Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Too Sick To Stay?
The past few days I've been feeling a bit crook. So I took Tuesday off as I was throwing up Monday nite, and felt like shit on Tuesday (can I shit on this blog?). I went in today, which was Wednesday as I had my final Curtin assessment and a presentation to do. I still felt like lets say crap, and I wasn't all there, but I really thought I was well enought to not miss clinic. Well anyway in my less than normal state I missed some stuff in the notes that I shouldn't have. So my question is, as a student how do we tell when to draw the line on feeling well enough to go in to clinics, without giving the physios you work with (who you are trying to impress) the impression that you are just not toughing it out?
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5 comments:
Hi Calvin,
I’m sorry to hear you’re not feeling so well. Although, it’s completely understandable as it is easy to get run down doing this course.
I think you’ve raised a very good issue. I think what you have to ask yourself is, are you putting the patient’s treatment at risk? Do you think that in the state you are in you are able to clinically reason appropriately and provide your patient the best level of care you can provide as a student? Also, are your patients who may have decreased levels of immunity while in hospital at risk for developing the “bug” you’re currently carrying? All important questions when trying to determine if you are “too sick to stay”.
Hope you feel better soon!!!!
Meg
Calvin,
I agree with Megs questions to ask yourself....just thought I'd add my own experience from my last clinic.
I woke up one day feeling not to well...then once I'd been at clinic for only an hour a little nausea set in, and I had a monster headache...So I cancelled my patient's and went home - to vomit every 30 mins until about 9pm when I gave up and decided IM maxalon was the only way to go.....BUT I was so dehydrated/sore and just exhausted I had another 2 days off clinic.....the physios were all really concerned and couldn't have been nicer about it :) I suppose that's an advantage of looking extremely pale!
Mads
Hey Calvin,
I am so sorry to hear that you are/were sick! And I can defintely relate to what you are feeling as I too got very sick on that Freo cardio placement. I was bed riden for a and a half but was told by my supervisor that if I missed another day that I would have to redo the whole prac (oh and I had to pay $60 for 2 seconds with the Dr to get a note). Now, I know that there if a reason for that rule (of only missing a certain number of days) but I agree with you that's there is a thin line between needing to go into prac and knowing that you shouldn't. I was quite suprised when my supervisor said that, as she clearly new that I was sick and that if I came in I would be working closely with these immune depressed patients. So, I braved it out, because who in there right mind, or "sick mind" for that matter, would choose to stay in bed if they new they had to repeat a whole prac? I just tried really hard not to breath on the patients and washed my hands lots...hey is there any research on that?.....
Nic
Hi Calvin, I came off my bicycle once-returned to work 7 weeks later was at work 3 days and then went off work 3 days later. I didn't realize/know that I shouldnt be at work. I foudn out because I did what you did and made mistakes that I wouldnt normally do eg left patients ICU notes out of file -and if pt had gone off that night no-one would have known what Pt was being received by the patient.I agree taht deciding to go off sick is a difficult issue to decide on- I think it is good to know the consequences ie that we make mistakes when we go in and are not well enough- helps my backbone be straight when I have to tell my colleagues that I wont be coming in. good issue to raise Steph
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