Productive

Well. I have had some really good shifts recently. I'm really feeling like a (fairly) productive member of the team. I'm able to do so much more than when I started; looking after patients who are a little more unwell and going to be admitted, assess/triage. I have shifts to make up, and will be doing an extra 6. On one hand I wish I didn't have time to make up on the other I am learning so much from this placement, so much more than I would have if I had made up the shifts elsewhere, or not taken the time at all.

We've not had any really interesting cases recently. I've seen a couple of good dislocated fingers, fingers bent in strange positions. I did a dressing on a 2 year old who had ripped two of their finger nails off... owwww... I'm not good with nails.

I may just be easily amused, or having a giggly day, but had a few funny conversations with parents who speak bad English (as most of our parents do). It makes it so challenging sometimes, but it can also be funny.

A child came in, mum started out by telling us he'd had an operation on his nose a few months ago (that turned out to be a tonsillectomy) so we assumed, naturally, that there was some problem related to this. No, he'd fallen over and bumped his forehead.
Nurse: "How did it happen?"
Mum: "Today"
Nurse: "No, what happened, how did he do it?"
Mum: "Today"
After about 6 different phrasings of the question we established how it had happened.
Nurse: "Has he had any medicines today?"
Mum: "No"
Nurse: "No Paracetamol? Calpol?"
Mum: "Yes"
Nurse: "At what time?" *points to the clock*
Mum: "2-3"
Nurse: "Which is it, 2 or 3?"
Mum: "1"
We eventually, once again after asking several times, that he'd had 1 teaspoon at 2pm. I really do just find these conversations amusing sometimes.

One thing that really annoys me, and please if ever you see a doctor doing this tell them not to, they stab a child (with a needle) and miss the vein so they use an alcohol wipe to press on it to stop the bleeding. You're already hurting and distressing the child, must you rub alcohol into the wound? It stings! It only takes a little organisation to bring gauze over, it's just so unnecessary, and does make me cross.

Finally, I have a job interview on Wednesday for a job I applied for back in January. I'd heard nothing, and to be honest I thought it was a rubbish application, so I didn't think I'd been shortlisted. I don't really know a lot about the job, the advert wasn't very specific about the clinical area, but that gives me something to ask about on the day. Later that night I'm catching a coach down to Cornwall to join my holidaying family for a long weekend.