The Deep End
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Thank heavens for the deep end.
Earlier this week, I was sitting in a consulting room having a yarn to an old duck about her poorly controlled diabets and the phone rings with an internal page. It's the practice nurse with twenty-five years experience;
"Capt. A, I've got a difficult bleeder in the procedure room. Could you please come and do a venepuncture."
Gulp. "Sure, I'll be there in 3 minutes."
I wind it up with the duck, and through I trot. The patient looks pale and nauseated, not suprising considering they're massively immunosuppressed. He's also got about six visible spot bandaids in popular places for taking bloods.
Earlier this week, I was sitting in a consulting room having a yarn to an old duck about her poorly controlled diabets and the phone rings with an internal page. It's the practice nurse with twenty-five years experience;
"Capt. A, I've got a difficult bleeder in the procedure room. Could you please come and do a venepuncture."
Gulp. "Sure, I'll be there in 3 minutes."
I wind it up with the duck, and through I trot. The patient looks pale and nauseated, not suprising considering they're massively immunosuppressed. He's also got about six visible spot bandaids in popular places for taking bloods.
Being my second time in the procedure room, I had no idea where the gear was. The nurse was pottering around, now preparing to dose another patient with H1N1 Panvax. I chatted with the patient, and game him a chance to regain his colour. And bought myself some time. After searching through the procedure room for the gear I was familiar with, I set up;
Tourniquet, wipe, anchor, "sharp scratch". Two tubes, no worries. Not bad for the first time in five months.
GP's been a bit like that, thus far; much of the counselling and diagnostic paradigms echo that part of the Rural rotation. Rolling into the groove of the fifteen minute consult. Even the odd emergency or minor procedure. Someone experienced watching your back.
It feels good to be back; paddling hard, getting stronger, a bit of confidence, still bobbing about in the deep end with a lifeguard on duty.
