Sunday, January 10, 2010

Everything I ever learned about surviving being on-call came from "Meet the Robinsons"

Keep moving forward.
Keep moving forward.
Keep moving forward.
Keep moving forward.
Keep moving forward.
Keep moving forward.
Keep moving forward.
Keep moving forward.
Keep moving forward.
Keep moving forward.

(Oh yeah, and eat when you can/sleep when you can, from the Science Marches on Department).
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14 comments:

  1. thegooddrlauraJanuary 10, 2010 at 10:04 AM

    I'll be sharing this with my medical students.

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  2. GertJanuary 10, 2010 at 10:42 AM

    That is so true!

    I was on-call for our hospice/home health when I received a call at 3 AM. As soon as I answered the call, a man shouted into the phone "WHY CAN'T I SLEEP?!".

    Uh, how about, I don't know?

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  3. KateAJanuary 10, 2010 at 11:34 AM

    My head nurse sings the "Just Keep Swimming" thing from Nemo. Since you have kids, I am sure you are familiar with this. Of course, with 5 rooms full of patients that have been waiting 3 hours, 4 polytraumas in the back, and a seizure case on its way being triages straight to the back, it is hard to be very positive. I wish I had the luxury of being able to call in a surgeon, a neurologist, and have a separate radiology department, but vets have to do it all.
    I love it when the completely stable vomiting case is complaining, claiming that Pookie is getting less stable by the minute. What evs!

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  4. ERPJanuary 10, 2010 at 12:20 PM

    And you forgot. Shit when you can.

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  5. Grumpy, M.D.January 10, 2010 at 12:23 PM

    ERP- I thought of that, but was trying maintain decorum.

    ReplyDelete
  6. DragonflyJanuary 10, 2010 at 12:39 PM

    I shall remember that. I will have my chance to put it into practice all too soon.

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  7. Grumpy, M.D.January 10, 2010 at 1:06 PM

    Yeah, the "Just keep swimming" song is another good example.

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  8. John WoolmanJanuary 10, 2010 at 1:09 PM

    i remember the advice some a couple of years ahead of me in medical school gave about dealing with long hours on take - based on the Duke of Wellington's advice to a young officer*; "Never lose an opportunity to fill your belly, empty your bowels or sleep with a staff nurse". Not working in "The House of God" (just the Scottish equivalent) the final third of that advice was not totally applicable.

    *"never lose an opportunity to fill your belly, empty your bowels or water your horses".

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  9. terri cJanuary 10, 2010 at 1:25 PM

    The story of this weekend, for me! Thanks!

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  10. thegooddrlauraJanuary 10, 2010 at 1:35 PM

    "If nobody is coding or delivering, you have time to pee."

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  11. Kimbra KaschJanuary 10, 2010 at 1:36 PM

    Never been on-call - think that would be . . . ughhh

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  12. OutriderJanuary 10, 2010 at 5:27 PM

    "never lose an opportunity to fill your belly, empty your bowels or water your horses".

    LOL - those of us who practice equine medicine still find this totally applicable.

    (Hoping I won't be paged tonight because I'll freeze my @$$ off.)

    ReplyDelete
  13. ERPJanuary 10, 2010 at 6:10 PM

    OK. Sorry. POOP when you can.

    ReplyDelete
  14. charmcityJanuary 12, 2010 at 1:09 PM

    I was on call this weekend too.

    Answering Service: "The lady says she's in withdrawal, and needs "Zantacks'".
    Me: Hmmm. Calls pt, leaves message on machine, essentially "No".
    Several hours later, the same lady calls back. Ok, let's bring it on.
    "Yes, someone left a message about Xanax? But I ran out of Chantix!"

    Whoops. Beg your pardon.

    ReplyDelete

So wadda you think?