March 18, 2024

Colleagues I can call on and count on.

Recently I was the 11p doc in my ED (the overnight shift), and I knew what my evening had in store when Colleague/suspect1 said “It’s been slow all day”. Oy.

At 11:03P the charge nurse (who deserves a Medal for her actions that night) said ‘you’re getting a level 1 medical and two level 1 trauma transfers in the next five minutes’, and that was in addition to the waterfall of regular patients who heard the word ‘slow’ and ran like very sick possessed zombies to our ED.

The medical was a great case I would have loved had I had no other duties: CHB, external pacer dependent, and I did the right thing for this patient: I called the procedure doc, and turned that patient’s care over to him (the one who caused this, Colleague1). (I knew what this patient needed, it’s an intubation/cordis/float the pacer/etc, and that’s 20 minutes straight of terrific procedures while letting the department drown). He did as well as you’d think. Maybe better than I would have done.

The other colleague star was Golleague2, the 9P, who never peeped that I wasn’t sending him home, or really even taking his workups. In fact, toward the end of the night he did a lac or two for me, and I kept Colleague1 busy until 3 with procedures. Terrific to have people you can count on.

This isn’t about me, or even these two great colleagues (though I thank both of you profusely), it’s really about all of us. Giving means getting, and I and our mutual patients got the best that night, and get it when we work and play well together.

It’s a great place to work. Thanks to you all.

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