aaaaaaaarrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
I'm so tired!
I passed my exams and am a junior doctor (pre-reg), but the work is killing me.
I've adjusted to working life fine - I've accepted I have to work 7:30-6:30 even though I'm paid for 8-5. I've accommodated the shorter sleeping time (7 hours instead of my usual 8) and I can now go an entire day without breakfast or lunch, settling for supper before retiring to bed. I'm sure I've lost a little weight.
I can now keep up with ward rounds, expertly take blood and cannulate patients. I am adept at rectal examinations and can do breast exams on attractive female patients without any sexual tones.
But it's the rotas that's giving me grief. Most of my shifts are 8-5 which are fine. The nights are okay too because I'm more of a night person than a day person. But there's a late shift from 2:30-11:30. All you do is see new patients. It takes about an hour to sort each one - take a history, do a full examination, arrange for bloods, X-rays and any other appropriate investigations as well as writing up the drug charts (takes a good while since all of the elderly ladies end up with endless lists of drugs) and my findings.
What really gets to me is the fact that there is no end. You sort out the five patients who've came in all at the same time, as well as handling calls and bleeps about other patients on other wards, take a breather and then find another patient is coming in. And another. And another two on top of that, just to keep you busy. It seems like there's no end of patients and when 11:30 comes around, you're still on the wards seeing a patient who takes up enough of your time to ensure you're there after midnight, whether it be someone who has a complicated history or difficult getting information from.
It was depressing. I was depressed! My entire back hurts from abnormal postures I have to assume whilst doing various tasks. My social life took a nosedive and I'm too tired to do anything for the weekend, even though they're so precious.
I'm gonna go lie down and think of what to do with the £2000 wages I've earned for last month's work.
I passed my exams and am a junior doctor (pre-reg), but the work is killing me.
I've adjusted to working life fine - I've accepted I have to work 7:30-6:30 even though I'm paid for 8-5. I've accommodated the shorter sleeping time (7 hours instead of my usual 8) and I can now go an entire day without breakfast or lunch, settling for supper before retiring to bed. I'm sure I've lost a little weight.
I can now keep up with ward rounds, expertly take blood and cannulate patients. I am adept at rectal examinations and can do breast exams on attractive female patients without any sexual tones.
But it's the rotas that's giving me grief. Most of my shifts are 8-5 which are fine. The nights are okay too because I'm more of a night person than a day person. But there's a late shift from 2:30-11:30. All you do is see new patients. It takes about an hour to sort each one - take a history, do a full examination, arrange for bloods, X-rays and any other appropriate investigations as well as writing up the drug charts (takes a good while since all of the elderly ladies end up with endless lists of drugs) and my findings.
What really gets to me is the fact that there is no end. You sort out the five patients who've came in all at the same time, as well as handling calls and bleeps about other patients on other wards, take a breather and then find another patient is coming in. And another. And another two on top of that, just to keep you busy. It seems like there's no end of patients and when 11:30 comes around, you're still on the wards seeing a patient who takes up enough of your time to ensure you're there after midnight, whether it be someone who has a complicated history or difficult getting information from.
It was depressing. I was depressed! My entire back hurts from abnormal postures I have to assume whilst doing various tasks. My social life took a nosedive and I'm too tired to do anything for the weekend, even though they're so precious.
I'm gonna go lie down and think of what to do with the £2000 wages I've earned for last month's work.