5
Keys to Survival
Thomas M. De Fer
1.
DON
’
T PANIC
! Keep your sense of humor. A positive
attitude will take you far.
2.
Ask questions and
ASK FOR HELP!
Believe it or not, you are
not actually expected to know everything.
3.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
Sleep when you can,
remember to eat, and be mindful of your own health. Don’t
forget your family and friends.
4.
Work hard, stay enthusiastic, and maintain interest. But try not
to burn yourself out in the first month.
5.
Take care of your patients. You’re finally using your expensive
education and training. Keep your patients at the center of
what you do, and keep their best interests in mind.
6.
Be organized and prioritize your tasks. Keep checklists of your
tasks and cross them off once you complete. The one with the
most checkmarks wins!
7.
Verify everything yourself (e.g., lab tests, plain radiographs, ECGs).
Any test worth ordering is worth knowing the results of. Never but
never make it up! If you don’t know, you should say so.
8.
Scut happens. Try hard not to leave it to someone else. If you
do, they’ll return the favor someday.
9.
Be kind to the nurses and other ancillary staff. They can make
your life much better… or much worse. The choice is mostly
yours.
10.
When in doubt, go and see the patient!
11.
Choose your battles very carefully. Even in the name of patient
care, ugly behavior is ugly. You will be remembered for
violation. Don’t get a reputation!
12.
Call for consultations on your patients early in the day
and have a specific question you want answered from the
consultant.
13.
Start thinking about discharge/disposition planning from day 1.
Although discharge isn’t the goal of all patient care, it should be
on your radar screen most of the time.
14.
Complete discharge summaries the day the patient leaves.
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