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So I threw my first mini-hissy fit as an attending today.
I show up early for my cases today (only because I don't have block time so don't have the coveted 0730 start) and since the patient is there and ready to go, I ask if we can start early seeing as no one is in my room. Sure, I'm told except anesthesia isn't here.
That was NOT what my fit was about. Yes, for some reason the anesthesiologist who was supposed to be covering the case didn't show; the hospital called her group and got someone else to come in.
Ok, so now we're starting 1.5 hrs late, although its actually on time since I was 1.5 hrs early. So I've been relaxing in the OR lounge waiting for them to tell me gas is here, and we're ready. I've already seen the patient in the pre-op area, done all my paperwork, etc.
The circulator comes to get me in the lounge and I cruise in to the room to see the patient asleep, prepped and draped. This is where I had my fit. My reasoning being that since I did not see the patient be wheeled into the room, I could not be sure that it was MY patient, since all that was exposed was a random boob. Nor was I present to verify which side we were operating on and she was not marked by me yet.
Obviously I looked around the drape to see it was my patient, but I was a bit miffed. I mean, what if it wasn't and I didn't notice? What if we were operating on the wrong side, because no one asked ME what side I was planning on operating on and now with the patient asleep (which was also a problem because I only asked for local with sedation not general) I couldn't verify one more time with her?
Am I micromanaging? They tell me that the "other surgeons" like them to hurry and prefer that they are not called into the room until prepped and draped. Obviously our attendings in residency commonly do that but there's a member of the surgical team (the resident or fellow) in the room when the patient comes in and before the patient is draped.
Is this something that I'll eventually end up doing and just assuming that this place (which somehow can never seem to get my preference cards right...if I can't trust them to copy my cards for the surgicenter and the main ORs, how can I trust that they'll do this right) does it right?
/rant
I show up early for my cases today (only because I don't have block time so don't have the coveted 0730 start) and since the patient is there and ready to go, I ask if we can start early seeing as no one is in my room. Sure, I'm told except anesthesia isn't here.
That was NOT what my fit was about. Yes, for some reason the anesthesiologist who was supposed to be covering the case didn't show; the hospital called her group and got someone else to come in.
Ok, so now we're starting 1.5 hrs late, although its actually on time since I was 1.5 hrs early. So I've been relaxing in the OR lounge waiting for them to tell me gas is here, and we're ready. I've already seen the patient in the pre-op area, done all my paperwork, etc.
The circulator comes to get me in the lounge and I cruise in to the room to see the patient asleep, prepped and draped. This is where I had my fit. My reasoning being that since I did not see the patient be wheeled into the room, I could not be sure that it was MY patient, since all that was exposed was a random boob. Nor was I present to verify which side we were operating on and she was not marked by me yet.
Obviously I looked around the drape to see it was my patient, but I was a bit miffed. I mean, what if it wasn't and I didn't notice? What if we were operating on the wrong side, because no one asked ME what side I was planning on operating on and now with the patient asleep (which was also a problem because I only asked for local with sedation not general) I couldn't verify one more time with her?
Am I micromanaging? They tell me that the "other surgeons" like them to hurry and prefer that they are not called into the room until prepped and draped. Obviously our attendings in residency commonly do that but there's a member of the surgical team (the resident or fellow) in the room when the patient comes in and before the patient is draped.
Is this something that I'll eventually end up doing and just assuming that this place (which somehow can never seem to get my preference cards right...if I can't trust them to copy my cards for the surgicenter and the main ORs, how can I trust that they'll do this right) does it right?
/rant