New Rotation
It's the first of the month...and that means all across the country, fellows and residents like me are going through the ritual known as "change of service." If you have been at a hospital during change of service, you know what a chaotic time it can be.
I just finished up a great month in the electrophysiology lab at Evanston Hospital. That's where Dr. Wes got me started on blogging. Hopefully I keep the bug, and keep the blog going!
Anyway, change of service is exciting, because you wrap up things you have been doing, and go on to a new experience. The new thing for me is being the fellow in the CCU at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. This is a rigorous job, and demanding of time and mental faculties, but to me it is the best rotation we go through as fellows because we see the sickest patients-- and therefore can make the most difference and learn the most. Change of service can be disorienting to patients, their families, and the doctors. It can even be frustrating. But in the end I think everyone benefits because everyone gets a fresh perspective.
I just finished up a great month in the electrophysiology lab at Evanston Hospital. That's where Dr. Wes got me started on blogging. Hopefully I keep the bug, and keep the blog going!
Anyway, change of service is exciting, because you wrap up things you have been doing, and go on to a new experience. The new thing for me is being the fellow in the CCU at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. This is a rigorous job, and demanding of time and mental faculties, but to me it is the best rotation we go through as fellows because we see the sickest patients-- and therefore can make the most difference and learn the most. Change of service can be disorienting to patients, their families, and the doctors. It can even be frustrating. But in the end I think everyone benefits because everyone gets a fresh perspective.
posted by Kannan at 9/01/2006 07:47:00 PM
3 Comments:
I'm kind of curious. What's the process of "sign out" or handing off patients from the old team to the new team so that continuity is maintained?
Dr. A: Good question. The way we ensure continuity is by trying for good communication and also by staggering the rotation times of different people on the team. That is, new Interns come on on Mondays, new Residents come on on Fridays, new Attendings come on on Tuesdays, and new Fellows come on on the first of every month, whenever that happpens to be.
We expect that interns and residents talk directly to their counterparts coming on about their patients. Fellows and attendings typically sign out the 'sick patients' to their counterparts.
Happyheartpatient: I'm glad you're a happy heart patient. Thanks for the feedback -- you're definitely right about the July phenomenon, and it would probably make for an interesting blog year-round. But--we all have to start somewhere!
Good Luck in your new rotation in the CCU Kannan.
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