Thanks, but I don't think you realize how little I care about what Pharmacists talk about. I'm not saying it's not important TO YOU, I'm just saying it's not important TO ME. That's why we're all a little puzzled why you care so much about what we talk about.
I'm a prolific writer, so I can understand why my words might have gotten lost in paragraphs which you get lost in reading. So, in an attempt to curb my writing, I'll get it down to the bare bones:
1. I work in a hospital - specifically the ICU/OR, but I do rotate thru many services. One of my jobs is to orient interns in hospital medication usage.
2. Reading threads on interns is a good way to understand where an intern is coming from - both in understanding hospital policy as it relates to medications and the specifics of where is it, can I order it, how long does it take, what is the process?
3. I do provide an orientation to interns on how/when/where etc the pharmacy service functions. If you don't pay attention well - you get hung up on ordering something not on formulary (I give you quick ways around this if its a valid need), not being able to order a discharge, just messy paperwork - but time consuming for you and oh.....so very, very time consuming for me. By reading on here, I have changed how I approach some issues with medication & include or take out other information.
4. My hospital gets accredited every 3 years. OR/ICU is lumped with the ER when that happens. If you cause a mess that I need to fix, particularly if you are here during an accreditation year, I won't be happy - nor will my dop (Director of Pharmacy) who will get the Chiefs of Service, the CEO & the hospital accreditation nazi on my case. I try to avoid these circumstances - by teaching you how its done here, rather than having to make excuses later - or god forbid, having the issue caught by an inspector.
5. Now we come down to doing it our way. Yes....you'd like medicine to be done "your" way, but frankly, you work in an institution which has its own policies & procedures. There are many, many valid ways to get things done medically & yours, where you trained, I'm sure is valid - its just not the only way. But, when you come to my hospital, you do things the way my hospital has decided (not MY way - the hospital's way). I know that & I, as someone who helps to orient you, need to get you to know that. It doesn't make one better nor worse than another - its just different. And - these P&P have been decided on by many committees - for medications, often the P&T which have respresentatives from every medical service we have.
6. Getting you used to our system fast gets patient care accomlished smoother. We don't want you to continue to order Amikacin in October when we told you in July what the formulary aminoglycosides are.
7. Finally, altho I live & breathe this stuff daily, I know my hospital, altho large, is not like every other hospital. I read at these times for purely selfish reasons. My daughter will be applying to the match in one year. It is interesting to read how other institutions deal with their interns. Although I discuss it with my colleagues during our annual or state conventions, its easier just to read here.
So....does that help explain why I often will read & sometimes contribute here? Yep - I do read & contribute in anesthesiology, but about drugs used. They are complex, interesting & often I bring the chemical issues into the discussion. Anesthesiologists are also my colleagues I work with dailyl.
But, I rarely will go into forums I know nothing about - OB for example. Other than being a mother, I don't work on the OB service & have nothing to contributem, and nothing in common.
I just do work with interns A lOT, help to orient them & certainly help to address the confusion which usually arises regarding medication and all the issues which surround that.
I hope that clarifies.
isagrees w/ you) nurses here, but most are just defending their turf...
