The other night I worked 5-2a. Our usual nocturnist was off and one of the slowest docs in the ED came in at 10 pm to cover. After I leave at 2 he would be the only one in the department until 7 a. This was one of those days where the patient's kept coming in waves no matter what we did. by the time 12:30a rolled around I was trying to see the lower acuity things to help him along, but many complicated cases (but not critical) walked in to be seen during the last hour of my shift and he was seeing about a patient every 30 minutes. I had seen 27 people at this point putting me at 3 per hour, and knowing myself this was my limit. I was exhausted and worked my butt off all shift and I felt there was little more I could do so I stopped picking up new patients, got my charts done and left 30 minutes late.
Should I have stayed and kept seeing patients? I felt that I worked hard all day and shouldn't be "punished" for a doc who moves at a slower pace just because the department is busy. Some patients that were checked in when I left were still there when I woke up to finish some charting the next morning so I doubt me seeing 1-2 more people and keeping myself there hours late would have made much of a difference.
Should I have stayed and kept seeing patients? I felt that I worked hard all day and shouldn't be "punished" for a doc who moves at a slower pace just because the department is busy. Some patients that were checked in when I left were still there when I woke up to finish some charting the next morning so I doubt me seeing 1-2 more people and keeping myself there hours late would have made much of a difference.
