New Job

Well, finished my first weekend working in the Emergency Room...LOVE IT...

I felt like I knew what I was doing, just walked in and started working. The great thing about working at a small hospital is there are NO Residents...the physician or the PA that is working does it all, things get completed in a timely manner and patients get discharged, rather than having the resident see the patient, then having the resident have to wait for the attending to discuss the patient then having the orders written and waiting for the results, then having the attending see the patient, then having the attending review the results...

I don't know if all teaching hospitals are like this, but PCMH was and it was frustrating...for the nurses as well as the patients.

I know that the residents need to learn but I love not having to wait to do things. We have protocol's set in place...a person comes in with abdominal pain and I can start an IV, draw labs, send urine, get things started before the patient is seen...

Another great thing about working in a small hospital is that you get to know everyone quickly.

Also, all of the supplies are in a central area, you don't have to run all over the place finding stuff.

This most challenging thing for me at this point is to learn the computer system. In this hospital, the charting is system focused (neuro, GI, muscular/skeletal) and charting by exception, meaning, everything normal unless otherwise charted...different then I am used to. I am used to hitting every system, even if to say it is normal.

I was surprised at how easy it was to start back taking care of patients after not doing it outside of the OR for almost a year. I have a lot of reading and brushing up to do, but having the time during the week to do it is nice. When the kids come home from school and need to do their homework, I am going to read as well.