My last day! It was sad to leave today, I was really beginning to get to know the porters and the hospital well and I was enjoying it more and more as the days went on. However the whole week was a really great experience, and more than anything the best thing about it was just to experience the hospital environment and to get an idea of how a hospital works from an inside perspective.
Today I was stationed with the same porter as yesterday morning which I was happy about, it's lovely to see how he cheers up patients and makes them feel at ease even though he is only in contact with them for a few minutes. As usual we did a wide variety of jobs and he allowed me to push a patient in a bed to x-ray and back again once they had finished with him. I found it was my turn to make him feel at ease and to cheer him up and I enjoyed it a lot. We also had to transfer a child of about 10 to MRI and this made me realise how children have to be treated in an entirely different way to adults, I had never thought how completely different paediatrics is to every other specialty.
So overall, this week has taught me how incredibly hard hospital staff have to work. I could tell this about the porters from my first day, but I noticed more and more as I experienced the hospital that the doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals were working non-stop, and a lot of the time for longer than their shift. One doctor I spoke to asked if I wanted to be a doctor and after I said yes she replied "do you want to work 16 hour shifts?". This was a difficult question to answer at the time despite her exaggeration; no one wants to spend their lives just at work. But if it comes with the territory of doing a job that you love for the rest of your life, it is most definitely a sacrifice worth making.
Friday, 17 February 2012
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Basingstoke Hospital Work Experience - Day 4
There was a large variety of things I did today, just as there was yesterday. The day started off rather slowly as the hospital was unusually quiet, the porters told me. We did a few patient transfers and ran a few bloods down to pathology as usual but then I was allowed to transfer a patient myself which was, believe it or not, very exciting.
I was told he has MRSA, so I had to wear a plastic apron and gloves before I went near him just to make sure I didn't either catch it myself or spread it around the hospital.I then wheeled him to a ward on an upper floor having a nice chat on the way, before depositing him at his destination. I later did some research and found out a bit more about MRSA because it is a very well known illness yet I found myself with little knowledge when I actually came across it.
MRSA stands for Methicilin-resistant Straphylococcus aureus and it is a common type of bacteria which about 25% of people have living naturally in their nostrils without even knowing that it's there (that was the most common statistic I found, but different sources ranged from 1% to 70%). For many there are no symptoms but for others the symptoms can range from small boils on the skin to septicemia, and can lead to death in a considerable number of cases without proper treatment. The problem with this particular bacterium is that it is very resistant to antibiotics and has become more so recently as it has been treated more and more, as only the most resistant strains are surviving. MRSA is spread by contact mostly, and then the bacteria have to enter an opening such as an open wound or the nose. This is why the problem is heightened in hospitals - with healthcare staff touching one patient and then touching another without appropriate sanitisation in between. Also those in hospital tend to have a weekend immune system due to either illness or age so this makes them even more susceptible to the infection.
I also stumbled across a new treatment which is being tested for MRSA, using nanotechnology. To read th whole article go to: http://www.healthcareglobal.com/healthcare_technology/treating-mrsa-with-nanotechnology-and-nanomedicine, but the explanation of how it works is as follows,
"The cationic nanostructures can selectively target and disintegrate bacterial membranes that are negatively charged via electrostatic interaction and insertion into the membrane lipid domains, destroying the integrity of the membrane and hence, avoiding potential bacterial resistance."
That seems like quite an impressive discovery, since the main issue currently with MRSA treatment is the ability of the bacteria to resist the antibiotics and this is completely eradicating that issue. Also, if it had been created to target particular bacterial membranes, surely the molecules can be adapted to specifically target a different surface antigen on a different bacteria to expand this technology to make it able to treat all bacterial infections? That would be an amazing breakthrough. However at the moment the technology hasn't even been tested on living organisms so it is still in very early stages of research.
I was told he has MRSA, so I had to wear a plastic apron and gloves before I went near him just to make sure I didn't either catch it myself or spread it around the hospital.I then wheeled him to a ward on an upper floor having a nice chat on the way, before depositing him at his destination. I later did some research and found out a bit more about MRSA because it is a very well known illness yet I found myself with little knowledge when I actually came across it.
MRSA stands for Methicilin-resistant Straphylococcus aureus and it is a common type of bacteria which about 25% of people have living naturally in their nostrils without even knowing that it's there (that was the most common statistic I found, but different sources ranged from 1% to 70%). For many there are no symptoms but for others the symptoms can range from small boils on the skin to septicemia, and can lead to death in a considerable number of cases without proper treatment. The problem with this particular bacterium is that it is very resistant to antibiotics and has become more so recently as it has been treated more and more, as only the most resistant strains are surviving. MRSA is spread by contact mostly, and then the bacteria have to enter an opening such as an open wound or the nose. This is why the problem is heightened in hospitals - with healthcare staff touching one patient and then touching another without appropriate sanitisation in between. Also those in hospital tend to have a weekend immune system due to either illness or age so this makes them even more susceptible to the infection.
I also stumbled across a new treatment which is being tested for MRSA, using nanotechnology. To read th whole article go to: http://www.healthcareglobal.com/healthcare_technology/treating-mrsa-with-nanotechnology-and-nanomedicine, but the explanation of how it works is as follows,
"The cationic nanostructures can selectively target and disintegrate bacterial membranes that are negatively charged via electrostatic interaction and insertion into the membrane lipid domains, destroying the integrity of the membrane and hence, avoiding potential bacterial resistance."
That seems like quite an impressive discovery, since the main issue currently with MRSA treatment is the ability of the bacteria to resist the antibiotics and this is completely eradicating that issue. Also, if it had been created to target particular bacterial membranes, surely the molecules can be adapted to specifically target a different surface antigen on a different bacteria to expand this technology to make it able to treat all bacterial infections? That would be an amazing breakthrough. However at the moment the technology hasn't even been tested on living organisms so it is still in very early stages of research.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Basingstoke Hospital Work Experience - Day 3
I really enjoyed today, I think it was the best day so far. We were constantly 'on the go' from the moment we started to the end of the day (excluding my obligatory lunch break!), and it has definitely worn me out.
I was shadowing the same porter that I was with on Monday afternoon for the whole day today and it was certainly exciting. I found that we spent most of our time transporting patients (my favourite job, as I'm sure you know by now) to x-ray from the emergency department and back again. I enjoyed chatting to the patients wherever possible too as well as the relatives, because I know that it's just as important to keep them happy and comfortable as it is the patients themselves. We also did a transfer to CT and back and I had the privilege to watch the images come up on the screen as it was being done. It really is amazing what these machines can do!
Also, I managed to catch a glance at a few of the x-rays that were being taken. There was a small child with a painful elbow which stuck in my mind today because although I didn't actually see the patient herself I did see the x-ray. It was very interesting what the radiographer was explaining, that the rather prominent and nasty-looking gap between the humerus and the lower arm bones was not actually a break at all. She said that in small children because the bones aren't yet fully developed there is just muscle tissue holding these bones in place so in fact, it was nothing to worry about.
I had never thought that children's bones were so different to adults' bones, so I found out some more. I discovered that a child's bones are much less brittle than those of adults, so quite often they will either just bend instead of break (plastic deformation), or they will slightly buckle as a result of the impact. This is completely different from adult bones which will much more easily have a clean fracture. In other cases the outer, more dense layer the cortex can fracture but leaving the cancellous bone (more spongy layer) unharmed causing what is known as a greenstick fracture. When my friend broke her arm years ago she told me she had a greenstick fracture, so it's satisfying now to know what it actually means!
I was shadowing the same porter that I was with on Monday afternoon for the whole day today and it was certainly exciting. I found that we spent most of our time transporting patients (my favourite job, as I'm sure you know by now) to x-ray from the emergency department and back again. I enjoyed chatting to the patients wherever possible too as well as the relatives, because I know that it's just as important to keep them happy and comfortable as it is the patients themselves. We also did a transfer to CT and back and I had the privilege to watch the images come up on the screen as it was being done. It really is amazing what these machines can do!
Also, I managed to catch a glance at a few of the x-rays that were being taken. There was a small child with a painful elbow which stuck in my mind today because although I didn't actually see the patient herself I did see the x-ray. It was very interesting what the radiographer was explaining, that the rather prominent and nasty-looking gap between the humerus and the lower arm bones was not actually a break at all. She said that in small children because the bones aren't yet fully developed there is just muscle tissue holding these bones in place so in fact, it was nothing to worry about.
I had never thought that children's bones were so different to adults' bones, so I found out some more. I discovered that a child's bones are much less brittle than those of adults, so quite often they will either just bend instead of break (plastic deformation), or they will slightly buckle as a result of the impact. This is completely different from adult bones which will much more easily have a clean fracture. In other cases the outer, more dense layer the cortex can fracture but leaving the cancellous bone (more spongy layer) unharmed causing what is known as a greenstick fracture. When my friend broke her arm years ago she told me she had a greenstick fracture, so it's satisfying now to know what it actually means!
Basingstoke Hospital Work Experience - Day 2
Yesterday I didn't have any time to write what I had done, so I'll do it now.
It was an interesting day with some ups and some downs. I was really happy when I was told in the morning that I was shadowing a porter who mostly does patient transfers - this was what I most enjoyed on my first day. I was shadowing a different porter to the day before to start with which was good; it's always good to get a different person's perspective of life working in a hospital. We ended up doing a variety of things from transporting patients to taking out the rubbish, as well as the constant job of taking bloods to pathology. In the afternoon after quite a delay while he found time to collect me, I was stationed with a different porter who mostly does x-ray transfers. I really enjoyed this as we were transporting patients all afternoon, and its great to have a chat with them too when I get a chance. Towards the end of the afternoon however there was not much to do as there weren't many x-rays booked.
Overall, I think the main thing I learned yesterday was more of what it is really like in a hospital environment, and how the amount of work (especially for porters) is very variable depending on lots of different factors.
It was an interesting day with some ups and some downs. I was really happy when I was told in the morning that I was shadowing a porter who mostly does patient transfers - this was what I most enjoyed on my first day. I was shadowing a different porter to the day before to start with which was good; it's always good to get a different person's perspective of life working in a hospital. We ended up doing a variety of things from transporting patients to taking out the rubbish, as well as the constant job of taking bloods to pathology. In the afternoon after quite a delay while he found time to collect me, I was stationed with a different porter who mostly does x-ray transfers. I really enjoyed this as we were transporting patients all afternoon, and its great to have a chat with them too when I get a chance. Towards the end of the afternoon however there was not much to do as there weren't many x-rays booked.
Overall, I think the main thing I learned yesterday was more of what it is really like in a hospital environment, and how the amount of work (especially for porters) is very variable depending on lots of different factors.
Monday, 13 February 2012
Basingstoke Hospital Work Experience - Day 1
Today was my first day of work experience in Basingstoke hospital, in the portering department. I chose to work in the portering department because it would mean I would be able to go around all areas of the hospital instead of being confined to one place. Also as a doctor it's important to know how the hospital works and I think that this week will give me a valuable experience of what is vital to allow the hospital wheels to turn.
I started off today not really knowing what to expect, but being excited all the same. We began our duties by delivering food carts and collecting laundry in the morning, then after lunch I was stationed with a different, somewhat more talkative person. We then were mostly transferring patients to different areas of the hospital. I found myself enjoying this much more because I realised just how unique each patient is, and how each patient has to be spoken to and treated in a way which suits them. The porter I was shadowing was an amazing example of this and it made me appreciate how it can make such a difference to how someone is feeling if you just put a smile on their face.
Tomorrow I'm looking forward to experiencing a different area of the hospital, and hopefully I will have some more patient contact!
I started off today not really knowing what to expect, but being excited all the same. We began our duties by delivering food carts and collecting laundry in the morning, then after lunch I was stationed with a different, somewhat more talkative person. We then were mostly transferring patients to different areas of the hospital. I found myself enjoying this much more because I realised just how unique each patient is, and how each patient has to be spoken to and treated in a way which suits them. The porter I was shadowing was an amazing example of this and it made me appreciate how it can make such a difference to how someone is feeling if you just put a smile on their face.
Tomorrow I'm looking forward to experiencing a different area of the hospital, and hopefully I will have some more patient contact!
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Brain Technology
I heard on the radio the other day about a new technology that has just been developed that can actually map out on a computer screen what a person is thinking! That's cool.
I have found two different ways this technology has been tested, the first being with a person who is shown a series of film clips and images. The machine attached to his head picks up the electrical signals from his brain and translates them into a picture on another screen, showing a moving image of exactly what is going through his mind. This was fascinating to see because the familiar shapes like faces were reasonably similar to the image that they were being shown whereas the abstract shapes were a lot less similar. Here's a link to the video clip: http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/09/22/brain-movies/
Another test that has been done is using 12 epileptics who already have small wires in their brains to monitor activity, and in this experiment 4 wires in the medial temporal lobe (the region associated with recognising complex shapes) were used. The participants were shown a series of familiar images, of which they had to chose two which were then layered on top of each other. Their brain signals were transmitted to the computer and they were told to chose one and focus on it until the other fades and disappears. All the experiments were successful. A link to the article: http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/11/12/technology-allows-brain-signals-to-control-computer/20727.html
I think this is amazing, but what is even better is that those developing this technology strongly believe that it could eventually be used to tell what is going on in the minds of people in for instance, a coma. I can't wait for that to happen!
I have found two different ways this technology has been tested, the first being with a person who is shown a series of film clips and images. The machine attached to his head picks up the electrical signals from his brain and translates them into a picture on another screen, showing a moving image of exactly what is going through his mind. This was fascinating to see because the familiar shapes like faces were reasonably similar to the image that they were being shown whereas the abstract shapes were a lot less similar. Here's a link to the video clip: http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/09/22/brain-movies/
Another test that has been done is using 12 epileptics who already have small wires in their brains to monitor activity, and in this experiment 4 wires in the medial temporal lobe (the region associated with recognising complex shapes) were used. The participants were shown a series of familiar images, of which they had to chose two which were then layered on top of each other. Their brain signals were transmitted to the computer and they were told to chose one and focus on it until the other fades and disappears. All the experiments were successful. A link to the article: http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/11/12/technology-allows-brain-signals-to-control-computer/20727.html
I think this is amazing, but what is even better is that those developing this technology strongly believe that it could eventually be used to tell what is going on in the minds of people in for instance, a coma. I can't wait for that to happen!
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