This week's hospital-related and other adventures
I've decided that updating this blog once a week should mean that although the entries will be absolutely enormous, at least I will have something to say!
This week I saw heaps in the Emergency Department (ED). I was only there for two shifts, but in that small amount of time I experienced a lot. I always thought the ED would be busier first thing in the morning than it actually is. It starts off really quiet in the morning, then something happens around 10.30 and suddenly it's chaotic.
Getting to choose the hours that you work is excellent! We worked out our roster for the rotation, and decided who will do which shifts. The ED shifts are long: 7.30am-4.30pm or 3pm-midnight. We all have to do two weekend shifts and four night shifts. They only want a maximum of two of us in the department at one time so they expect us to do 2-3 per week which works out to around 10-12 total over four weeks.
My birthday (Wednesday) didn't get off to a good start. I did a night shift on tuesday night and I became stranded at the hospital at midnight. In hindsight it was all really quite dangerous. I parked where I usually do (outside the "Revival Centre" which is a church) I probably was told at some point that their car park gets locked at night, but I forgot to move my car, and only realised this as I was walking out at the end of the shift.
12.05am On my way to the carpark I saw an elderly man in red pyjamas walking with a zimmer frame past the hospital which I thought was strange. He said hello, so I said hello back. I was far more concerned about getting inside my car safely at this point so I didn't really think much of it.
12.10am I searched the car park for a way to break in, or out! My car was the only one in the car park, which has 7ft high fences on three sides, with locked gates, chains and massive padlocks, and a 5ft high fence on the other that I could have climbed if there was any way of opening the gates to get my car out, which there wasn't. So I gave up and I hurried back to the hospital.
12.15am I called my Dad and got him out of bed. My parents were pretty worried that I was stuck there.
12.17am On Dad's advice I went to security and told them that I'd been locked out of the car park, hoping they had the keys. They just made sympathetic comments and told me that it gets locked at 7.30pm so I should move my car next time.
12.30am Using the free phone I called a taxi because even though it would cost $50 I didn't like the thought of my poor Dad having to drive all the way up there in the middle of the night.
12.35am I was sitting in the foyer outside security waiting for the taxi when I heard a call come over the radio saying that a search had been started for a patient - an old man in red pyjamas with a frame. I piped up and said I'd seen a guy fitting that description, so two security guys emerged and went to look for him.
12.43am Dad called me while I was waiting for the taxi to say that he would come and pick me up. Awesome!! My Dad rocks!
12.45am Then one of the security guys emerged and thanked me for the tip off about the old man. I stayed in the foyer, waiting, waiting...
12.50am The two guards returned from their search and one of them saw me and said "Geez are you still waiting for that taxi??!?" to which I lied and replied yes, and then realised I'd better actually go cancel it before it rocked up. I called using the free phone again, and bought some twisties.
12.55am One of the security guards emerged again and said "Hey, since you helped us find that old guy, we'll unlock the car park for you. We're really not supposed to but you helped us out and all." I was so relieved and grateful that I wasn't angry in the slightest.
12.57pm We went out to the car park, I got my car (woohoo!!!)I called my Dad who was only about 15 mins from home, and drove home in record time (25 mins!)
1.30am Got home and talked to the parents for about it. Became angry about the way the security guards had treated me. Got over it.
2.00am I finally got to bed.
There really is no safe place to park up there, so I think in future I will get the security guards to walk me to my car, and park in the back streets near the hospital so I don't get locked in.
It was my birthday on Wednesday and I really felt loved :-) I got a zillion texts and facebook wall posts to say happy birthday so that cheered me up about the carpark thing. My parents and Tom were lovely to me all day. Tom took time off work to take me out for lunch at Eros cafe on Rundle st (only took us 45 mins find a park!) and he bought me gorgeous earrings that match my rings. Mum slaved over a hot stove making me a pecan and coffee cake, the recipe for which was in the Weekend Australian Magazine, absolutely delicious! Tom's parents gave me some lovely soft bamboo towels, and his auntie gave me money! We had x-files at Tom's place, and cooked tacos together with some of our friends, and I cracked into the most delicious Rose I've ever had (Patrick T Wines Home Block 2006) that I got Mum and Dad to bring back from the Coonawarra when they went recently.
On Thursday I went to ED for an early shift which was very exciting and then "worked"/slept at the nursing home overnight, during which nothing exciting happened.
On Friday we had a practical skills workshop in which everything smelled like decomposing pigs trotter, as a little present was left in the bag of equipment from the last group that used it FIVE WEEKS AGO!! I learned better techniques for doing IV cannulation, arterial blood gases, rapid infusions and arterial lines. I also got to practice suturing on fake arms (the tutor understandably didn't want to get pigs trotters again)
On Friday night Tom and I met up to go pick up THE RING! Unfortunately the ring wasn't ready when Tom called, it was to arrive by courier about 8pm. We ate dinner at Lemongrass Thai Bistro on Rundle st, shopped a bit and then went to the ring shop, where I saw the ring which they had made for us but as they mis-interpreted my instructions it didn't turn out the way I wanted so I was kinda disappointed with it. It just wasn't our ring yet. It needs a few changes. It looks great from the top, but very average from the side. So we didn't buy it. It turns out what I wanted isn't really possible, so I've changed my mind slightly. I gave further instructions but I was told to call up on Monday. Hopefully it will be able to be re-done by the weekend but I think it's unlikely. I'll be disappointed because I was really hoping I would have THE RING by the engagement party, but at the same time, I don't want to take it if it's not perfect. The fantastic thing about this ring shop is that they don't take a deposit and are still happy to re-make things if they don't turn out the way you expect. After all what is the point of getting a ring made if it doesn't turn out the way you like and therefore isn't what you want?!
Today I spent all day in the hospital again, I was a role player or "standardised patient" in the Australian Medical Council Exams. It is a good way to make money for not doing much work. It was good fun, and it helps me to revise. Some candidates were great, most were scarily bad. Now, I'm going over to Tom's before going out with my friends from school.
Congratulations if you have made it this far I'm impressed!!
This week I saw heaps in the Emergency Department (ED). I was only there for two shifts, but in that small amount of time I experienced a lot. I always thought the ED would be busier first thing in the morning than it actually is. It starts off really quiet in the morning, then something happens around 10.30 and suddenly it's chaotic.
Getting to choose the hours that you work is excellent! We worked out our roster for the rotation, and decided who will do which shifts. The ED shifts are long: 7.30am-4.30pm or 3pm-midnight. We all have to do two weekend shifts and four night shifts. They only want a maximum of two of us in the department at one time so they expect us to do 2-3 per week which works out to around 10-12 total over four weeks.
My birthday (Wednesday) didn't get off to a good start. I did a night shift on tuesday night and I became stranded at the hospital at midnight. In hindsight it was all really quite dangerous. I parked where I usually do (outside the "Revival Centre" which is a church) I probably was told at some point that their car park gets locked at night, but I forgot to move my car, and only realised this as I was walking out at the end of the shift.
12.05am On my way to the carpark I saw an elderly man in red pyjamas walking with a zimmer frame past the hospital which I thought was strange. He said hello, so I said hello back. I was far more concerned about getting inside my car safely at this point so I didn't really think much of it.
12.10am I searched the car park for a way to break in, or out! My car was the only one in the car park, which has 7ft high fences on three sides, with locked gates, chains and massive padlocks, and a 5ft high fence on the other that I could have climbed if there was any way of opening the gates to get my car out, which there wasn't. So I gave up and I hurried back to the hospital.
12.15am I called my Dad and got him out of bed. My parents were pretty worried that I was stuck there.
12.17am On Dad's advice I went to security and told them that I'd been locked out of the car park, hoping they had the keys. They just made sympathetic comments and told me that it gets locked at 7.30pm so I should move my car next time.
12.30am Using the free phone I called a taxi because even though it would cost $50 I didn't like the thought of my poor Dad having to drive all the way up there in the middle of the night.
12.35am I was sitting in the foyer outside security waiting for the taxi when I heard a call come over the radio saying that a search had been started for a patient - an old man in red pyjamas with a frame. I piped up and said I'd seen a guy fitting that description, so two security guys emerged and went to look for him.
12.43am Dad called me while I was waiting for the taxi to say that he would come and pick me up. Awesome!! My Dad rocks!
12.45am Then one of the security guys emerged and thanked me for the tip off about the old man. I stayed in the foyer, waiting, waiting...
12.50am The two guards returned from their search and one of them saw me and said "Geez are you still waiting for that taxi??!?" to which I lied and replied yes, and then realised I'd better actually go cancel it before it rocked up. I called using the free phone again, and bought some twisties.
12.55am One of the security guards emerged again and said "Hey, since you helped us find that old guy, we'll unlock the car park for you. We're really not supposed to but you helped us out and all." I was so relieved and grateful that I wasn't angry in the slightest.
12.57pm We went out to the car park, I got my car (woohoo!!!)I called my Dad who was only about 15 mins from home, and drove home in record time (25 mins!)
1.30am Got home and talked to the parents for about it. Became angry about the way the security guards had treated me. Got over it.
2.00am I finally got to bed.
There really is no safe place to park up there, so I think in future I will get the security guards to walk me to my car, and park in the back streets near the hospital so I don't get locked in.
It was my birthday on Wednesday and I really felt loved :-) I got a zillion texts and facebook wall posts to say happy birthday so that cheered me up about the carpark thing. My parents and Tom were lovely to me all day. Tom took time off work to take me out for lunch at Eros cafe on Rundle st (only took us 45 mins find a park!) and he bought me gorgeous earrings that match my rings. Mum slaved over a hot stove making me a pecan and coffee cake, the recipe for which was in the Weekend Australian Magazine, absolutely delicious! Tom's parents gave me some lovely soft bamboo towels, and his auntie gave me money! We had x-files at Tom's place, and cooked tacos together with some of our friends, and I cracked into the most delicious Rose I've ever had (Patrick T Wines Home Block 2006) that I got Mum and Dad to bring back from the Coonawarra when they went recently.
On Thursday I went to ED for an early shift which was very exciting and then "worked"/slept at the nursing home overnight, during which nothing exciting happened.
On Friday we had a practical skills workshop in which everything smelled like decomposing pigs trotter, as a little present was left in the bag of equipment from the last group that used it FIVE WEEKS AGO!! I learned better techniques for doing IV cannulation, arterial blood gases, rapid infusions and arterial lines. I also got to practice suturing on fake arms (the tutor understandably didn't want to get pigs trotters again)
On Friday night Tom and I met up to go pick up THE RING! Unfortunately the ring wasn't ready when Tom called, it was to arrive by courier about 8pm. We ate dinner at Lemongrass Thai Bistro on Rundle st, shopped a bit and then went to the ring shop, where I saw the ring which they had made for us but as they mis-interpreted my instructions it didn't turn out the way I wanted so I was kinda disappointed with it. It just wasn't our ring yet. It needs a few changes. It looks great from the top, but very average from the side. So we didn't buy it. It turns out what I wanted isn't really possible, so I've changed my mind slightly. I gave further instructions but I was told to call up on Monday. Hopefully it will be able to be re-done by the weekend but I think it's unlikely. I'll be disappointed because I was really hoping I would have THE RING by the engagement party, but at the same time, I don't want to take it if it's not perfect. The fantastic thing about this ring shop is that they don't take a deposit and are still happy to re-make things if they don't turn out the way you expect. After all what is the point of getting a ring made if it doesn't turn out the way you like and therefore isn't what you want?!
Today I spent all day in the hospital again, I was a role player or "standardised patient" in the Australian Medical Council Exams. It is a good way to make money for not doing much work. It was good fun, and it helps me to revise. Some candidates were great, most were scarily bad. Now, I'm going over to Tom's before going out with my friends from school.
Congratulations if you have made it this far I'm impressed!!