For the past five weeks, as Bud would say, I have been getting "hammered". It has been tough but I have learned an amazing amount about obstetrics, gynecology, and also how not to get yelled at or chewed out by attendings and residents. To give you a glimpse of my daily routine, here is a short description of my average day.
I have been waking up at 5:00AM everyday to make sure that I can be at the hospital by 5:45AM to look up vital signs and labs, to see if orders have changed and then at 6:00AM I am knocking on doors and begin rounding on patients. If the patient had a c-section the day before, I remove the bandage and inspection the incision to see if it is healing well. "Is it clean, dry, and intact?" I always ask vaginal delivery and c-section patients the same litany of questions: "how are they doing?", "what is their pain level on a scale of 1 to 10 (with ten being the worst absolute pain ever imaginable)", have they had a bowel movement? do they have any gas? Can they void their bladder? how many bleeding pads did they go through last night? are they walking, eating, and drinking? . I have to somehow get the answer to all of those questions as quickly as possible while simultaneously being cordial, polite, and engaging...... all at 6:00AM. Can you imagine some complete stranger coming into your bedroom every morning whether you were half naked or not and barraging you with that armament of personal questions? Where else in the world do you sincerely ask someone how they are pooing and peeing! As soon as the visit is done, I have to race to the chart to write a note, hoping that the resident is not breathing down my neck.
After rounds, there is a little break until the first surgery or the beginning of clinic depending upon your assignment. I usually grab a doughnut (I am getting so fat!!!!- but I am holding myself to the strict limit of one a day) and I'll then go read in the library about post partum bleeding, spontaneous abortions, or Group B Strep- whatever the gapping dearth may be. Then I go to surgery or clinic and hold retractors for hours on end or visit with return OB visits and ask women about the progression of their pregnancy. Usually by 4pm the day is over and if you're not on overnight call, you get to go home and start it over again the next day.
Like I said, I have learned a lot but am looking forward to a few extra hours of sleep every night.
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2 comments:
I laughed through your whole post! Just remember that compared to what the women have been through your questions are nothin'! Anyway, come January I'll remember to be patient with whatever poor soul comes to my room. Tell Catherine my number is the same...I just lost my cell for a bit. Now I have it!
Sounds rough! Hang in there and it will be over in a couple of weeks!
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