A Very Long Update

I'm so glad that I only have about 4 weeks left of this crazy semester!! I have learned a lot this semester, and I have really loved my clinicals. I only had four pediatric clinicals in cardiac surgery, and I really miss working with kids!! I really hope to get a preceptorship at Children's, because I am looking forward to working with sick kids again. It is so rewarding and so much fun!

I actually have really enjoyed the trauma/burn unit too. I had my first burn patient the second week of clinicals. The burn dressing team had just debrided and dressed him, and as I was going into his room for the first time, they asked me if I just wanted to hook him back up to everything. I said, "Sure!" because I've done it tons of times. But this poor guy was burned over his entire body. I didn't even know where to put his blood pressure cuff? Thankfully the nurse came in, and taught me where to put everything. Then I had to try to get used to the smell. It was terrible, and I kept smelling it all weekend long! Then after my dinner break, I went back in the room to check on him, and he was in so much pain. All he said was, "Help, I hurt." But I can't tell you in words how terrible it made me feel. Then later that night, the nurse and I had to do face care. He was burned on his face, but at UAB they don't put dressings on the face. You have to take gauze soaked in saline, and clean his poor raw little face. You also have to use the gauze to loosen up any dead tissue and pull it off. So... by the time I left that clinical, I had decided that I never wanted to work with a burn patient again, and that it was too traumatic and I just couldn't do it.

But I had more burn patients. And now... I would much rather have a burn patient then a trauma patient. I really enjoy working with them. But it is very sad. Many of them lay in the hospital for months and months in pain and end up dying anyway. In ICU last week, my patient had been burned on 78% of her body. Her house caught on fire, and her only way out was to run through the fire. It was terrible, every family member or friend that came to see her walked out of the room crying. They made the decision while I was there to change her to supportive care. Meaning they will keep her on the ventilator, they will do her dressing changes, give her her medications and fluids, but if her heart was to stop they wouldn't code her. I hope that soon they'll decide to take her off the ventilator and move her to palliative care.

I went to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital on Monday!! Of course, it is a hospital that only treats pediatric cancers, and it's in Memphis. I've always dreamed about working at this hospital, but the actual visit was kind of anti-climatic. The hospital is super nice, and all the employees are also very nice. There are so many play areas for the kids. There is also a room for teenagers where no one but teenagers and child life specialists can go in this room. No parents, doctors, or nurses. I thought that was cool. I also thought it was cool to see how many bald headed kids were just running around the hospital. They've definitely made themselves at home there! One thing that I'm not sure what I think about is how they get patients. Patients have to be referred by a doctor, but they will only take a patient if that patient qualifies and agrees to participate in one of their clinical trials.

But they are a research hospital, and they are looking for a cure. Their purpose isn't just to treat cancer. Plus, a lot of their patients have such complicated disease processes that they need these clinical trials for another chance. It might be their only option. I just don't know if it's the kind of environment that I would want to work in. Not that I would ever get a job there, it's super competitive.

So, the next few weeks are going to involve lots of studying and school work, lots of stress, and very little social time. I'm so ready for it to be over! I only have 2 clinicals left. Hopefully, we will get to have our lottery for preceptorships for next semester before this semester ends. There are only 10 spots at Children's Hospital. I really want one!!