If Life is a Stage....

The Scene: Patient's bedside.

The Plot: Crushing one Norco-5 (Hydrocodone/APAP) and mixing with water to inject into PEG Tube.

The Players:

• Student Nurse, Ever vulnerable to the sin of hubris
• The Patient, Barely responsive, pain mild to moderate, death will still her breast soon.

And now the Narrator begins in a hushed yet excited voice:

"And now, we see Student Nurse at this patient's bedside, adding the crushed pill to a plastic cup. She picks up a syringe, fills the syringe with water, and squirts the water into the plastic cu....

"Ladies and Gentlement, we have a critical error on our hands! The force of the water stream from the syringe has blown the pill powder all over Student Nurse's face, shirt and the bedside table!"

(Foreboding melodramatic music begins)

"Worse yet, she has ruined a Schedule II Narcotic, and may be suspected of stealing or consuming pills if she asks for another. For gosh sakes, the pill powder is all over her face and shirt!"

"Oh, the conflict! What is our hero to do?"