It's been a while since my last update .. medical posting has been crazily hectic, though it was better towards the end with the shift system. 4 months gone by faster than i thought it would and i've finally completed one of my most dreaded posting especially in HTAR, Klang. Well, this time around, leaving medical gives me a huge sense of relieve, unlike in paediatrics where i felt sad and left with a heavy heart. I guess it's true when people say you will be most attached with your 1st posting.. Or maybe i do like paeds??..haha
Medical posting in HTAR can be like a war zone; the workload can be overwhelming and everyone is pretty stressed out. Stepping into ward ( especially the general male ward ) gives u a sense of never-ending work; with extension beds everywhere, even in front of the HO room, toilet and at the counter and non-stop influx of patients with some poor patients having no beds but have to sit at chair 1 or chair 2 until a bed is available. Ward equipments and medical supplies are limited and you will find yourself walking from one end of the ward to the other end looking for supplies that you need to work with. Running down the stairs from the 8th floor to the lab to send down an ABG or other bloods stat multiple times a day is a daily routine for all of us which is why most of us can lose weight in medical=p..
But this posting has taught me a lot, especially in terms of managing patient and communicating with patients and family members. When dealing with ill and sick patients in the acute cubicle, i learned to be more vigilant and alert. I performed active resuscitation and learned to break bad news to family members. I learned patience and teamwork, i learned confidence and working with speed. One thing lacking probably, i didn't have much chance when it came to procedure wise because i was always too busy with ward work and clerking patients.
I've seen a lot and encountered a lot of patients in medical. I remembered this particular uncle who was very angry at me because i took multiple attempts to get an ABG ( it was my 1st few ABG during my medical posting) but later on smile to me and told me sorry ; he didn't meant what he said, he said those words out of pain. Unfortunately, he did not survive. There was another time when i had to poke a patient with difficult vascular access, we almost cried together.. the patient was begging me not to poke anymore and i was begging in my heart to get back flow into my syringe. Some family members are pretty nice too; one of a patient's family member saw me sharing a chair at the counter with a staff nurse and he took the chair he was sitting and offered it to me. These are small little things that warm my heart.
Amidst the crazy workload, medical was still fun in some ways because i gained friendship and trust. Thanks to my dearie Soo Fan and roommate Chuan, the two gals who would always call me out to makan and deliver me food for me when i am oncall. Thanks to Shin Yee and Li Ying who has always been a big help in the ward, especially in line setting and settling certain things during the acute shift system. To Deepa, my best friend and leader.. thanks for your time and attention, I miss the times we actually sit together and talk, or go for outings. Nowdays, you are so busy and we don't really have much time to hang out. Don't worry too much about things, i trust you will be a good leader and i hope for you to join me in surgical next=). Thanks to all my other collegues, it is a pleasure working with you all ( too many names to mention..hehe). To my specialist and MO, thanks for all your guidance and teaching. When i first entered medical, i am pretty intimidated by some of them but in the end they turned out to be very nice and fun people to work with. Thanks for putting your trust in me, it is very encouraging and it makes me want to do better. And of course not forgetting the staff nurses, Kak Zie, Kak Pah, Kak Syikin, Fadzillah, Shalina, Hasanah.. your experiences at work has taught me a lot.
Like always, i believed that God was with me every step of the way and He always work in His own ways to get me through something. Like how i was lucky to be the last batch to have a written exam instead of viva although initially i felt unlucky because i was called up at the very last minute for the written assessment. I will be entering my 3rd posting; my next pit stop is surgical. It will be another 4 months of exploration and self-searching. Having to start all over again in a new environment with new faces is always scary. But as for now, it's holidays 1st, no work for the next 5 days. Happy Chinese New Year to all and happy holidays..hugs ♥ =)
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