Life in the ER

So I am doing my month in the ER. It is an ACGME requirement(I think). I've already been informed by staff that we slow them down, get in the way and generally cause them to make less money. Also, that when he came here he didn't realize that teaching would be required - so "scram." Except the other docs down there were equally annoyed. Gotta make that money and keep from getting sued seems to be the mantra of the ER. They did let me do some procedures for them - a couple central lines when I was supposed to be getting off.

Sadly I had an open mind about this experience. I worked as a scribe in another ER and I had a blast doing that 40 hours a week for a year making, "choke," $7 per hour. It was fun to stabilize patients, and sometimes you would even figure out what was wrong with them.

On my last shift I took care of patients with absolutely no supervision. I am half-way through my intern year, and I can handle the simple stuff by myself but I had some pretty complicated patients. I needed permission to ask to have them admitted. This did not come until 6:55, 5 minutes before I was supposed to be leaving. I had only had 7 hours sleep in 3 days due to my own inability to sleep during the day for various reasons. (Hmm... maybe my plan to become a nocturnist is not such a good one.) It took me another 2 hours to get them admitted. I got admonished by admitting doc - who then yelled at my "attending" ER physician. I literally snuck out of the hospital. All is well with the patients, at least. I have 9 more ER shifts. I have 2 spa visits planned for this week. I am definitely going to need some exercises in deep breathing to get through this month. And, I really thought I would love the ER.