(NOT) Skiving and random thoughts!
i just got myself to write this! damn random. i am not free at work, not skiving, of course, like some of my friends! who multi-slack at work! it is quite quiet today, it was however busier in the beginning of the shift! we helped out the rest who were piled up with cases, bailing out i call it.
being in ed sort of like made me think about what i wanna do. seeing patients now becomes a plus/minus instead of a no-no. it does really help when patients are nice and you tend to reciprocate that, but when patients are not-so-nice (i mean they have reasons for that and i got no problem with that, whatever it maybe) it really doesn't make the day that nice too! but i try to absorb their anger and try to make the consult more positive and guess what, i find that getting to the root of their concern really does help make the consult better (community med really does teach u useful things and all that doctor-patient playrole thing sorta pays off).
i had this patient who was so angry he cursed and swear at everyone in the ED and i was like i dont wanna see him - hell no! but when he got into my room he was hostile initially and started scolding the system, the hospital, the staff etc. when i probed him about his tummyache (after like 15mins to really try to calm him down to take a proper history), he was actually apprehensive of the surgery that was to be done on him - he came with biliary colic (i hear,"woah i SO know what the heck that is!", but i won't take time to explain it, so go to wikipedia!) - at a later date. so i explained the possibilities and he felt better! (though i think it was probably the painkillers that i gave him rather than my talking)
anyway my point is that maybe i should reconsider clinical/bedside work in future, although i am still very hesitant! in a place where consultation time is limited by numerous pending cases (mostly sick ones), the abovementioned kind of clinical encounter, being highly likely in the emergency setting (in addition to those where no common ground can be achieved and those with 100% hatred and contempt), may eventually result in an overworked, disgruntled and impassive doctor; an eventuality that i would not, personally, accept.
however, i am likely to re-think that in the near future.
being in ed sort of like made me think about what i wanna do. seeing patients now becomes a plus/minus instead of a no-no. it does really help when patients are nice and you tend to reciprocate that, but when patients are not-so-nice (i mean they have reasons for that and i got no problem with that, whatever it maybe) it really doesn't make the day that nice too! but i try to absorb their anger and try to make the consult more positive and guess what, i find that getting to the root of their concern really does help make the consult better (community med really does teach u useful things and all that doctor-patient playrole thing sorta pays off).
i had this patient who was so angry he cursed and swear at everyone in the ED and i was like i dont wanna see him - hell no! but when he got into my room he was hostile initially and started scolding the system, the hospital, the staff etc. when i probed him about his tummyache (after like 15mins to really try to calm him down to take a proper history), he was actually apprehensive of the surgery that was to be done on him - he came with biliary colic (i hear,"woah i SO know what the heck that is!", but i won't take time to explain it, so go to wikipedia!) - at a later date. so i explained the possibilities and he felt better! (though i think it was probably the painkillers that i gave him rather than my talking)
anyway my point is that maybe i should reconsider clinical/bedside work in future, although i am still very hesitant! in a place where consultation time is limited by numerous pending cases (mostly sick ones), the abovementioned kind of clinical encounter, being highly likely in the emergency setting (in addition to those where no common ground can be achieved and those with 100% hatred and contempt), may eventually result in an overworked, disgruntled and impassive doctor; an eventuality that i would not, personally, accept.
however, i am likely to re-think that in the near future.
