Kiddies or Oldies...

In case you haven't noticed, the majority of patients in hospitals comprises of little kiddies, or oldies with multiple co-morbidities, with the exception of trauma victims, of course. 

I have been working in Monash's Paediatrics Emergency Department for the past odd month or so... the main paediatrics tertiary referral centre in the South East region of Victoria. (The North West mainly goes to the Royal Children's Hospital). And thus, have the privilege to see complicated paediatrics emergency cases, on top of the usual, mundane respiratory illness come winter. 

I started off kinda hating the job, because I felt like an intern (or even a medical student) all over again! Not knowing the standard procedure / protocol, not knowing the dose per kilo of drugs on the top of my head, and not forgetting, inability to get a history FROM the patient, often "I just know she's not quite herself. She's been crying the whole time!".

But as time goes by, it really grew on me. The cute little kiddies they become when they improve and perk up! It somehow, makes your work feel more worthwhile, contrasting with "Patient is NFR. Admit for conservative / palliative management " in adult medicine - where you basically keep them comfortable, providing them a better means to die. 

Autumn comes winter... Dose per kilo is starting to stick to my head now, and I'm getting used to writing iv fluid orders as ml's per hour, rather than 8/24, 12/24.... as everything is calculated based on weight and age! And the best part of the job is, when your little patients really like you, talk about you to their extended family members when they come to visit, gives you their best drawing, and most of all, when they say "thank you" and gives you that big hugggg, and blows you a kiss, before they step out of the emergency department... 

And that's when I realise that, this place, this job... not only make the kids feel good, but it makes me feel great too! 

Yeah, sue me for being an emotional softie! :P