Proper hospital etiquette
So last night’s shift was pretty rough…..understatement.
Between the motor vehicular accidents, gunshot victims and people with lacerations….what the hell are u doing grinding meat at 2am!!!!!……it was a long shift.
Somehow, I got stuck with a medical student shadowing me. Normally, I have no problem at all with that, but when I have a shift that has me running back and forth….it gets tedious.
I have to treat all these patients, remember which orders go for whom, read ECGs being shoved in my face and AND answer the medical student’s questions…..AND be polite…….
So to medical students out there, know proper hospital etiquette.
When I was a med student, I knew where things were on the ward and in the ER. Therefore, whenever the resident/intern/attending needed something, I either had it on me, or knew where to find it quickly.
I would gather all the necessary equipment that I thought they needed so it made their life easier. Your intern/resident will thank you for this. It will make their day easier.
So while on my 3rd laceration patient….I am suturing ferociously, and in my mind, I am thinking about the patients I have to followup, I notice the medical student still hasn’t put on sterile gloves to help me cut sutures……I mean…..do something, don’t just stand there.
When I ask her, ‘what is going on and if this is the first time she has seen a patient’s laceration being sutured?’
She replies that she just had her nails done earlier that day and doesn’t want to ruin them……..what????
Times really have changed.
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