Sunday, April 11, 2010
I'm about a third of the way through my 27 hour shift. Working overnight tonight. Taking 15 minutes for lunch. At 3:00. Because no one is crashing. For now. Hopefully I'll be able to get some sleep somewhere in the midnight to 6AM range, but since I have to write a dozen patient notes, I'm thinking maybe I won't. At least I hope I'm able to order in some dinner at some point. My lunch is sad. Vending machine sad. And someone brought in donuts. So I'm eating Doritos and a chocolate donut, plus a leftover Jello from one of my patient's trays (he's in a coma, so he won't be eating it). If he's still here for dinner (and still in a coma), I'm getting his chicken (I filled out the meal card for him-- chicken seemed safer than the fish).
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I don't understand why doctors have to have shifts that completely fry their brains. You are in a profession where life and death situations arrive hourly, and you are sleep deprived, poorly nourished, and frustrated. My Dad passed away about a month ago & I got to spend 6 months in hospitals & nursing homes. The lack of communication between doctors, nurses, patients, & their families was appalling, as well as the general "burned out-ness" of the staff. Things NEED to change. Sometimes it's hard to believe this is the U.S.A.
ReplyDeleteIf I were in a coma I'd share my Jell-O and chicken with you - for sure.
ReplyDeleteYour patient is in a coma and you are ordering meals for him to eat yourself? And his family is going to pay for this? That doesn't seem very ethical.
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