Blogskin done by 16thday with image from Taringa .

My posting, as well as those posted with me at OT has so far been quite horibble. Well, at least for me it was horrible because it's a bit boring and I worry that I might develop varicose veins from standing too long.

But for some, it has been an absolute nightmare because of the staff. Not all of them are as welcoming and as friendly and approachable as those in A&E. The sister has been complaining about us to our lecturer. On Friday, she caught some of us (excluding me) using the internet and sitting in clusters outside the theatre. I know it's not appropriate to do that, especially when permission has not been sought. The least she could do was tell them not to sit around, so that we know we're not allowed to do that. But instead she went straight to Mr. Ismail giving him a list of cmplaints. She said we have no initiative. She asked Mr. Ismail: What are your students' objectives for being here? They are not doing anything. They have no initiative. Mr. Ismail was quite pissed and called all of us in for a meeting. Supposedly for 10 minutes. But ended up we spent about an hour plus arguing back, gossiping and just plain talking about thing unrelated. We were in the room until lunch time. Hahaha. We all didn't want to get back in to the OT. During lunch we all sat together and gossiped. Had fun actually.

Oh my God. This is the first time we ever had any negative feedback. And the sister doesn't even know OUR side of the story. We are super iniative, please. We are super willing to do anything. But what do you expect us to do if we don't have anything to do? Do you know some staff in the OT actually told the students to leave the theatre giving reasons like there are too many people in the theatre already or that it is a major case and they don't want students in there. So you would say, we should then go to other OTs. We're not stupid, of course we did that. But we were also chased out. And besides, we're only standing there and observing. Like some stupid, useless statue. And don't think we didn't have the initiative to ask the nurses if we could scrub in or help open something or DO something, anything. But they refused, in manners I wouldn't say commendable. Some saying that the surgery is complicated and that the surgeons are very particular. What the hell. Then how do you expect us to learn something and gain experience? We've got to start SOMEWHERE. How, then, can we ever grow and get promoted? My GOD! They were mere students then, too! Have they forgotten?

And the communication among them is not very good as well. One sister said you may use double scrub top if it's cold, but another sister said we can't. This sister said we're not allowed to use our handphones, not even in the tea room. But their own staff are using their phones. What is this?

Some surgeons are super horrible too. One time, I was in one of the OT observing a case. A newly graduated staff nurse was the scrub nurse. Ok, I keep on saying scrub nurses, scrub in, I don't know if you know what I'm talking about. Scrub nurses are those who directly help the surgeons. They are the ones who pass intruments to the surgeons. There is another nurse in the OT as well, who's called circulating nurse. Circulating nurses are not wearing sterile gowns so they can't touch the instruments. So anyway, in this particular case, they have to use some scopes (tubes with camera at the tip), so there are a lot of gadgets. So since the scrub nurse is quite new, she doesn't know much. The case was sort of complicated or something. You know what the surgeon said? He was like "Wah, you're new?" Then to no one in particular he said: For this case, you give me a new girl? He said it in an amused tone. But you know, it's not funny. He's incredulous-ed. It was pretty insulting.

Another example that my friend told me, the surgeon said "Can you give me another scrub nurse?" Wah! Imagine how the current scrub nurse must have felt. So what if they're new? How do they learn then? Stupid surgeons. They weren't born as a surgeon either, you know.

Although I'm talking about negative things, not all surgeons or nurses are bad. Some are really nice. Some surgeons bother to teach the student nurses stuff, explain this and that. Some staff nurses bothers to orientate us, allowing us to scrub in with them and teaching us this and that. So far nothing bad has happened to me, directly. Except for sometimes feeling like I'm being ignored, I didn't encounter any rudeness from them.

Being a nurse sure is hard.

Anyway, belated and all, I've made a new friend. Timothy! Yea, the one with the good English. Hahaha.
In my own world,
4:52 PM