How Kendra Got Her Groove Back
It’s 9:00 p.m. I just got home from a 13+hour day on call at the hospital in neurology. I was incredibly, incredibly busy today. I did thankfully manage to cram one meal into my mouth today (my resident insisted on it). Actually, it was quite the multitasking meal, as I literally shoved food into my mouth with one hand while writing orders with the other, and stopped to push meds and discharge patients in between. I think the coolest thing about this past month of neurology has been finding my groove.
I’ve really started to understand how to get stuff done. Take a simple procedure like putting in a nasogastric tube (NGT). It’s a rather simple procedure, but involves finding the NGT, lubrication, and tape. It works much better if you position the patient correctly, and you have to remember to get a chest x-ray to check the placement before pulling out the guidewire and putting in the order to start feeding the patient through the tube. Again, none of this is that difficult, per se, but knowing where to find stuff, how to place the order, and when to notify the nurse are all mini-skills which, when added together, equal a major-skill.
Among many other tasks today, I assisted in a lumbar puncture, and then had to run the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to the lab. As I now have experience in doing just this, today’s adventure was much shorter and entirely less stressful than my previous attempt at CSF delivery.
Random list of things accomplished today:
1. Placed two NGTs.
2. Assisted in an LP and delivered the CSF.
3. Called several consults.
4. Obtained about 10 consents for various procedures.
5. Spoke with about 5 different families.
6. Calmed a very hysteric patient.
7. Discharged four patients.
8. Drew cardiac enzymes.
9. Ordered STAT EKGs.
10. Wrote 15 progress notes.
11. Got yelled at and belittled by the cardiology fellow (it actually didn’t upset me at all…)
All in all, it was a challenging and tiring day. But I knew how to do stuff. And I did all my work fairly efficiently.
It feels super duper to finally have my groove back.
Photos: 1. My awesome sushi dinner on Friday night. 2. My chocolate bunny s/p B/L ear amputation.