42:04Hi.
42:05Hi, darling.
42:07Good to see you.
42:09So good to see you too.
42:11Yeah.
42:12Yeah.
42:13Doing good.
42:14Doing good.
42:15You look great.
42:16Yeah.
42:17Yeah, no.
42:18Oh.
42:19Quick.
42:20Amazing.
42:21Just amazing.
42:22Yeah.
42:23The whole...
42:24Yeah.
42:25Oh.
42:26Nursing, it's a lot more than the stereotypical bedside nursing, that patients become like a
42:31small family, a small unit, and we are involved in their care at so many different points in
42:38their life other than at the bedside.
42:41But I can feel your fingers pumping.
42:43Yeah.
42:44Pulsing.
42:45Yeah.
42:46It's strong.
42:47Yeah.
42:48The impact that you have on someone's life isn't generally at the bedside.
42:51It's that conversation that you've had with them at 2 o'clock in the morning.
42:54It's the breaking the good news, breaking the bad news, sitting down, not with the patient
42:58but their husband or their sister.
43:02It's all those little hidden bits that go on in between giving IV medications and dressing
43:09changes.
43:10And I think that's what patients, I hope, remember of us, is where we stepped in in their
43:15life and what changed from there on.
43:18Yeah.
43:19It's good.
43:20Got a future now.
43:23As a transplant coordinator, you feel that you've given them the lifeline, you've given
43:36them the second lease of life.
43:37But that's just where the journey starts for them.
43:41We fixate on this whiteboard out here.
43:44I don't think you can see it on our numbers.
43:46So it's a good feeling to come back from a retrieval, update the whiteboard.
43:51So that's 23 transplants for the year.
43:55I couldn't imagine doing a job that's any more rewarding than what I do now.
44:00No worries.
44:01Cheers, guys.
44:02Do you want me to do airway?
44:03Yeah.
44:04And working together as a team in emergency and stabilising someone.
44:08All right, mate.
44:09Just don't move your neck, okay?
44:11And then hearing later that they've gotten out of hospital is one of the best parts of
44:15their job.
44:16It's why I became a nurse.
44:18Yeah.
44:19The most rewarding thing for me is being able to care for people when they need it the most.
44:25It's such a privilege to be a nurse.
44:28I couldn't see myself doing anything else.
44:30This is me.
44:32I can't see myself.
44:34Yeah.
44:35Come on.
44:36Too long to keep me.
44:37I can't see myself tonight.
44:38I can't see myself.
44:39Yeah.
44:40I can't see myself.
44:41It's one of the best parts of my life in the body.
44:42You're not.
44:43Hey.
44:44No, not me.
44:45Hey.
44:46You're not.
44:47You're not.
44:48You're not.
44:50You're not.
44:51You're not.
44:52You're not.
44:53You're not.
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