On clumsiness
On the self deprecation and rumination of being clumsy due to lack of experience in new (prehospital) environment.
These things all happened to me in one day at work:.
- Tangled myself up in my safety harness
- Cut myself on a vial of atropine
- Squished two whole doses of atropine out of the syringe and into my trousers
- Flung a vial of ondansetron onto the floor and smashed it
- Tripped over my boot lace
- Lost my balance lifting the medical pack and nearly fell over, observed by pilot
There were lots of moments today when I surprised myself with my clumsiness. But I've realised since that it was all related to the fact I was deep in thought about the patient I was looking after. My priorities were a little unclear, doubts and what ifs were running through my head, and it was the first time I was hurriedly finding and using medications due to high acuity and clinical need.
It raised some important questions I need find answers for:
- What do I do with syringes once I have filled them with medication I am not immediately using?
I'm going to ask my colleagues what their tips are, but until I have gathered a consensus I'm going to place them carefully into the medication pack rather than using my pockets. I could also carry a few bungs in my pockets instead of leaving the syringes with the blunt needles/caps attached. Keen for tips!
2. How to refocus my mind on my current task?
Consider a structure with how to deal with a problem. Name it - this is complete heart block, treatment options are..., priority list is....., if this happens then we'll do this... This will take practice but its something I've witnessed in role models and would love to be able to do for every case.
Learning every day!
