Thursday 11/14
I arrived at La Carit at 7 like normal, amped to see the cesarian and natural birth which I requested to view. I went down to the labor and delivery floor where I was then told they don't start until 8. I worked in the pharmacy until then, and then at 8 I went back to the floor. I met the chief ob/gyn doctor, and we walked together down to the pre-operative area. I've never worked on a labor and delivery ward in the states; I've been to them as a family member and as a technician, but this was a whole other experience. I arrived in the completely open pre-operative area to see three beds, all occupied, in front of me, with curtains separating them. The curtains blocking the vertical view into the "rooms" were almost never pulled for coverage, so from the second I arrived I watched as the nurses and doctors ran between the three beds determining who was the most dialated, and who would be brought next to the procedure room. The woman in bed one was wheeled off to have a cesarian as they explained to me it had been to long and her contractions weren't very close together. I changed into the necessary scrubs and returned to pre-op and a few moments after I returned, everyone sprung into action as the woman in the middle room was about to give birth. I ran behind the medical team with another intern as we entered the first available room for the woman. It was me, the intern, the delivering doctor, and 2 nurses in the room. I witnessed it all. Everything from the crowning of the baby, to the removal of the placenta, to the stitching up of the mom. It was incredible. I couldn't believe my eyes, and the doctor was great at explaining every step to me and the other intern. I couldn't believe how fast everything happened from the second we left pre-op to when the baby starting coming out. The whole process was believe it or not, beautiful.
At the end of the procedure, I was nearing the door, and the last thing I remember is expressing my gratitude for allowing me to shadow and leaving the room feeling a bit short of breath...The next thing I remember I was being shaken awake, my neck was being dabbed with alcohol, and 10 doctors and nurses were standing around me, one of them holding my legs in the air. I managed to pass out, although I'm not quite sure why it happened when it happened. I have never had a problem seeing blood or needles or any of that, and the entire procedure I was completely lucid and glued to watching. The doctors explained it was probably due to not being accustomed to wearing the mask plus a combination of shock, excitement, and sheer awe. I immediately started apologizing and they were laughing saying it happens all the time and they're used to it. I moved to a chair and everyone went back about their normal business and then one of the PCTs came up to me and said she caught me right before I hit the ground. I figured she must be joking because this woman was literally half my height. Thanks to her, no concussion for me!
Anyway, that was the big excitement for the day, and it was all anyone wanted to talk about when I returned to the pharmacy. Later that afternoon I met with the director to sign off on everything I have done with her at La Carit thus far. She will give me a copy of these paperwork for me to send to UConn. We had a staff meeting at the end of the day to review how the transition to the new pharmacy was going. There were some topics discussed in the meeting that brought up mixed emotions among the pharmacy employees. For example, Dra. Ovares, who is the only pharmacist who works everyday, besides the director, has an office in the new pharmacy. Early this week, she showed me how she keeps track of all the error data of the pharmacy, is in charge of all the patient education, and does much for more the hospital. There is push-back from one of the purchasing technicians who thinks he should get the office instead to work on the daily purchasing orders. The rest of the pharmacy staff agree that Dra. Ovares should get the office, but the director, still being relatively new, is easily influenced by the technician. This discussion was difficult to listen to and I could see both of their points of view. Another hotly discussed topic was a phone call the director received this week from a PCT while in a meeting with some of the OB/GYN doctors. The phone call was the PCT shouting at the director because the scripts she dropped off in the pharmacy for an inpatient weren't ready fast enough for her liking. The final "ugly" topic discussed was that many of the PCTs were under the impression that there would be a window in the pharmacy specifically for them to fill their personal prescriptions. Of course such a window does not exist, but many people have been asking the technicians about such a window and it had to be discussed. After this not so enjoyable meeting, we adjourned and went home for the afternoon. When I got home and relayed the story of me passing out to Mama Tica, she nearly passed out herself. She couldn't stop laughing for most of the night. She is the best!
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