It's been a long, hard day and I barely have the strength to write this, much less get up off the floor where I am lying prostrate in defeat.
Today marked our official on-service day. In actuality, the outgoing interns were there until noon, when they were officially released from their slave-labor contract and subsequently allowed to hand over their pagers to us, just in time to hop a bus to their drunken canoe trip.
At 12:01 a large group of NEW interns huddled together in silence, holding our pagers and our breath, waiting to see what the world would look like after it imploded.
And then it happened ::::::::::buzzzzzzzzz::::::::::
My friend Kat received the first page of the day--a nurse needing an order for insulin.
After that pagers started going off left and right. A beep here and a buzz there, amidst a flurry of papers and frantic scurrying.
One by one the new baby doctors got shoved from their nest and began to free-fall.
This doesn't feel like flying, though. It feels more like being shot down, skinned, battered, deep-fried and made into dim sum.
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Now playing: Belle & Sebastian - Expectations (Remastered)
via FoxyTunes
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
They're Watching
In a last ditch-effort to suck out and remove all remnants of our souls, the folks from Human Resources came to give us a talk on error prevention.
Did you know that 98,000 people die each year as a result of a medical error?
I did. Because they have told us that statistic at least once an hour for the past seven days.
Nearing the end of the lecture, audience participation was required as the spokesperson listed off health care professionals and quizzed us on who their supervisor would be:
"Who's looking after the nursing student?"
::in unison:: "The nursing preceptor."
"Who's in charge of supervising the volunteers?"
::in unison:: "Volunteer Services."
"And who is keeping track of the interns?"
:::pause, no answer:::
"E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E. We are ALL watching you. This whole hospital sleeps with one eye open, and that eye is on you."
Oh, and good luck tomorrow.
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Now playing: The Pipettes - Dirty Mind
via FoxyTunes
Did you know that 98,000 people die each year as a result of a medical error?
I did. Because they have told us that statistic at least once an hour for the past seven days.
Nearing the end of the lecture, audience participation was required as the spokesperson listed off health care professionals and quizzed us on who their supervisor would be:
"Who's looking after the nursing student?"
::in unison:: "The nursing preceptor."
"Who's in charge of supervising the volunteers?"
::in unison:: "Volunteer Services."
"And who is keeping track of the interns?"
:::pause, no answer:::
"E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E. We are ALL watching you. This whole hospital sleeps with one eye open, and that eye is on you."
Oh, and good luck tomorrow.
----------------
Now playing: The Pipettes - Dirty Mind
via FoxyTunes
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Stayin' Alive with the Bee Gees
Throughout the week we have had to get ourselves certified in all the different types of CPR including BLS (Basic Life Support), ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) and NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program).
In an effort to help us remember how fast to do chest compressions, our PALS instructor told us to think of the tempo in the song Stayin' Alive as it is set at 100 beats per minute.
"ah..ah..ah..ah..stayin' alive"
One of my fellow interns, who will likely turn out to be the class clown, was quick point out that Another One Bites the Dust is also set at 100 beats per minute.
Just thought you might like to know these things, in the event that you see your doctor humming a little ditty.
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Now playing: The Beatles - I Feel Fine
via FoxyTunes
In an effort to help us remember how fast to do chest compressions, our PALS instructor told us to think of the tempo in the song Stayin' Alive as it is set at 100 beats per minute.
"ah..ah..ah..ah..stayin' alive"
One of my fellow interns, who will likely turn out to be the class clown, was quick point out that Another One Bites the Dust is also set at 100 beats per minute.
Just thought you might like to know these things, in the event that you see your doctor humming a little ditty.
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Now playing: The Beatles - I Feel Fine
via FoxyTunes
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Who Killed Timmy?
Not me!
Timmy is one of our simulated patients (remember Stan?). Timmy went into unstable SVT today, I ordered him a toasty synchronized shock and low and behold he opened his mechanical eyes and started looking around, sizing us up.
One of my teammates switched places with me and cured Timmy of his respiratory failure.
And then we all prayed that we never, ever, EVER have to do any of these things on real, live children. Especially not like next week.
My program director, who is quite possibly one of the most genuinely enthusiastic people I have ever met, gave us a little pep talk before we started this morning. It made me like him even more. And it should make you want to bring your children to his hospital.
"Doctors, this is not medical school anymore. There are no more exams. No one is testing you. There is no more "you." There is only "us." You are a team now. A wolf pack. And your only enemy is death. Your only job, as a pack, is to keep death away from these babies. Period."
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Now playing: Jill Phillips - Still Is My Soul
via FoxyTunes
Timmy is one of our simulated patients (remember Stan?). Timmy went into unstable SVT today, I ordered him a toasty synchronized shock and low and behold he opened his mechanical eyes and started looking around, sizing us up.
One of my teammates switched places with me and cured Timmy of his respiratory failure.
And then we all prayed that we never, ever, EVER have to do any of these things on real, live children. Especially not like next week.
My program director, who is quite possibly one of the most genuinely enthusiastic people I have ever met, gave us a little pep talk before we started this morning. It made me like him even more. And it should make you want to bring your children to his hospital.
"Doctors, this is not medical school anymore. There are no more exams. No one is testing you. There is no more "you." There is only "us." You are a team now. A wolf pack. And your only enemy is death. Your only job, as a pack, is to keep death away from these babies. Period."
----------------
Now playing: Jill Phillips - Still Is My Soul
via FoxyTunes
Monday, June 16, 2008
Disoriented
Day 1 of Intern orientation: "You're in the Army now!"
The morning started off fairly calm...a nice breakfast, some intermingling of the higher-ups with the slave labor, oodles off coffee, etc. And then they took us into a big room where there were at least 50 nice, new backpacks with our names on them. After finding our backpacks, we all rifled through them like children with birthday party favors.
Scrubs! Our white coat! Oh look, it has "M.D." on it! :::snicker, snicker:::
A pager, some business cards (fancy!), a narcotic pad, coupons, etc.
"Come on kids, it's time to get going! Grab your bags, we won't be coming back here for awhile."
And so they marched the hoard of us, obediently wearing our backpacks, through the hospital and up to Employee Health, where we all subsequently rolled up our sleeves to receive our mandatory vaccinations.
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
Tomorrow, I beleive there will be an obstacle course followed by a nice MRE.
This still does not feel real.
----------------
Now playing: Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan
via FoxyTunes
The morning started off fairly calm...a nice breakfast, some intermingling of the higher-ups with the slave labor, oodles off coffee, etc. And then they took us into a big room where there were at least 50 nice, new backpacks with our names on them. After finding our backpacks, we all rifled through them like children with birthday party favors.
Scrubs! Our white coat! Oh look, it has "M.D." on it! :::snicker, snicker:::
A pager, some business cards (fancy!), a narcotic pad, coupons, etc.
"Come on kids, it's time to get going! Grab your bags, we won't be coming back here for awhile."
And so they marched the hoard of us, obediently wearing our backpacks, through the hospital and up to Employee Health, where we all subsequently rolled up our sleeves to receive our mandatory vaccinations.
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
Tomorrow, I beleive there will be an obstacle course followed by a nice MRE.
This still does not feel real.
----------------
Now playing: Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan
via FoxyTunes
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Winner- And a new look.
You guys rock my socks off.
There were 137 comments posted before the deadline. WOW! After throwing out a few duplicates/unrelated comments, the breakdown appeared to be as follows:
Keep it! We *heart* 6YearMed! - 41%
Change it, but I have no good ideas for you. - 34%
Whatever. I just want to enter the contest- 5%
So the name is staying. The look of the site has changed, however. And I even have this new spiffy header. I added the MD for you! :) I still have a lot to work on, formatting wise. So stay with me. I will get there eventually! (side note, I finally upgraded my blogger account for the first time. Previously, I had been coding it all in by hand. Yikes.)
Phoebe came from hiding amongst the boxes only ONCE today, and that was to randomly select a winner.
Drum roll...
There were 137 comments posted before the deadline. WOW! After throwing out a few duplicates/unrelated comments, the breakdown appeared to be as follows:
Keep it! We *heart* 6YearMed! - 41%
Change it, but I have no good ideas for you. - 34%
Whatever. I just want to enter the contest- 5%
So the name is staying. The look of the site has changed, however. And I even have this new spiffy header. I added the MD for you! :) I still have a lot to work on, formatting wise. So stay with me. I will get there eventually! (side note, I finally upgraded my blogger account for the first time. Previously, I had been coding it all in by hand. Yikes.)
Phoebe came from hiding amongst the boxes only ONCE today, and that was to randomly select a winner.
Drum roll...
Giveaway
this is a scheduled post
The 6YearMed giveaway is almost over! Have you entered? It's easy! Go here and vote "yes" or "no."
Enter your comment before 11pm CST to qualify! Phoebe is anxiously awaiting her chance to be Bob Barker. Or some other old guy who gives away free stuff.
Note: Do to the move and having no internet access and the real possibility of having to perform CPR on my cat after I have overdosed her on downers, I might not be able to post the winner right away. Thanks for understanding!
Vote now!
The 6YearMed giveaway is almost over! Have you entered? It's easy! Go here and vote "yes" or "no."
Enter your comment before 11pm CST to qualify! Phoebe is anxiously awaiting her chance to be Bob Barker. Or some other old guy who gives away free stuff.
Note: Do to the move and having no internet access and the real possibility of having to perform CPR on my cat after I have overdosed her on downers, I might not be able to post the winner right away. Thanks for understanding!
Vote now!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Sitting in my empty bedroom, something I want to believe.
"...sooner or later we must realize there is no one station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us..."From The Station by Robert J. Hastings.
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Now playing: Caedmon's Call - Faith My Eyes
via FoxyTunes
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Now playing: Caedmon's Call - Faith My Eyes
via FoxyTunes
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