11/22/2009

Month 3-4

Well we finished up Respiratory and started Cardiology. I am currently drowning in EKGs. Sometimes I think I understand what is going on and then I look at the net strip and suddenly I have no clue what I am looking at and might not even know how to find out what it is.

Clinicals are in full swing and I am currently pulling 24 -30 hours a week in random hospitals in my area and soon I will be pulling random shifts on ambulances also. I had two fairly slow shifts, one at the blue hospital and one at the teal hospital. Each shift I had a maximum of 3 patients in 8 hours. However on my second shift at the blue hospital I had three pediatric patients come in in the first 10 minutes. With a rash, a transient medical issue related to a permanent debilitating medical condition, and a little baby needing stitches. I did a quick sets of vitals on all three and then helped hold down the baby for stitches. Then a little old lady who had a syncopal episode. The next patient was a college age student to fell and dislocated her wrist at a family function. Then another college age student came in with a severe medication reaction. All in all it was a fairly slow night but better than the ones I had been having.

I am really excited to begin working OR shifts and being able to intubate patients and start massive quantities of IVs.

That is all for now more to come.