Tuesday, february 1st I started my new job at Akershus University Hospital ("AHUS" for short). I entered by the personell entrance and found myself in a long corridor in the basement where transport robots ("ATV"'s) where zipping around flashing yellow lights and politely asking you to move if you happened to be standing in their path.
This first day was an introduction day for the 3 of us who are new right now (18 new employees started on jan first, 5 or 6 in desember, and there are still about 6 positions that haven't been filled. ie. about 1/4 of the ED staff is new employees), and we spent the first part of the day in the basement. First getting our ID-cards which also open doors and allow access to computers and printers, then getting lockers and learning how the uniform dispenser and laundry shute work. In the picture you see people standing in line. Around the time of the main shift changes there are always lines at the uniform dispenser. You have to swipe your card at the dispenser. Your size is programmed into the card. Then you wait for the pants to arrive, followed by the top. There can be up to 3 sets of uniforms on your "account". When you throw them in the laundry shute you have to make sure it reads a chip that is sewn into each part of the uniform or it won't add a clean one to your account. It's all a bit time consuming.
We spent the rest of the day getting info on how the ED is organized and the admission proceedures. We got a tour of the department and then retired to an office which had some computers so that we could get passwords for the most important programs: intranet, DIPS (the elektronic medical chart) and GAT which is the scheduling program. We also got a tour of the main lobby: the "glass street" (se below), and the canteen.
The next day, which was my first day in clinical practice, I was paired up with one of the code nurses, meaning that he would be part of the trauma code and/or medical code teams. We had several critically ill patients: a hypotensive sepsis patient, a medical code on a COPD patient as well as a couple of other admissions. I was pleased that they paired me up with someone who would have the more critical patients from the very start.
On the third day I was paired up with my mentor for the 4 introductory weeks. I focused on learning the protocols for administering meds, as well as documenting care. By the end of the day I was starting to be able to find my way around, both the lay of the land as well as the routines. Still have a ways to go though. My great comfort is that in the area of patient care I feel fully competent (so far at least).
I had missed this post!
ReplyDeleteInteresting how automated things are there. Here you have your own uniforms that you buy from shops or catalogs and launder at home, as far as I know.
Do physicians there use handheld devices to confirm meds and dosages? I have seen primary care doctors here use those, not sure about in hospitals.
It's funny, people here are skeptical about electronic medical records because of privacy concerns, but they really are so much more efficient.
I remember having to buy my own uniform when I worked in the US. Though not all hospitals are so automated as AHUS, they all provide uniforms and laundering for reasons of infection controll. We are not permitted to take the uniforms home.
ReplyDeleteAHUS is exeptionally automated as I mentioned. A lot of the medication dispensing etc is automated and I have heard that they are planning to have those handheld devices that you mentioned, but that they haven't gotten so far yet.
Regarding electronic medical records - yes, they are more efficient, and I would say the privacy concerns are equally great with paper records. The biggest problem is letting paper lie around, and lack of discretion in verbal reporting.