I'll see you in the ICU!

The Best Day since getting here

Today, in clinical, Krystell and I got to follow an ansthesiologist around.
She was the coolest! Our preceptor came around to tell us we couldn't all be watching (there was a third girl along) and the anesthesiologist said to us as she left "screw that, you're with me, come on"

It was amazing watching her do the Epidurals (one was a spinal/epidural) and the whole time she worked, she narrated us thru the whole thing. Her mouth never stopped. She was about 5' tall, and had a presence the size of a building--she walked in, and started talking in such a familiar way "How old are you, sweetie? How tall are you? Have you, or has anyone in your family ever had a reaction to anesthesia before?" writing all this info down on the bedsheet at the foot of the bed.

For the first time since I arrived, I can say that I was sure of what I wanted to be doing. It was so amazing that all this time, I've been helping people, but what I do causes pain--removing bandages, giving shots, drawing blood...here she came in when people were screaming their heads off in labor pain, and by the time she was wheeling her cart out, they were calling out, with a placid look on their faces "Thank you, Doctor! Thank you so much!"

There's no doubt that this is something I would love to do.

I have high respect for RNs doing bedside care. I can't seem to get past the pain infliction. The Epidurals were not painless procedures, but in the end, the result is far more noticable by the recipient.

Beth (the anesthesiologist) was amazing. I kept saying "she's like a rock star!" and "she's so cool!"

I can't wait to get home and talk to Jean about all this stuff, now that I have a litte more info under my belt. She's my ultimate hero, and there's not a day that doesnt' go by that I don't think about the times she's taken me to the OR.

I am incredibly blessed.

posted by sketchmonkey @ 4:07 PM