#5: Zen and the Art of Call

I had my first good call night last night and I'm starting to get the hang of my new job responsibilities. My note-taking system is finally working and there are no tasks that are falling through the cracks thanks to the system. Certainly I made some minor mistakes and I know that I have a long way to go, but things were better last night. I learned a new sort of "calm" to adopt in stressful situations in order to analzye each situation rationally at all hours of the night while on call. There were three patients I evaluated last night that if I had just listened to what the patient's nurse wanted to do that I would have done the wrong thing. But I went into the patients room and even though the patient was acting loopy or crying or writhing in pain, I was able to detatch myself somehow and figure out what was going on and in each case I was able to correct the problem. It was a good feeling.

I know this feeling can't last forever and I know that there is my first code (medical emergency like a patient's heart stopping to beat) looming out there. I won't know exactly what to do in the situation, but I just have to trust in my training so far to be able to do my best.

My wife has been taking such great care of me: she's been making me dinner when I come home from the hospital and understanding when I pass out during the day post-call. Things will be tougher next month when she starts her "acting internship" in medical school and I hope I can return her TLC in kind...

My co-intern friend and I learned something new this week! We wanted to give his patient some aspirin because the patient was having chest pain and some cardiac symptoms, but the patient was not able to take medicines by mouth. Actual quote after my friend called the pharmacy for advice: "Oh! I didn't realize you could give aspirin up the butt!"

Patients covered on call last night: 44
Amount of sleep on call last night: 90 minutes
Currently reading: Greenfield's chapter on Acute Pancreatitis
Currently watching: 6 Feet Under 5th Season (I can't believe the 4th Season Finale!)
Next call night: Wednesday, July 19, 2006.