Being a good guest in a smaller ED

[Febrifuge]

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So, postbac is underway -- for the next year I'm living in the rolling countryside in a rural part of the Eastern US, studying sciences nonstop. My program will help arrange shadowing at the local hospital, so the plan is to hang out for a series of shifts over weeks or months, hopefully get to know some people, and see about getting a letter or two out of the deal.

I don't want to be a nuisance or an over-eager nerd, but at the same time I don't plan on being totally mute and passive either. So far (back at home in the city) I've shadowed in clinics and the OR, and I've worked in the ED. I imagine this is going to be an adjustment, and whatever I think I know about how things work will need to be re-evaluated.

What should I know about being an excellent shadow? This is a small town, but the facility seems really good in a few key areas, the ED among them. I want to make a good impression. Any advice from students or docs?

 

[kungfufishing]

I think your experience in the ED will help you out. Just be interested and enthusiastic without being intrusive. You'll probably have a lot easier time with the personnel and patient flow than most would. good luck.

 

[stoic]

my friend, i have advice for you!

i did most of my shadowing in a small town, level III ED that saw ~22k/yr. for the most part if you're interested, the physicians will be very willing to teach. the exception comes when the ED is getting slammed... know when to step out of the way and stop asking questions so that the docs can move some patients.

but you know the drill, if something you're interested in shows up, go grab a copy of Tintinalli after the h/p and get some background info. find out why this is higher on the ddx than that and why this test was ordered instead of another. that way you can actually ask some semi-intelligent questions.

also, make friends with the nurses and cna's. if they hate you, you're life will be hell. nothing like a cold stare down when you show up and the RN that doesn't like you is working.... plus, if they like you, they'll often scoot over so you can get a better look during procedures 🙂. be willing to do scut, like grabbing ice chips, blankets, tracking down labs, whatever. if you can find a way to make yourself useful, the staff will like having you around and teach you as much as you can soak up.

best of luck,
s

 

[Febrifuge]

Sweet. Thanks, stoic! Yeah, I've been the CNA/tech for almost two years, and a volunteer before that. Hopefully my spider-sense about what makes a visiting student an asset or an albatross will apply as well here as it did back home.

We were too busy (and crawling with rotating students) for much shadowing to take place so I have no frame of reference. The one guy I saw, they just gave him green scrubs and he wandered around as one of the team. I'm definitely hip to the blankets/ ice chips/ labs aspect, and you're right: that guy would have impressed me if he'd done a little more o' that. Cheers.