Unfortunately, no. Not remotely. Maybe if she lost 100 lbs and hadn't hit every branch in the ugly tree she fell out of. Also if I were to venture a guess (and I don't think I would be far off base) I believe it is also highly likely that she isn't into men.
As far as the other observations here on this thread that have been offered about IONM folks, here's mine: they are outsiders.
Let me explain.
These are people who have quite simply not had to endure the "hierarchical" training we have had to endure that has gotten us to this point. So, their OR etiquette usually sucks. It's not that they're not important to what's going on. It's that they (sometimes) falsely believe that they are the
only important thing going on in the OR. What I mean by that is that they believe their input into the case is paramount, and every other concern is secondary to theirs. Again, it's because they have not really "trained" to understand that there are about 1,000 other things equally -- if not in most cases
more -- important going on.
So, for example, they can be kind of clueless in the sense that, for one of them who
is attractive and with whom I've worked with a lot over the years, I was immediately "Buzz" the
first day she was in the OR with me, and not "Dr. Phreed". She was, how can I put this, very "casual" about everything going on and immediately very comfortable about calling me by my first name. There are people I've worked with for 7 1/2 years there -- who I've
asked to call me by first name -- who still call me Dr. Phreed. When we first started working together for these cases she would routinely get in the way when I was in the middle of starting the case. You know, stuff like just walking into the space between me and the patient without asking first. She frequently barked out orders about how she needed this, or needed that. Again, it wasn't the impoliteness that has been gently corrected over the years. She was still pleasant enough. That was never the issue. It was just routine gross deviation from the standard "decorum" expected in the OR.
Now, it's just funny to me. It's funny because I believe that this new "tech" (and that's what they are) was probably "trained" by this other person with whom I've worked and now have a great rapport. In her case it simply would've been nicer, for example, if she'd asked me what I was going to do for the anesthetic, if I had any concerns, etc., etc. instead of assuming that I didn't know anything. And if she had simply said she what she was planning on monitoring instead of telling me how to give the patient anesthesia. I may have had concerns beyond her comprehension with regards to this patient, and frankly it's not her worry or issue to address.
It's funny because they sort of tell you what you should do without having any clue what what they are saying actually means
for the patient and not just what they need to get on their equipment. I was tempted to tell her that the patient told me that there is a questionable family history of malignant hyperthermia and then ask her if it would still be okay if I gave the succinylcholine. But I didn't. Her behavior was just so funny to me. I think she wast trying to show me what she (thought she) knew, but it just came out so... I dunno... stupid. Remifentanil? We don't even have remi on formulary in our hospital. She didn't introduce herself. She didn't approach me. It was just, "Hey anesthesia!" and then a litany of demands. You guys get the picture. Not even a basic understanding of proper OR etiquette. At least she had a bouffant and mask on.
Too funny. If I'd been younger and less experienced I may have chewed her head off. Now I can just laugh about it.
