A few good days

Quite rare, but they do happen.

Just yesterday, when I talked to my mum and decided not to work at all over Easter and instead face financial mayhem, do I hear about an interview for a phlebotomy job. Considering I’ve applied for that about 3 times in the past, it’s progress. It’s next Wednesday and I just so happen to be free that day. Call it fate. We’ll see.

Even more impressive was my mum taking me to see cars and end up buying one. Sadly it’s not for me but I was still amazed at the abruptness of her decision.

Pain management is rolling along nicely. We have only one more clinical day outstanding and it’s paediatrics, which should be excellent. I have so far this SSM seen - people in pain, gynae day surgery, more people in pain, impressive surgery involving blood with colourful stuff in it, difficult intubations and difficult sedated patients, 2 caesarian sections (both girls, all well), fractured femurs and difficult hips, knee replacements and acupuncture. Quite a lot for 2 weeks! It’s been an excellent module and now I have to start thinking more about the report. I’ll probably stick with PCA as it’s quite a wide topic. Not sure if I’ll get it buffed up to the size required for the essay competition - it’s possible.

We have a tutorial tomorrow to discuss it with our supervisor so I’ll see what’s mentioned then. Following that I have what can only be described as a weekend of first aid - kids hockey, adults boxing (both Friday), Saturday football and helping out at a first aid class on Sunday. I didn’t quite plan it to happen like that, but if phlebotomy goes forward I may not have many free weekends left!

In times of stress

A 2000 word essay, a 3000 word essay, a presentation and revision(!!). All to be done in the next couple of weeks. Add on the clinical visists, a couple of first aid duties, the prospect of a job interview (heh) and not forgetting the girlfriend all means I’m feeling exhausted.

Worst of all though is I’m now in severe money problems. Hopefully I’ll hear this week about an interview for phlebotomy which would be ideal. If not, I’m faced with a dilemma - either work during easter (and possible fail due to lack of revision) or suck it up in my overdraft. I’m going to discuss it with my mum this week, I really don’t know any more.

If I do work and fail my exam, it means I won’t be keen on working as much in the summer. However, if I pass the exam I could work almost full time in the summer. According to my counter, I have 3 and a half months to go…I might be able to make it. Obviously, if I get a phlebotomy post then this doesn’t matter. I know what I’m hoping for.

The importance of the web

Personally, I would say the internet is one of the most important mediums these days. Access is almost national and an organisation that didn’t have a web site would probably look rather silly. I’m sure most people would agree with me so far.

I wish St Andrew’s would.

The main site is pretty decent, a few technical errors but the content is good and pretty up to date. It provides a reasonably welcoming approach to volunteering and details of where people can go to find out more.

If you move from here onto the Glasgow Executive site then already the colours have changed, layout is different and personally it just doesn’t look as good. However, you’re going to have difficulties getting there anyway as the main page does not link to the Exec one. This sublevel is also not quite as up to date and certainly doesn’t have a very welcoming spiel for potential volunteers.

If we go even deeper into the actual company level, you’ll only find a few with proper web sites. Even then there are those with web sites and they have no incoming links. At this stage the layout resembles nothing of the main page and could be way out of date. The majority of them have no attraction for potential volunteers save perhaps an email address.

Ideally there should be some uniformity. I’d also like to see the same colours preserved across the sites, making it obvious that they’re all St Andrew’s. Further, there should be a contact form, as well as an email address, for potential volunteers. Further things such as calendars (which need to be up to date or are pointless) and pictures do nothing but add depth and hopefully spark interest.

I feel that St Andrew’s is very much an “old man’s” company. It’s resisting change as much as possible by sticking to phone numbers and sparse web sites (amongst other things). If it was to modernise just a little bit, it may bring in younger members who’re more enthusiastic about doing duties.

I really like the Grampian site - it looks by a large a lot more professional than the others and yet isn’t difficult to use. It’s also up to date (ish) and has a generally inviting feel (you can disagree with me if you like).

However my favourite so far has to go the Durham LINKS site. It’s a St John’s page so I’m slightly cheating a bit but to me it’s using the net to its best.

I have volunteered to help my company with the website but I’ve got no response. Maybe that’s a good thing as I’d be overly tempted to turn it into more than it probably should be. Then again, since our latest member found us on the web (though not the company site) maybe I’ve got a decent point?

Is it painful?

So I’ve finished the first week of my first SSM.

It wasn’t quite as exciting as it could’ve been. We started off, as promised, with a PowerPoint on how to properly make a PowerPoint. This really should’ve been delivered to 12 year olds instead of us - it was highly irrelevant and quite patronising! The best news was that it lasted only 1 hour instead of the 2 timetabled. I also have to give him credit for mentioning (in a positive way) Apple Macs and Keynote.

After that we had what I thought was an introduction to the SSM. Instead it was an introduction to pain and hit home a lot of the stuff we knew as well as adding in a fair bit we didn’t. It dragged on for a bit (3hrs) but was pretty good and certainly worthwhile.

Therefore, a day later than expected, we got our clinical timetables. Now I was pretty excited (sad, I know). The basic timetable is one day in then the following one off, for the next 2 weeks. We have a visit for most of the obvious pain settings - out-patients clinic, theatre (my first time, highly excited but slightly nervous), obstetrics (indifferent, heard good things - can’t wait to hear what my mother’s input will be) and pain rounds. There’s also 1 day to Yorkhill (paediatrics) which I’m (yet again) quite looking forward to.

I also need to come up with a pain related topic for a 10 minute presentation and 3000 word essay. My current thoughts are something around about analgesia administration route in acute pain, with an emphasis on patient controlled analgesia (PCA) particularly in children. This is quite a broad area (I think) that I can easily get the words and something that I’d be quite interested in.

We also have the option to extend the essay to around 6000 words and submit it for an annual anaesthesia prize. I’m quite intrigued about possibly doing this, depending on whether I can write enough and of reasonably decent quality. Even if I don’t win (which is likely) then I’d have a bit of experience in submitting for awards which is great in such a competitive world.

I am getting slightly annoyed by people who want to do as little work as possible. I know a lot of people that would love a clinical SSM and yet they couldn’t get it. I’ve heard from those in years above me that this is one of their favourite SSMs and the learning experience is unbeatable. I, for one, aim to make the most of it.

Valentine’s….

Valentine’s day is here. I don’t agree with it on so many levels but feel like I should kind of celebrate it. Therefore….

Happy Valentine’s Day

If you happen to be alone this year then I suggest you go out and live dangerously.

What do you do?

You’re covering First Aid at an event when a member of staff from another, nearby, event asks you to look at someone from the other event.

However, they’re not paying for First Aid cover.

Do you decline, or agree to have a look?

Don’t really want to add any more specifics than that, although I know my answer would start with “It depends…”

It’s almost time…

This week marks the end of block 9 and next week is the beginning of my SSM on pain management. This block has dealt with a lot of clinical topics encompassing cardiovascular, renal and respiratory medicine. Which, on the whole, is a lot to cover in 5 weeks. It was, to be honest, pretty boring though. I’m not sure whether this was related to my group being very ambitious and dealing with every topic down to the level of quarks and leptons. Slight hyperbole perhaps, but it’s how I feel during feedback.

Next week, however, is probably the most I’ve looked forward to something for a while. Well, next week itself is mainly a prep week for the 4 which follow. It does, however, start with a timetabled 2 hours(!!) of PowerPoint. I don’t know what the hell they plan on doing with us for two hours concerning PowerPoint but I can tell it’s going to bore the hell out of me.

A quick dash back across to the other side of the city for a proper introduction to the module follows that. Here, hopefully, we get out timetable for possible clinical sessions in the next 4 weeks. We have to attend a minimum of 9 with a session being either a morning of afternoon. I’m looking forward to pretty much all of it, with anything ITU even more interesting.

It may, however, put me off anaesthesia for life but I’d rather discover that now that 6 years down the line.

Finally managed to sort out another Family Project visit for Friday, so I’ll be all babied out.

Awww!

Moving up

So I got to up my St Andrew’s experience this week by going to my largest event so far at the Rangers vs. Hearts CIS semi-final. The turnout as far as crowd’s concerned was 31000, give or take. To compensate we had 14 first aiders, 4 of which have to be available on the sidelines to staff the scoop stretcher. Another couple were in the first aid room and 2 were duty officers. This gives about 6 to actually staff the crowd. I got the impression, and well it was kind of obvious, that this was a bit few.

The thing I’m not sure about is why. For me to get there I had to do a bit of persevering but if they’re that desperate then I shouldn’t need to. There’s talk about us maybe losing the contract to do the football. I can’t really see that happening because there isn’t really anyone else to do it. Anything is possible though, I guess.

The actual event was pretty good, and a fair bit different from a Queen’s Park game. I had a good conversation with the other first aider I was on with and she filled me in on a lot of basics which I had kind of gathered by now myself. I was just below a bulk of Hearts fans, who were understandably disappointed, but loved making quite comments about the ridiculous hats we have to wear. I understand that there might be some things thrown at us that wouldn’t be comforting were they to hit us on the head. That said, neither the ambulance staff, security staff or stewards have anything of the sort. A bit excessive if you ask me.

I did, however, get a kit bag! It’s one of the old ones but damn it’s better than nothing. Now all I need is a little bit free cash to stock it properly. Phlebotomy anyone? It’s worth (another) shot I think. Maybe.