OR Ratation, here I come

Weeks of: 2007-07-01 & 2007-07-09

Abstract: Summer quarter is a sweet reprieve from the rigors of scholasticism yet amidst a marine heat wave.

Mood: Cheerful and even minded

What went well: I concentrated primarily on fluoro. My comps are rolling in.

What needs work: Fluoro demands detail oriented work

Elucidation: Wow! This quarter is interesting. It feels like a full time job only I'm not getting paid. I am learning about the flow of patient care from the time the EMTs roll 'em in, until their discharged. It's reassuring that I'm having fun.

The program director has visited us twice. He reminds me of a charismatic but unknown rock musician. I'll call him Perkins. He's been throwing our understanding of the rationale for exams under the wheels. It's cool. I know that real learning always need to start with some mental dissonance.

He often asks us questions an then watches with amusement as we struggle to answer. Example: Why center slightly medial on a lateral scapula? Answer: it throws the scapula slightly away from the ribs because of divergence. If you center right on the scapula divergence will project the scapula over the ribs.

Another fun one: What's another name for the talus? It rhymes with asparagus. Someone guessed asperger's to general laughter. Answer: Astragalus. We should have known that one.

Being in the hospital 40 plus hours a week really makes it easier to rake in the comps. I comped a cross-table hip. I'm happy about that one because, for me at least, it's that culmination of a lot skills from the past year.

Line the tube up with the grid to avoid cutoff. Quadruple your mAs because it's a axial projection to produce a lateral. This through a lot of tissue. Multiple positioning criteria including: Place the affected hip on a pad. Raise the unaffected leg out of the way. Angle into the joint space. What comes out is a pretty film of the femoral neck, without the foreshortening that a frog view creates. What is demonstrated is a true lateral showing the ball of the femur in the acetabulum.

I'm able to call back to the tech at the panel what technique I want. I apologize that this is turning into another self-congratulatory post. But yo, this be my blog. I'm particularly pleased because this happened most recently during a trauma case involving a post-fall 85 yo female. It pulled three comps from that case alone.

My level on independent work is on the rise as well. I've been running the fluoro exams on my own for significant periods. I've taken initiative more often in regards to patient care.

It's important to me for my service to others be done with the right attitude. I'm trying to see each patient as an individual whether or not they're out cold or raving mad.

I start my employment as a Radiologic Technologist Trainee next Saturday. I'll be working in the ER department 08:30-19:00 to start.

I'm a happy camper. Let me know what you're thinkin'.

Peace out.

Goals for next week:

Next week I'm back in the OR. I plan to take it one day at a time.

I'd like to be doing femoral nails by the end of the rotation.

For next week I want to complete an ankle procedure.