Winter Doldrums

I can't wait for tonight's shift to be over and done with. During this four-week block, there are too many residents in the department. This means that as soon as patients get brought back into a room, they get seen immediately. It also means that I haven't been having to stay late to finish dictations. Last night we all walked down to a local pub and nursed a couple of beers. It sounds like a little slice of heaven, right?

The problem is that I am bored. I don't know what to do with myself when I have less than four patients at a time. I just end up pacing from computer to computer, checking and re-checking lab results. I had a stabbing that promised to be somewhat involved last night, but he was completely stable. The acuity was good: I had an acute stroke, and another one with hypovolemic shock, but when those are your only patients it still gets boring.

Starting tomorrow, I have a week off. This time I am not going anywhere, just planning on sleeping, reading, maybe taking a skiing lesson or two, and doing some projects around the house.