Scrubbed in

Filed Under Medical University of the Americas |

i had my first experience in the Nevis Alexandra Hospital operating theatre last week. and i’ve spent a couple of days trying to figure out how to write about it… after all, when the urologist uses phrases like “pussy lips” and “golden shower” how can i not tell you all about it??

however, changing names and details of patients doesn’t seem like enough. the more i think about it, the more i’m sure i’ve given up any opportunity to write about stuff like that due to the rather extreme lack of anonymity. you know who i am and where i go to school and where i live. and this island is tiny. litigation aside, i really don’t want to run the risk of offending anyone or infringing on their right to privacy. just because i’ve given up a lot of privacy in my life, doesn’t mean i think it’s right or that i can make that decision on behalf of anyone else.

i guess instead of writing about patients and procedures, i can continue writing about me and my learning experiences. while i have been in an operating room with hospital-issued scrubs a few times before, each time has been unique and rewarding in their own special way. so what did i learn from the Nevis hospital last week?

nurses are amazing.
whether in Canada or Zambia or Nevis, nurses seem to be a special breed. i have had the immense pleasure of working with some incredible and talented women and these Nevisian nurses are phenomenal. like my mom. but with a sense of humour that had me doubled over behind my mask and wanting to high-five them over the surgeon’s head.

it’s a bit of a Boy’s Club down here.
can’t put my finger on it specifically, but i was so intimidated at one point that i ducked out of the doctor’s lounge because i felt out of place. i wandered the hall for a bit, looking to see if i could borrow a Y chromosome for an hour or two. the male MUA student didn’t seem to share my unease. perhaps he would have offered to lend me his…

Crocs are as comfortable as everyone claims.
along with hospital-issued scrubs (all the way from Chicago), i was given a pair of Crocs to wear into the operating theatre. i stood for 3 hours without shifting my weight. but dang, they are still as ugly as that blind date with a great personality.

i need to practice the whole sterile thing a bit more.
especially pushing my arms through the gown without flailing them around like i was doing the lawnmower dance move and touching myself more than a Madonna video. also, grabbing the inside of a rubber glove to put it on without touching the outside with either hand is harder than it sounds. seriously. even typing that sentence straight was tough.

tell me what to do and i’ll do it.
tell me to “put pressure on this bleeder artery” and i will do it so hard and so long that both fingers will cramp and go numb and my arm will require my entire concentration to keep it from shaking off my torso. but hey, at least my feet were comfy.

hearing a quiet “good job” can breathe new life into you.
i always liked to hear it from my parents, but hearing it from the surgeon in the middle of a procedure where you feel like you might fall over because the A/C hasn’t been working all morning is pretty awesome. from what i hear about our clinical rotations in the USA, i probably shouldn’t get used to being treated this way. you know, being addressed directly in a tone not dripping with condescension and impatience. i’ll be sure to enjoy it while it lasts.

speaking of awesome, knowing answers to random questions is a good thing.
study hard, kids. read your textbooks.

lights are overrated.
yep, both overhead bulbs burned out mid-procedure. welcome to Nevis.

so yah. golden showers (during an explanation of how urine was used as sterilizer during the war) and pussy lips (from a lesson on genital development and the fate of labia majora in males). i was thankful i was wearing a mask even though the nurses were cracking up and looking for my reaction. i’m sure they could see the smile in my eyes.

Comments

16 Comments so far

Lauren on August 23, 2008 4:26 pm
Hehe, I hated getting asked questions in theatre - mainly because I wasn’t very good at anatomy.

Once a surgeon pointed out some red floppy tube thingy and asked what it was… somehow I managed to squeeze out a quiet ‘inferior mesenteric artery’ (where from I’ll never know) before saying I felt faint and having to scrub out!
BCWB on August 23, 2008 5:53 pm
Such an awesome amount of information. Can’t wait to hear more and glad that you enjoyed it!! Missing you tons!! Hope you have a great rest of the week and see you next Saturday!!
courtney on August 23, 2008 6:59 pm
pussy lips? um, sounds a bit unprofessional? no?
sarah on August 23, 2008 7:40 pm
wow..sounds very unprofessional.
jhawke on August 23, 2008 8:44 pm
do i really have to say this… ?

for the record: the phrase “pussy lips” is both unprofessional and offensive.

du-uh.
sarah on August 23, 2008 10:47 pm
however golden shower is cool
jhawke on August 23, 2008 10:49 pm
mais oui!
BCWB on August 24, 2008 11:34 am
Thanks for the congrats babe!! With all your goodluck I couldn’t go wrong!!
courtney on August 24, 2008 12:42 pm
Considering you mentioned “pussy lips” and something about smiling in the same paragraph….I assumed you found it funny.
So, Yes, I was surprised since from reading your blog, you would find this a little upsetting. Glad that is cleared up.
Can you say anything to the doc when they talk like this?
jhawke on August 24, 2008 12:55 pm
what would you say/do in that situation, courtney?

also for the record: while i would never make my own unprofessional and offensive jokes, i have been known to find them hilarious.
sarah on August 24, 2008 5:45 pm
Not much you can do/say in a situation like that, that’s for sure! What I found even more offensive is that they made you wear crocs *shudder*
Marie-Eve on August 24, 2008 9:39 pm
Wow, this experience sounds awesome! I agree with you that Crocs look awful! They have some cute models, but I can’t believe that some people wear the ones worn by hospital staff to walk around in downtown Montreal. And the colors are so flashy!!! However, nurses in Crocs are awesome!

Have fun!!!
Melissa on August 24, 2008 9:48 pm
Yay Jen! Thank for your high five to nurses! We love Ya to! :)
sarah on August 24, 2008 11:28 pm
SHOUTOUTS to kev! Hope you’re enjoying your time on Nevis, and I love your nametag shirt.
mike wood on August 26, 2008 1:30 am
That’s very cool you scrubbed in. Wouldn’t hear that lingo on CSI or ER. Made me laugh. :) So you are going to change your domain to jenniferCrocs.com? :D
Jeremy on August 27, 2008 6:45 pm
While I as getting a tour of somebody’s land in Kenya near the Rift Valley we were hiking through some thick bush on our way to a waterfall. My friend pointed out some bushes and told me to stay clear of them and don’t let any of their white sap get into my eyes. Otherwise he would have to pee into my eyes to wash away the sap before I would go permanently blind. Something about the PH levels in the urine counteracts the acidity in the sap. He went on to say back in the “good old days” when on a trek through this region they would always bring along a lactating woman (as apposed to what??? a lactating man???) for the same purpose. Seems the explorers preferred getting douced with breast milk rather than having somebody shower them in the eye.

Not sure what the point of my post was supposed to be. Except I guess whenever I hear golder showers I am always reminded of this hike and my extreme vigilance in not getting any sap in my eyes.

So much fun that day!

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Scrubbed in

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