To all fellow students

This semester is full on. We have two major units to complete, paediatrics and obstetrics. Both are of the category 'own worst nightmare calls', as a) I can't relate to the jobs (not being female and not being the best around kids), and b) due the the above I don't take as much of an interest in them.

Funny thing that. You don't like those type of job, so you try avoid learning about them as well.

So I actively try to overcome this fear. Trying to plunge myself in to the depths of it all. We recently had a near-birth situation - luckily, we arrived at hospital on time. Good thing we did, because the wee one didn't want to come out on his own, and Doc needed to use the Ventouse (suction cap). Once out, baby was bluey-purple, floppy, and not screaming. If that had have been in the back of the truck, chances are that I would have been screaming instead...

Suction and some vigorous towel rubbing turned kiddo in to a crying pink little bundle of something in less than ten seconds though. 'Nuther lesson learnt.

At the end of the day, young people can easily flip the panic switch in my world. I just cannot relate to them. A fact that won't change anytime soon.

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I actually meant to write this post about how an extreme workload at university can have a negative impact on your patient care (goes to show I probably needed to vent something else!). I've been very busy lately, and the last couple of days at work have seen a slightly tired and mediocre approach.

Anybody else have similar experiences?

APA

...or Alternative Paediatric Analgesia.
Following up on my earlier post, a couple of days we were called to a Kiddie who had got his finger stuck in a door. Screaming his head of when we arrived, he calmed down a little once I got down to his level and introduced myself and told him we're going to make his finger better. Distraction part one, we're getting there.
My colleague then begins to bandage his finger, after taping it up she draws a big smileyface on the tape hlding it together. "Show me your teeth!" Kid give us a big gappy grin, my collegue draws little teeth on the smiley.
"Stick you tongue out at me!" Kid is laughing by now, pokes his tongue out at us. Smileyface gets a big tongue drawn.


We're ready to go to hospital. En route our patients finger is only "a little sore", but he is in good spirits. To keep it that way, I make him a toy elephant out of a rubber glove, and let him draw eyes, mouth and hair. Kid makes trumpety noises and plays "charging elephant on an african savannah" in the back of our van. But the fun doesn't stop there: Hairy the elephant (I encouraged Kiddo to give the elephant a name) and Kiddo get dressed up in swine flu masks and safety glasses, dad takes a picture for old times sake.


By the time we're at hospital Kiddo is happy, has a new toy and a story to tell at school next year. And I didn't have to give any chemical pain relief :-)

not much going on

No really, it's quiet. Currently I am keeping my stuff up to date.

I carry a A4 bright green file (my fave colour) around with me, with plastic sleeves inside. I collect heaps of good information (about drugs, experiences from past jobs, CPG's etc etc.) and keep them in that Folder. I also fill out my PCRFs (Patient Care Record Forms/Run Sheets) out with it. It follows me everywhere. It is my second brain.
So it is being restocked now with updated info.

Didn't pick up any good info whilst driving the last shifts, but I did do a Paediatric Transfer the other day, with doctor and nurse escort. Things to remember:

• A Head Box is a see though plastic box where a Kiddies Head goes in, the rest of the body is exposed. Used for Paeds in respiratory distress to give them O2 (30-60%), the Oxygen is blown from the top down, which has the great effect of a) blowing the CO2 away from the kiddies airways, and b) not drying out their eyes (hence why little wee ones shouldn't be put on O2 masks for prolonged periods). Picture.
• Kiddies don't breathe through their mouth until they are around 6 months old. Good to know for suctioning and choking.

On a side note, went to the local childrens hospital the other day to bring in a stable patient. Took a while to get him seen, as they had a status epilepticus in on of the resus areas, and another child with a severe, and I mean severe asthma attack. It was interesting to see it, but one look at it (without ever having seen a child like that) told me it was at deaths door, knocking, but the Reaper hadn't decided whether to let it in or not.

Education in this job is invariably linked with suffering from others.