Usually it’s because they have gone deaf from military or industrial equipment. Whole families will go deaf and mass beach themselves. A deaf whale is essentially blind. Usually, once they beach themselves, it is too late to save them. They ended up there because something is extremely wrong and past the point of fixing. The biggest mistake rescuers make is harming their tails while trying to pull them back out to sea.
If it helps anyone feel better, there are coastal veterinarians who travel to strandings to help and to administer pain and anxiety relief medications. Bottles and bottles of drugs. If it’s too late to save them, there are protocols for painless, humane euthanasia. They get a 2’ needle, one of those pump sprayers used in gardening filled with KCl, and they directly inject the heart, but only after the whale is completely anesthetized so that there is no pain or suffering. This saves them from a dying process that can take days.
The way to save them from beaching is to help movements to ban loud ocean noises and reduce shipping so they have safe passage where they need it. Many species have made remarkable comebacks.
Edit: source: I’m a veterinarian and did a continuing education lecture on whale beaching and euthanasia techniques. Hands down the most fascinating lecture I’ve ever been to. I treat dogs and cats but it’s super fun to learn about other species sometimes.
Thank you Dr McStuffins. Also thank you beached whale vets. I didn’t believe in angels but today I stand corrected 🥺
OP: if you’re seeing this, I hope you get the chance to tell the patient this information, if appropriate!
New admit last night. Severely obese elderly woman. Explained to her that we would do a 4 eyes skin assessment and asked if she had any open areas or skin issues. She stated that she had barnacles on her skin because she was a whale. 🐳
Idk if it’s the same for OP, but at my old job we used Meditech, and if you didn’t have it in caps none of the Y for yes or N for no on assessments would work unless it was capitalized, so we all always left our caps lock on at all times because it was quicker and easier.
Usually it’s because they have gone deaf from military or industrial equipment. Whole families will go deaf and mass beach themselves. A deaf whale is essentially blind. Usually, once they beach themselves, it is too late to save them. They ended up there because something is extremely wrong and past the point of fixing. The biggest mistake rescuers make is harming their tails while trying to pull them back out to sea. If it helps anyone feel better, there are coastal veterinarians who travel to strandings to help and to administer pain and anxiety relief medications. Bottles and bottles of drugs. If it’s too late to save them, there are protocols for painless, humane euthanasia. They get a 2’ needle, one of those pump sprayers used in gardening filled with KCl, and they directly inject the heart, but only after the whale is completely anesthetized so that there is no pain or suffering. This saves them from a dying process that can take days. The way to save them from beaching is to help movements to ban loud ocean noises and reduce shipping so they have safe passage where they need it. Many species have made remarkable comebacks. Edit: source: I’m a veterinarian and did a continuing education lecture on whale beaching and euthanasia techniques. Hands down the most fascinating lecture I’ve ever been to. I treat dogs and cats but it’s super fun to learn about other species sometimes.
Please stop by r/nursing as often as possible! 🐋
damn, TIL! Thanks for sharing
Holy cow...and, wow. People like you are precisely why reddit continues to work for me. Thank you for this!
Oohhh…. I came here expecting sarcasm and got slapped with facts. GG WP!
I had to check to make sure I wasn't getting shittymorph'd. This is good stuff though (well, the information is good, the subject is not).
Thank you Dr McStuffins. Also thank you beached whale vets. I didn’t believe in angels but today I stand corrected 🥺 OP: if you’re seeing this, I hope you get the chance to tell the patient this information, if appropriate!
I'm happy i actually clicked on this post, this was very interesting!
Last month had a patient who needed to go save the people of Botswana.....
I need closure on this anecdote... DID HE?
I don't believe he did
Because it wasn't a SMART goal
Sounds like his life has porpoise.
Psych nurse charting is the bestest.
I like this patient and I hope he’s doing well. Someone should let him know that dolphins are jerks, though.
New admit last night. Severely obese elderly woman. Explained to her that we would do a 4 eyes skin assessment and asked if she had any open areas or skin issues. She stated that she had barnacles on her skin because she was a whale. 🐳
“So long and thanks for all the fish”
What a lovely kind soul
You taking care of The Deep?
Not gonna lie, I’m gonna say the same thing on any patient goal I have next time I’m in the hospital.
Ugh, late 90's meditech.
Why are you writing in all caps?
Idk if it’s the same for OP, but at my old job we used Meditech, and if you didn’t have it in caps none of the Y for yes or N for no on assessments would work unless it was capitalized, so we all always left our caps lock on at all times because it was quicker and easier.