Sunday, January 28, 2007

Before I proceed with the much hated muggings...

Let me blog about my first week of attachment at Ward 58. Everything's pretty much ok; the SNs and ENs aren't bitchy, the ward's well-organised, the patients aren't demanding. But here are a few screw-ups:

1) I have FOUR Clinical Instructors (my previous attachment, I had none. And now, I have four. STRESS AH!!)

2) I've been assigned to the same room as a student nurse who can't speak English for nuts! It's bad enough that she doesn't understand what I'm saying half the time.. it's even worse to know that she's the kind who misses her assigned break and goes for MY assigned break; leaving me hungry, worned out and thoroughly flustered ALMOST EVERYDAY!

Here's one very interesting conversation I had with her the other day:
(both of us had to go and meet our clinical instructor for some briefing and by the time we came back to the ward, report-taking was over but neither one of us knew it was over. So I went to ask this student nurse from ITE...)

Me: Subaidah, report-taking finish already ah?

Subaidah: Yah. Ended quite some time ago.

*I go off to inform that numb skull*

Me: Eh, report-taking finish already.

Nit-wit: Err... haven't, haven't!

Me: Huh?! Wad haven't!?! Finish already... Subaidah say one!

Nit-wit: Huh... wad?

Me: Subaidah say report-taking finish already!!!!

Nit-wit: Oh... ok. I thought you ask me whether the patient finish eating already.

Me: -____________-"""""""""""

My communicating skills that bad meh? Which part of "report-taking finish already" actually rhymes with "has the patient finished eating"?!!

It's not that I'm being unreasonable or unfair towards her by saying that she's wasting her time in this course. This is NOT OUR FIRST ATTACHMENT and she frickin' doesn't know how to lock/unlock a commode! Eh, hello!!! What have you been learning these past few months at NYP?!

I think it was on Wednesday when both of us had to transport this elderly lady to the assisted bath for a shower via the commode. The lady got onto the commode and our friend conveniently pushed the damned thing WITHOUT UNLOCKING IT. So one can imagine how long it took her to push the patient out of the room and to the corridoor.

I did a rough estimation that at the rate she was going, it'll take us 3 days just to reach our destination. I mean, please lah!! You're here on scholarship and this is how you're gonna prove to your sponsors that you're worth their money?!!

Initially when she was pushing that bloody commode at the speed of a snail, I thought to myself, "Why so slow sia? Patient that heavy meh?". I looked at the two hind wheels of the commode and it was then that I noticed her blunder. My gosh. Thank goodness CI Wong wasn't there. THANK GOODNESS!!!!

I wouldn't wanna fail my attachment because of some bird-brained dumb dumb.

But my other course-mates have been a great help so far, especially Nad, Andy, Yvonne and Hoi Yan. Not forgetting, the student nurses from ITE; Zulaikha, Subaidah and Marissa!

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YOU GUYS HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT THE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED ON MONDAY! I confirm, guarantee and chop with you that I will never forget what happened for as long as I live!

I walked into the room and saw that one of the three patients who're under me wasn't around. One of the ENs mentioned that she went for some kinda surgery so I just thought, "Hmm, ok. She'll be back later on."

The patient DID come back to the ward. But while this EN, Zulaikha and I were monitoring her parameters, her blood pressure fell! I mean, it really dropped to a record low! And her oxygen level was declining as well. So the EN notified one of the doctors and he came rushing into the room to check on the patient. Code Blue and maximum ward management was announced!

Well, I didn't know what to do back then. All I remember is seeing a whole group of practitioners running to the patient's bed and CPR was commenced.

And there I was, standing by the bedside like some kuku-head.

WEI!!! IT'S SCARY OK!! SOMEONE WAS ON THE VERGE OF DEATH RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

Don't ask me what happened next. Let's NOT even think about going there.

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Thursday! I was damn fucked up because that idiot missed her break and went for MY break yet again. Cheebye right?! You miss your break, that's YOUR problem. DO NOT cause inconvenience for others just so you can get your stomach filled for the evening. My suggestion to you: Get an alarm clock that rings really loudly. Cause obviously, the watch attached to your uniform is of NO USE.

Andy wasn't around because he had to attend SHS.

That evening, there was a new admission case, so Nad and I stayed on until 9.30pm to do the admission for this old gentleman. Hahaha! He's really cute man! Nad was orientating him and asking him about his health history when she stopped half-way to fill his answers in the admission form. The uncle then looked up and asked, "Eh, finished already ah?"

Nad: Huh? No, no. haven't yet.

Cute uncle: Oh ok. Don't stop hor... continue asking me more questions.

*Nad and I began to "arm qhio"*

It was almost 11pm when I reached home that night ok!! Nabeh! But never mind... never mind... at least Nad and I learnt something. Unlike some fuckers who sign off at 9pm sharp just so they can go home and sleep.

With shittified learning attitudes like these, they wouldn't be able to go far in life anyway. So people, DON'T BE LIKE AH!

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What about Friday? Andy wasn't around again and my break time got cut short once more (nothing surprising now eh?). It got cut so short, I was cursing and swearing for the whole 10 minutes that I was in the staff room. Hoi Yan had to deal with all my rantings. Haha!

"Fuck that woman lah! Cheebye! Forever causing me to be late for my break. Bloody idiot.. FUCK LAR!!!!!!!!!"

Let's call this inconsiderate brat "Marley". Those from NR0608, keep it to yourselves if you know who it is ok? *sinister smile*

One of the patients in Yvonne's room wanted to be transferred from the chair back into the bed. But she could only speak Hokkien and neither Yvonne, Marley nor Nad understood Hokkien. So I went to help them translate what she said into English.

Simple. She wanted to go back into her bed; but she just had four of her toes amputated due to gangrene and couldn't stand on her own. So duh, she needed us to lift her up.

Nad and I lifted her up from the chair while Yvonne and Marley stood at the other side of the bed, ready to pull her in. The moment the patient's buttock touched the bed, Yvonne pulled her in and what was Marley doing?? She stood by the bedlights and stared at us while we worked!

C'mon lah, member!! Take some initiative please! How do you expect Yvonne to pull in an old woman who weighed more than 60 kilos on her own?! Let's not talk about whether you have initiative or not. Yvonne and you are close friends. You see your friend having difficulty in performing a task, the first thing that comes to your mind is to HELP HER right?

Basket.

Instead, what did you do? Stand at the corner and show us that qian bian stoned face. Kau jangan main main dengan aku ah! Serpak you then you know!

And similar to Thursday, Nad and I stayed on till way after 9pm to help an old man change diapers. It didn't help that he had this sharp piercing pain at his left shoulder. What's more, his wife kept coming to his bedside to see what we're doing.

Aunty, the moment Nad and I draw the curtains, please take a hint and just sit somewhere lah. You keep popping your head in every 5 seconds to remind us that his shoulder is injured... we get irritated and we cannot finish our work on time.

Just when the aunty went away, a medical student came and wanted to draw the uncle's blood for some "urgent test". So Nad and I had to stop what we're doing (again!!!!) and that overly-anxious aunty popped her head in to see what's going on (AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!).

RRRRROOOOAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!

By the time both of us signed off, Nad's hair was a total mess!! Her curls were all over the place. WAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I should take a picture of her with that hairstyle someday and post it up here. LoL~! She'll get soooo mad, she'll shoot me.

My left eye was bloodshot red due to using my contacts for more than 8 hours. I went to see an eye specialist on Saturday and she advised me not to wear my lenses for the next one week or so. Dammit!

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Lionel Lewis did Singapore and NYP proud last night. Go Young Lions!!!!

Loved that penalty save!

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Lastly, I've decided to do a monthly evaluation for each month for the whole of 2007. So at the end of the year (which is still damn far away), I'll be able to conclude whether or not 2007 has been a good year for me.

Of course I'm hoping it'd be good lah!

Ok, time to study for medical sociology. BBBBOOORRRRIINNNGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!