Thursday, 1 December 2011

Dr Doctor - MAU Twilights

So the twilight shift entails coming into work around 2pm and working all the way through until 10. You dont look after a particular bay of patients, but instead float between all the bays helping out where needed.

Yesterday it seemed that every patient I went to was elderly, deaf and confused in equal measures. I felt bad that I had to take my histories at shouting volume, which afforded little privacy for the patients.

- HOW ARE YOUR BOWELS, SIR?
- THEY'RE STILL THERE DOCTOR! [cue endearing toothless grin]

It seems this week I have looking particularly youthful. I have had not one, but two nurses ask me if I'm a student. One of them I'm sure did it just to patronise me (unfortunately a fair few of the MAU nurses are lacking a degree of professional respect, which diminishes further if you dare to ask them to do their job). The tally of patients/relatives commenting on how young I look has risen to 24 in the past four months. They often compare me to their grandchildren. I'm getting used to the look of surprise when I introduce myself as one of the doctors.

Pretty harsh MAU shift pattern at the moment, 3 twilights, 1 day off then onto nights over the weekend. Somehow I'm working every weekend in December, including Christmas and my birthday. Social life destroyed. Morale low.

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