Ch02-9781975113285

Keys to Survival

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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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