Well from the 5th day it's now just passed my 5th week of living as an ex-pat Down Under :) It's hard to describe how much my "life" could have changed in what really is a short period of time. I still feel like I'm on holiday and I wonder, if ever, that novelty will wear off! It's made me realise the meaning of life is exactly what you make of it. Whatever they say, or it may feel like, we do have "control" of how our lives proceed… the only reason why you might not have complete control, are because of the ties we might naturally already have (family, friends) or come to be in place (life events)… but that's the end of the philosophy lesson!
8 weeks ago I was working as a locum in a district general that was struggling to maintain training status and frankly struggling to look after the patients coming through its doors. Every day was a war zone. The worst day was having half of the 44 acute medical patients under my care. These are the sickest in hospital just out of accident & emergency and at high risk of deterioration. The nurses were in a similar situation - many locumming for extra shifts, trying their best to manage in an unfamiliar environment in which they have too many responsibilities. The result? A broken team of lost individuals trying to take care of people who really deserved a little better.
Today I started work at 0700 and ended at 1800. But in that time, I managed to have a chat with colleagues about where I should visit at the weekend, go up to the common room for a coffee and a break, get help from the medical registrar pretty immediately for a patient I was concerned about, ask a phlebotomist to kindly take blood from a patient with poor intravenous access with, text the renal registrar to ask for advice and whilst yes I was due to end at 1500, at least I know I am paid and looked after the extra 3 hours I choose to stay. The ethos couldn't be any more different. The "norm" redefines itself in the same way that my life has. But hey, it's only been the first month and a bit!
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