Can I step outside for a minute?

We have been chugging along nicely with AC1 counting down the weeks until transition period. I am feeling slightly less nervous about it, but I am still a bit apprehensive about what is to come. However, we have had our last double weekly CBL sessions and have had our first “big” once weekly session, of which we will have in CCE1. I really did enjoy this, it was faced paced and it felt like we got a lot done in such a small amount of time. I got to indulge myself using my new whiteboard markers as I was scribe for this session. The board looked like a unicorn had given their fair share of input by the end.

We have also come to the end of my CLO sessions. My last session was with the vascular access team at UH where I was to watch a PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter – totally didn’t have to google that) line inserted into the arm of a patient who was unfortunately having to undergo chemotherapy. lt was such an interesting morning as I got to see several medical devices used. First was the ultrasound machine. This was used to see if the veins in the arms were viable for use of the catheter. Veins collapse under pressure from the probe whereas arteries do not, I was standing in the corner of the room watching this machine with awe trying (and failing again) to go over my anatomy of the vessels in the arm. I also got to see a very basic ECG machine used as this helps the vascular access team determine if the line is correctly placed in the heart. The ideal spot for the line is just above the right atrium where the pacemaker cells for the heart are also located. This means when the metal wire enters this area, we would see a change in the ECG in the form of a heightened P Wave (this is the wave the heart produces when the top (atriums) of it contracts). I was eagerly watching the screen of the ECG machine, but I suddenly began to feel very hot, and suddenly very ill. I tried to see if it would pass but after 30 seconds there was a very real possibility, I was going to be ill over the patient which isn’t really what you want to be doing so, I asked to step out. I was really annoyed because I had been in so many surgeries before, seen lots of blood, bones, gore and brains and loved every second. Yet, a simple PICC line with some bleeding made me take a turn. I was confused as I had eaten that day, had my morning coffee, yet this still happened. I went to sit in the break room where I bumped into Sam who is an ex ODP in my year and he was chatting to me and just cheering me up in general. It was the frustration more than anything that was bringing me down.

It is perfectly normal to feel a bit funny at any point of any procedure and I know the staff at the hospital would rather that we took ourselves away rather than, well, throwing up on the patient. Apparently, it creates some sort of infection risk, who knew? However, I can’t wait to get into surgery, I want to scrub in, and I want to be able to help in ops but I guess I just have to accept that I had one funny turn.

We have also now been allocated our transition week and thus our CCE departments. Turns out I won’t have to wait that much longer to get into surgery as I am in the anaesthetics department!! I have a consultant whose name reads as “Dr Ready” which I believe is the best name you could have as a doctor (apart from Watson or Who). This has slightly made me happier about transition weeks but since I am in a department and not a Ward, I am worried about how I settle in to my new “lecture theatre”. I can’t wait to start feeling more like a doctor though, more like I can be useful on the wards. I keep reminding myself I already know some consultants (Dr Burbridge I can imagine will be getting a couple of visits off me) and I do know some Warwick Grads who are now F1’s. I imagine my next blog will be reflecting on how transition weeks have gone. I guess the biggest downside is having to catch the 50-minute bus from campus every day, it’s bad enough having to get it once a week! Thankfully I now have a driving test booked for January so hopefully, I'll be less of a bus hobbit come the new year. Onwards and upwards !

Eden Villiers : 15 Nov 2019 10:31 |  Tags: Abbie Mbchb Patients Student Wards Warwick Wms |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem