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Medical Professionals among us?


Guest MamaMia1981

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Guest MamaMia1981

Just seeing if among the crew here, there are any medical professionals?  It's always nice to commiserate amongst ourselves.

I'm in medical imaging.  Working on year 15. 

Mia

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Year fifteen was the year I lifted one too many patients, unassisted :(   I was a rad tech for 3 years after tech school and passed my MRI registry before any practical experience was required.  I passed the CT registry the same way :)   MR was what I loved, though.  Looking back, I laugh to think that I chose MR rather than CT because I hated phlebotomy and didn't want to stick everyone that came through the door.  Contrasting a study was relatively rare when I started and was usually reserved for post op backs.  After 5 years or so, I was not only injecting half or more of my patients, I was even having to use a power injector for most of them - lots of abdominal studies.  About the time my back caused me to bail, we had begun cardiac studies.  THAT was fascinating!  So, how has your career unfolded?  

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13 hours ago, and then said:

Year fifteen was the year I lifted one too many patients, unassisted :(   I was a rad tech for 3 years after tech school and passed my MRI registry before any practical experience was required.  I passed the CT registry the same way :)   MR was what I loved, though.  Looking back, I laugh to think that I chose MR rather than CT because I hated phlebotomy and didn't want to stick everyone that came through the door. 

ITU nurse, 5 and a half years. I hate going to CT, it's not being in CT I hate, on the contrary I like it down there, I like the people and images are fascinating. It's the leads, the leads, THE LEADS! 

Four for cardiac monitoring, ART and CVC, both of which branch into two, sats probe, an unknown amount of infusion lines, but usually one of them is Noradrenaline (Norepinephrine), with all it's associated anxiety. Propofol, and Fentanyl, my friends. Then there's the O2 line, the portable vent (which I do not fully understand so fear), the vent tube, with the capnography pipe, which is the usually glue that binds them all together. And lastly there's the travel monitor, which is like your friendly dependable fixed monitor but somehow a bit rakish and untrustworthy. 

So, you supervise all that lot sliding across onto the conveyor belt into the giant Polo, and you go and sit down, then though, before you know it, it's over. And you start all over again. All your once obsessively organised leads, pipes, and tubes now resemble the Gordian Knot. This is a knife in my heart.

 

 

13 hours ago, and then said:

Contrasting a study was relatively rare when I started and was usually reserved for post op backs.  After 5 years or so, I was not only injecting half or more of my patients, I was even having to use a power injector for most of them - lots of abdominal studies.  About the time my back caused me to bail, we had begun cardiac studies.

And I hate contrast, I hate giving contrast, hate measuring out contrast, hate coaxing someone who thinks you're one of these-

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/alienfilm/images/1/12/Grey_Alien_head-001.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130515021107

to drink 500 mls of contrast, hate the fact that you can't put it down a central line, because I hate trying to get a green Venflon into someone with oedema, and veins with the structural integrity of smoke. 

 

13 hours ago, and then said:

So, how has your career unfolded?  

Pass me a revolver and I'll show you. 

On 2/14/2017 at 2:50 PM, MamaMia1981 said:

It's always nice to commiserate amongst ourselves.

Yes. Yes it is. 

Edited by oldrover
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Guest MamaMia1981
14 hours ago, and then said:

Year fifteen was the year I lifted one too many patients, unassisted :(   I was a rad tech for 3 years after tech school and passed my MRI registry before any practical experience was required.  I passed the CT registry the same way :)   MR was what I loved, though.  Looking back, I laugh to think that I chose MR rather than CT because I hated phlebotomy and didn't want to stick everyone that came through the door.  Contrasting a study was relatively rare when I started and was usually reserved for post op backs.  After 5 years or so, I was not only injecting half or more of my patients, I was even having to use a power injector for most of them - lots of abdominal studies.  About the time my back caused me to bail, we had begun cardiac studies.  THAT was fascinating!  So, how has your career unfolded?  

I started in xray, and trained in CT right out of school.  I currently perform both modalities in my job, and my boss wants me to train in MRI.  I hold certifications in both xray and CT with the ARRT.

I love it and can't imagine doing anything else.  We do a bit of everything, some angios, specials, surgery, etc.  Always a variety!  I'm never bored.

If I had it to over again, I would of become a doctor.  Now, the thought of all that school makes me wanna puke.

 

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20 minutes ago, oldrover said:

 

ITU nurse, 5 and a half years. I hate going to CT, it's not being in CT I hate, on the contrary I like it down there, I like the people and images are fascinating. It's the leads, the leads, THE LEADS! 

Four for cardiac monitoring, ART and CVC, both of which branch into two, sats probe, an unknown amount of infusion lines, but usually one of them is Noradrenaline (Norepinephrine), with all it's associated anxiety. Propofol, and Fentanyl, my friends. Then there's the O2 line, the portable vent (which I do not fully understand so fear), the vent tube, with the capnography pipe, which is the usually glue that binds them all together. And lastly there's the travel monitor, which is like your friendly dependable fixed monitor but somehow a bit rakish and untrustworthy. 

So, you supervise all that lot sliding across onto the conveyor belt into the giant Polo, and you go and sit down, then though, before you know it, it's over. And you start all over again. All your once obsessively organised leads, pipes, and tubes now resemble the Gordian Knot. This is a knife in my heart.

 

 

And I hate contrast, I hate giving contrast, hate measuring out contrast, hate coaxing someone who thinks you're one of these-

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/alienfilm/images/1/12/Grey_Alien_head-001.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130515021107

to drink 500 mls of contrast, hate the fact that you can't put it down a central line, because I hate trying to get a green Venflon into someone with oedema, and veins with the structural integrity of smoke. 

 

Pass me a revolver and I'll show you. 

Yes. Yes it is. 

Lol!  I love our ICU nurses.  Most of them respect what we do, and are very helpful.

I always joke and call all the associated lines ICU spaghetti.  And CT is so fast these days, it's super ungratifying to go through that work to get someone on the tables, just to get them off 5 minutes (or less!) later.

And I drive fast! Lol. 

You get off easy with 500mls, we give between 900 and 1200mls of oral contrast.  We light them up like Christmas Trees!

I'm hoping one day patient transport will catch up with the modern world, until then.....ICU spaghetti!

Edited by MamaMia1981
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10 minutes ago, MamaMia1981 said:

I always joke and call all the associated lines ICU spaghetti.

Good description. 

 

11 minutes ago, MamaMia1981 said:

You get off easy with 500mls, we give between 900 and 1200mls of oral contrast.  We light them up like Christmas Trees!

To be honest, I'm not sure how much we go up to, but I assume due to the nature of our patients needing a CT of abdo, the volumes are probably restricted. I gave 500 mls NG to some who was having a CT for projectile vomiting last week. Can you guess what happened? 

 

14 minutes ago, MamaMia1981 said:

I'm hoping one day patient transport will catch up with the modern world, until then.....ICU spaghetti!

Oh happy day. 

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16 minutes ago, oldrover said:

Good description. 

 

To be honest, I'm not sure how much we go up to, but I assume due to the nature of our patients needing a CT of abdo, the volumes are probably restricted. I gave 500 mls NG to some who was having a CT for projectile vomiting last week. Can you guess what happened? 

 

Oh happy day. 

How big is the hospital you work in?

I started in 360 bed, 30 room ER, and now work in a small 160 bed hospital.  I did rotations at UT in Knoxville and Children's Hospital.  I enjoyed UT, but Children's was not my bag.

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3 hours ago, MamaMia1981 said:

How big is the hospital you work in?

I started in 360 bed, 30 room ER, and now work in a small 160 bed hospital.  I did rotations at UT in Knoxville and Children's Hospital.  I enjoyed UT, but Children's was not my bag.

 

Big, 750 beds. Obviously, that's a conservative estimate, and out of date probably too. 

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16 hours ago, oldrover said:

Good description. 

 

To be honest, I'm not sure how much we go up to, but I assume due to the nature of our patients needing a CT of abdo, the volumes are probably restricted. I gave 500 mls NG to some who was having a CT for projectile vomiting last week. Can you guess what happened? 

 

Oh happy day. 

 

I went through rad tech school in south Alabama and after Registry, I worked in a small community hospital of about 250 beds.  After two years of routines, surgery and ER, I took the MRI registry and was given a training position there.  My wife and I adopted our daughter from China, then moved to central MS for the wife's first job out of Pathology Residency.  I went from that small town gig to a major trauma center, the biggest (maybe the only) one in MS and boy was it an "adjustment".  Charting of medical records was antiquated and you could spend half an hour or more trying to decipher a resident or attending's notes or even the H&P!  Not only did we seem to juice everyone that came through the door with gadolinium whether they needed it or not (teaching hospital), the tech handling the scan had to ride herd on everyone that entered the suite.  For a house patient that could include, respiratory tech, anesthesiologist, nurse(s) and the attending's team of residents.  It got kind of crowded at times.  We learned to become tyrannical about our areas and would shout down whoever we needed to for the patient's safety.  My worst memory was of a few days old infant needing a scan, being brought in with all the monitors and tubes and staff.  After calmly explaining to everyone how dangerous the field could be to the patient, I was getting ready to set the positioning crosshairs on the baby's head when the anesthesiologist, an attending, staff MD!, leans in to check on the baby and I hear this loud BANG!  The doc had nail clippers in her top pocket.  They traveled the 3 ft or so from the mouth of the bore to the iso-center faster than the eye could track and while accelerating, flew right past the baby's face.  The doctor was embarrassed of course but I was just blown away.  I kept thinking about potentially blinding a new born - or worse.  And it would have definitely been my responsibility.  Needless to say, that happened ONCE and I became the terror of the department on staff who wanted to come into my scan room.  This happened shortly after that 6-year-old boy was killed in NY state by an O2 tank that flew into the bore and hit him in the head.  The ACR hadn't yet created the "Zone" protocol that is used today, at that point.

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36 minutes ago, and then said:

the anesthesiologist, an attending, staff MD!, leans in to check on the baby and I hear this loud BANG!  The doc had nail clippers in her top pocket.  They traveled the 3 ft or so from the mouth of the bore to the iso-center faster than the eye could track and while accelerating, flew right past the baby's face.  The doctor was embarrassed of course but I was just blown away.  I kept thinking about potentially blinding a new born - or worse.  And it would have definitely been my responsibility.  Needless to say, that happened ONCE and I became the terror of the department on staff who wanted to come into my scan room.  This happened shortly after that 6-year-old boy was killed in NY state by an O2 tank that flew into the bore and hit him in the head.  The ACR hadn't yet created the "Zone" protocol that is used today, at that point.

Oh good God that's scary. So far, I've avoided MRI. 

I'd never heard of the O2 bottle and the child before, that's unbelievable. I hate to imagine that. I don't blame you for taking whatever steps were needed after knowing about that, and after your own experience with someone else causing a near miss. 

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5 hours ago, oldrover said:

Oh good God that's scary. So far, I've avoided MRI. 

I'd never heard of the O2 bottle and the child before, that's unbelievable. I hate to imagine that. I don't blame you for taking whatever steps were needed after knowing about that, and after your own experience with someone else causing a near miss. 

That case was incredibly tragic.  The kid had suffered a fall on a playground (I think)  He had been taken to CT to rule out a skull fracture.  After he was cleared and was about to be discharged, the radiologist decided to get a baseline MRI brain as a precaution.  The hospital did not have O2 or room air "piped in" through the walls and when a doc or nurse asked for O2, one of the nurses went outside into the hall and grabbed a bottle from under the bed.  That bottle was probably traveling like a major league fast-ball when it struck the boy's cranium.  BOTH of the MRI techs had left their stations, looking for O2.  It was one of those situations where everything that COULD go wrong, DID.  As a positive outcome, though, the American College of Radiology funded a whitepaper to study the breakdown and make recommendations for future safety.  When you go into a hospital today for an MRI, you will begin to see brightly colored placards with a "Zone" enumerated on it.  The numbers go up from 1 (least danger) to 4 (imminent danger for ferrous objects). 

No need to be avoid MRI!  There are some imaging studies that cannot replace it for accuracy.  It is the gold standard for spine and brain work as well as being nearly irreplaceable for joint imaging - knees, shoulders, hips.  I LOVED that work.  I miss it.

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5 hours ago, and then said:

It was one of those situations where everything that COULD go wrong, DID.

Sadly, despite (or possibly in some cases because of) the amount of protocols and guidelines in place to prevent them,  freak occurrences based on chain of events still happen. In our trust we have a category in our incident reporting forms classed as a 'never event', as in it should never conceivably happen. I've never seen one, but I've been aware that they have happened. 

In my experience, albeit anecdotal, central lines seem to be a recurring factor. 

5 hours ago, and then said:

That case was incredibly tragic.  The kid had suffered a fall on a playground (I think)  He had been taken to CT to rule out a skull fracture.  After he was cleared and was about to be discharged, the radiologist decided to get a baseline MRI brain as a precaution.  The hospital did not have O2 or room air "piped in" through the walls and when a doc or nurse asked for O2, one of the nurses went outside into the hall and grabbed a bottle from under the bed.  That bottle was probably traveling like a major league fast-ball when it struck the boy's cranium.  BOTH of the MRI techs had left their stations, looking for O2.

What adds to the tragedy, as if you needed more, is that everyone involved would have been trying their hardest to do a good job. 

 

5 hours ago, and then said:

No need to be avoid MRI!

It's just that due to the kind of patients our unit sees don't usually require it. Anything neuro related is sent 40 miles up the road, or depending on helicopter size through the air. Our unit can be the first stop because we're the only ones with a helipad capable of accommodating the big RAF Sea Kings, so we'd unload anything coming in from them, stabilise them and send them on by smaller helicopter or road. A year or so ago though the RAF/coastguard replaced the big old helicopters with smaller newer things, so I imagine we'll see even less. 

I'd like to see MRI though. 

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I'm a Dietetic Technician, Registered.     I have worked for the WIC program in the local Health Dept. for almost 14 yrs.  I did a lot of clinical time in hospitals, community and nursing homes.  I get to teach basic nutrition to the general public, which can be good or bad, depending on the person(s).   I also visit the local hospitals and day care facilities to give lectures on nutrition as well.   

Edited by tcgram
Forgot that I also go to schools.
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11 hours ago, Olate1 said:

My dream job was a lactation consultant.

My X-ray school had a requirement for males to test over the written material for mammograms.  I was a good student in everything else I was exposed to but for some reason, I'd failed that test twice and I was nearly finished with school.  My program director stopped me in the hall one day, frowning, and asked what was up, he said it just wasn't THAT difficult a test.  The only answer I could come up with on short notice was - "I'm sorry Doc, I was bottle fed!"  He was a nice guy and VERY knowledgeable in his field but had not a great sense of humor.  He chuckled for the rest of that day.

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Olate1 is going to be jealous....I'm going to be doing training in a couple of weeks to become a Certified Lactation Consultant.    LOL  

Edited by tcgram
Evidently I cannot type today.
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13 hours ago, tcgram said:

Olate1 is going to be jealous....I'm going to be doing training in a couple of weeks to become a Certified Lactation Consultant.    LOL  

Tcgram......I am not worthy:nw:

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:lol:

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Guest MamaMia1981

Speaking of MRI incompatible equipment, this rolled across my newfeed on Facebook today.  People don't realize how powerful the magnets in a MRI are, and I know our hospital cross trains all the nurses on MRI safety.  Our safety questionaire is 2 pages long.

nope.jpg

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I am not in the medical profession, but after seeing seeing first hand what happens everyday, when my Dad spent nearly a year in a hospital, I have the utmost respect for all of you.  Underpaid, understaffed, but still with a great attitude.

Edited by Four Winds
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Guest MamaMia1981

..

4 hours ago, Four Winds said:

I am not in the medical profession, but after seeing seeing first hand what happens everyday, when my Dad spent nearly a year in a hospital, I have the utmost respect for all of you.  Underpaid, understaffed, but still with a great attitude.

The Sicilians (at least my family) have a saying...."offer it up for your sins".  When I have a really bad day, I remember that.  Not everyone in medicine is in it for the right reasons, but I feel really blessed that I get a chance to make a real difference in people's lives.

We see people on some of their worst days, at their most vulnerable, and your attitude can make a world of difference. 

Thank you for the compliment, I'm sure everyone would agree with me, we don't get them nearly enough.

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