All that glitters...
I am now working at a super fancy hospital in town. They have fresh flower arrangements everywhere. They have a grand piano in the lobby and a person actually playing it ("I could have danced all night" at last check). The nurses get free massages in the hospital. They anticipate nearly everything that I want and do it before I've even written it down. The nursery is decorated with a carousel horse theme, including stained glass windows and gold painted running horse silhouettes on the walls.
This is in sharp contrast to the drab floors and walls at the University hospital where I was last month. And things occasionally fall through the cracks there. And if you want something done soon, you're best off doing it yourself. And, the real tragedy, no free massages. Poppy-cosh!
But, in my opinion, the medical care at the latter is superior to the former. They focus more on the welfare of the patient. We do family centered rounds--where we actually talk to the nervous new parents. Whereas where I am now, the nurses (promptly) wheel the babies into the nursery so we can gather vitals and examine them there without the parents "slowing us down." Well, that takes all the fun out of it if you ask me. It is faster, but at what cost?
They don't routinely check bilirubins. They don't do as much to promote and support breast-feeding. They do circumcisions while the little boys are still trying to figure out how to eat. They keep the babies away from the family sometimes. I don't know what kind of educations happens between the parents and nurses or the parents and the attendings because I'm never present. The babies are just in their bassinet, alone in the nursery. Until I come along to pester them with the exam.
This morning, I had eight of them to see in a couple hours. Lots of bilirubins to check (because I thought they should all get one so I'd ordered them) and notes to write. I was on call the night before and didn't get called for a single delivery. If all call nights were like that (eight straight hours of sleep) this whole intern gig wouldn't be nearly so bad.
Anyway, when I was in the nursery surrounded by my eight patients plus three of those seen by another service, three or four of them started crying at the same time. I was going from crib to crib swaddling them or picking them up and patting them on the tooshie. But as soon as one would calm down, another would start. Surrounded by multiple screaming hungry infants. It made my ears ring.
The point is that while the fancy hospital does perhaps have better amenities, it does not have the same quality of care that you get at the academic hospital. Despite the golden horses, all the glitters is not gold.
This is in sharp contrast to the drab floors and walls at the University hospital where I was last month. And things occasionally fall through the cracks there. And if you want something done soon, you're best off doing it yourself. And, the real tragedy, no free massages. Poppy-cosh!
But, in my opinion, the medical care at the latter is superior to the former. They focus more on the welfare of the patient. We do family centered rounds--where we actually talk to the nervous new parents. Whereas where I am now, the nurses (promptly) wheel the babies into the nursery so we can gather vitals and examine them there without the parents "slowing us down." Well, that takes all the fun out of it if you ask me. It is faster, but at what cost?
They don't routinely check bilirubins. They don't do as much to promote and support breast-feeding. They do circumcisions while the little boys are still trying to figure out how to eat. They keep the babies away from the family sometimes. I don't know what kind of educations happens between the parents and nurses or the parents and the attendings because I'm never present. The babies are just in their bassinet, alone in the nursery. Until I come along to pester them with the exam.
This morning, I had eight of them to see in a couple hours. Lots of bilirubins to check (because I thought they should all get one so I'd ordered them) and notes to write. I was on call the night before and didn't get called for a single delivery. If all call nights were like that (eight straight hours of sleep) this whole intern gig wouldn't be nearly so bad.
Anyway, when I was in the nursery surrounded by my eight patients plus three of those seen by another service, three or four of them started crying at the same time. I was going from crib to crib swaddling them or picking them up and patting them on the tooshie. But as soon as one would calm down, another would start. Surrounded by multiple screaming hungry infants. It made my ears ring.
The point is that while the fancy hospital does perhaps have better amenities, it does not have the same quality of care that you get at the academic hospital. Despite the golden horses, all the glitters is not gold.
posted by S. at 9:28 PM
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