Critical mass....
On the critical rehab unit. I am seeing things that most people could only a imagine.
I have been working in the acute rehab department of a "Regional Trauma hospital." The hospital serves a 8 county area. When someone has fallen, and can't get up, or has been "sick as sh*t" they would mostly end up here. And we get the sickest of the sick.
Alot of the patients have just had spinal chord injuries. The majority of the patients I help are new para and quadriplegics.
There are others who are sicker than sick sick sick sick. Young adults who stumble upon an injury, and then get MRSA pneumonia, and then..."oh by the way" you have a funny looking cyst.....Yeah those.
I have seen the kinds of Traumatic brain injuries whereas there are so many stitches, I lose count. There are people who can walk, while in a coma. You can see it in their eyes that they are trying to swim their way out.
I have learned what happens when someone has a very big fall. And how someone can manage after breaking multiple limbs.
There are some people who I get to know, that I wonder if they will live very long.
When are patients are discharged, we not worry about IV's, but central lines.
I am only a student, but I cannot believe the responsibility I now have. It is not a "true" responsibility, as I am only a student, but none-the-less I feel that I have it.
I had a family come to me with a serious concern
I was the one who made sure that women got home care
If I didn't sweet talk the wheelchair van people, that man would not of gone home
Yes, We were the ones that made sure the surgeons got the DVD from that other hospital ASAP
Yes, I talked to one of the department heads in the state capital to find out some obscure Medicaid law
I just find it really bizarre that In a hospital of med students and residents, and students.... that I talk to the attendings so much. And it is always so weird to walk up to a resident and tell them what to do (Of course, only in a messenger kind of way). It is like we are the doctor's clinical secretary. "Dr x, your attending wants you to write a Rx for the blah blah blah." (Which of course I have no idea what it is for-usually some medical equipment). It is just weird.
I have been working in the acute rehab department of a "Regional Trauma hospital." The hospital serves a 8 county area. When someone has fallen, and can't get up, or has been "sick as sh*t" they would mostly end up here. And we get the sickest of the sick.
Alot of the patients have just had spinal chord injuries. The majority of the patients I help are new para and quadriplegics.
There are others who are sicker than sick sick sick sick. Young adults who stumble upon an injury, and then get MRSA pneumonia, and then..."oh by the way" you have a funny looking cyst.....Yeah those.
I have seen the kinds of Traumatic brain injuries whereas there are so many stitches, I lose count. There are people who can walk, while in a coma. You can see it in their eyes that they are trying to swim their way out.
I have learned what happens when someone has a very big fall. And how someone can manage after breaking multiple limbs.
There are some people who I get to know, that I wonder if they will live very long.
When are patients are discharged, we not worry about IV's, but central lines.
I am only a student, but I cannot believe the responsibility I now have. It is not a "true" responsibility, as I am only a student, but none-the-less I feel that I have it.
I had a family come to me with a serious concern
I was the one who made sure that women got home care
If I didn't sweet talk the wheelchair van people, that man would not of gone home
Yes, We were the ones that made sure the surgeons got the DVD from that other hospital ASAP
Yes, I talked to one of the department heads in the state capital to find out some obscure Medicaid law
I just find it really bizarre that In a hospital of med students and residents, and students.... that I talk to the attendings so much. And it is always so weird to walk up to a resident and tell them what to do (Of course, only in a messenger kind of way). It is like we are the doctor's clinical secretary. "Dr x, your attending wants you to write a Rx for the blah blah blah." (Which of course I have no idea what it is for-usually some medical equipment). It is just weird.
posted by Ladyk73 at 7:18 PM
1 Comments:
But what an awesome experience, albeit tragic (don't get me started) and disturbing. To walk among the damaged & afflicted takes an extraordinary amount of courage & motivation. And the ability to offer comfort when "hope" is not possible, nor appropriate, I believe, can only be "taught" conceptually. Implementation is a gift. You rock!
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