Clinical rotation today was in ICU. Not much to report, other than that I didn't do much. Although I've worked in the hospital for a while, I had the impression--as I suspect many people do--that ICU care is all about running codes, with CPR, defibrillators, and complex IV drips being used in the midst of doctors and nurses running around in a panic. Actually, that describes the step-down unit I was in the last few weeks more than ICU. From what I can tell, ICU is mostly about waiting and watching and getting patients over a few dangerous humps so that their bodies don't derail their own healing processes.
I helped with a ventilated patient today. Most of the day was spent collecting vital signs off the bedside monitor or watching the nurse chart, chat, etc. She was an excellent nurse from what I could tell, and is a nationally-certified paramedic, to boot. For myself and the patient's family, she was good at explaining the monitors and physiological concepts in layman's terms, which I think is a mark of real understanding and intelligence.
Although my medium-to-long-term goal has been to work in an ICU, based on today's experience, it might be too boring.
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