Interns

Posted on August 15, 2015 by Jean

It’s not as bad as in this cartoon, but if you have a choice, stay out of hospitals in July.

Unfortunately doctors need to learn on real patients. That’s why they say if you have a choice stay out of hospitals in July, when the new interns come in.

Everyone – even doctors, especially doctors – have to learn and train in order to become proficient. Interns start out as rookies, not seasoned veterans. Experience takes time.

So if you have to go to a hospital in July, treat the new interns with patience and respect.

Then check with your nurse to make sure they know what they’re doing.
—Why You Should Never Go to the Hospital in July

The fellow describes his first night on call as an intern. A patient’s heart went into ventricular fibrillation, and the fellow had to shock the heart to restore a natural rhythm. Unfortunately he placed the paddles over the patient’s liver instead of the heart, and he would have killed the patient if the nurse hadn’t corrected the error in time.

August 15, 2015
 

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11 Responses to Interns

  1. Ursula says:
    August 15, 2015 at 1:08 am

    Strange. Here, in Europe, no “intern”/student of medicine is allowed any intervention unless supervised by a fully qualified and experienced doctor.

    However, these guys do have to learn which is why, whenever I am asked whether it’s ok for learners to watch an “intervention”, I say yes. Even when it means five pairs of eyes gawping at my most private parts. Someone some time will benefit from it.

    U

    • Jean says:
      August 15, 2015 at 8:26 pm

      According to Wikipedia it’s August that is the”killing season”:

      In Britain, there is an influx of newly qualified doctors into the National Health Service (NHS) each August, and this period is associated with an increase in medical errors. The phenomenon has been recognised by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of the NHS. The term “Killing Season” originated in the 1994 British medical drama series Cardiac Arrest written by Jed Mercurio (under the pseudonym John MacUre). In an episode first broadcast on BBC1 on 5 May 1994, the character Dr. Claire Maitland consoles a junior who has just committed a fatal error with the dialogue: “You come out of medical school knowing bugger all. No wonder August is the killing season. We all kill a few patients while we’re learning.”

      The day when junior doctors typically start work has also been dubbed “Black Wednesday” among NHS staff. A 2009 Imperial College London study of records for 300,000 patients at 170 hospitals between 2000 and 2008 found that death rates were 6 percent higher on Black Wednesday than the previous Wednesday. The study also found that typically fewer patients attended A&E on the first Wednesday in August than the previous week.

    • Ursula says:
      August 16, 2015 at 12:56 am

      Thank you, Jean. I feel so much better now. I wonder whether there is any month left to have my eye op (safely). August is clearly out. As is November which, for reasons unknown, is the month that trips me and my life up again and again and again. In fact, if I could just hibernate for those thirty days and wake on 1 Dec it wouldn’t be too soon.

      Still, mustn’t panic. And uphold thought that no (teaching) hospital (as is Southampton) wants their record blemished.

      U

    • Jean says:
      August 16, 2015 at 1:35 am

      I agree, it’s scary. Good luck to both of us! It sounds like your case is riskier than mine, and my heart goes out to you.

  3. Kim-Life at Golden PInes says:
    August 15, 2015 at 7:57 pm

    I’ve heard this before, and my Mother used to tell a story about a nurse and an intern when she was having my brother and the nurse had to keep correcting him on what to do next. Kudos to these nurses!!

  4. Cindi says:
    August 16, 2015 at 8:52 am

    My sister works at a hospital.
    She told me that the #1 thing that people die of is not heart or cancer or any illness but from human error.
    When her husband had emergency surgery she stayed in his room with him.
    She told them what nurses she would allow to care for him and she even refused a specific doctor to attend to him.
    She demanded a certain doctor to be called with an issue arose and when they hesitated she said she would call him herself so they promptly contacted him.
    She said there are very capable and intelligent people working there but there are also butchers, alcoholics and idiots. (in her opinion) and after working around them every day she knows who she respects and who she wouldn’t let near a paper cut.
    Yes, worry about the new interns but they aren’t the only ones to be frightened of.
    Both her and I only go for medical care in just extreme circumstances and I must say, I’m very thankful that if I do have to go, I will have her in my corner watching out for me too.

    • Jean says:
      August 16, 2015 at 11:27 pm

      Good for your sister! I’m happy (and envious) that you have her to watch out for you if you ever have to go to the hospital. That said, I hope you never have to go!

  5. Cathy in NZ says:
    August 20, 2015 at 6:56 pm

    in one of my wrist trips to the hospital clinic, I had a young man as the guy checking it all out… he said

    “Well, we will need to put it back in the cast as it’s probably not better…but first I will check with Albert”

    he went away, he was gone for ages but he returned with main man, Albert – who took my arm and felt about and then said
    “it looks fine to me, it’s not hurting is it C? So I think you are ready to go to the next stage and I’ll see you in a month…”

    when I came the next time, I saw the young man calling other patients in and I hoped like hell not to get him! I didn’t, I saw the lovely Albert who was really pleased with my rehab progress…

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