My first day was mostly about current research, I will give you a little sneak peak soon. The rest of the week was more clinical.
I was told to be at NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at 9 o’clock. I thought it’s just kindness, they let me arrive so late. Neither did I know, the doctors' shifts also start at 9 am. Perfect for me, as I’m more of a night owl. I am pretty sure this was the last kick you needed to apply for your observership in England, right? ;-) I am sure there is a well thought out system behind arranging the units and rooms in the hospital like this. For me, finding where to go to on the first day should be part of JR’s assessment centers- honestly, in the beginning, it’s been a labyrinth for me. So, after I found the blue scrubs, nothing could hold me back from saving lifes of the smallest and tiniest babies. Or at least arrive on time at the ward round ;-)
9 am- The ward round is about to start. It’s comparable to Germany, as younger doctors and consultants discuss the current status of the patients, happenings during the night and upcoming procedures. Everyone gets a sheet with a short summary of the current status of patients. This is where a lot of teaching happens as you get a brief summary of the illnesses and the consultants often doublecheck if all questions are clarified, even mine. The ward round usually ends after +/- an hour.
Afterwards I am shadowing one of the younger doctors, as they usually implement the instructions set out in the ward round and are close to the little patients, which is super exciting for me to observe.
This week I could decide which units I would like to have a closer look at. To get a broader picture I decided to spend my first day on B-side of NICU, Thursday at A-side, which is basically the same but with another team, and my last day on HDU (High Dependency Unit), which looks after premature and term babies who do not need intensive care. I will give you a quick overview on the different units soon.
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