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So.. Tips to seeing more patients..


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In EM everything is volume.. the more you see, the more you make (usually tied to bonus structures in most places). So I thought I'd share these from PA's that I know and respect a lot.

 

1. FOCUS!! When you come to work remember that you are there to work. The only important thing is the patients and taking care of them in a timely manner with the best care possible.

2. If you dont know what is wrong with the patient within the first 3 minutes you are in the room chances are you are not going to.

3. Do your review of systems while you are examining the patient.

4. See 3 or 4 patients at a time and then do your charting. You will find that when you do it that way that things will group together and when you are finishing your set of patients that all the stuff from the prior set of patients is back and they are ready for dispo.

5. Be aggresive making sure that things are being done. Only rely upon yourself to get things done. If xrays arent done, find out why. If labs arent back, find out why. You are in control of the dept, not the nurse, your attending or ahyone else. You are responsible for the patients and their care so always be pro-active. It might not make you the most popular person but it will make you the best worker which means more self satisfaction and in the end "lots of money."

6. If you are a person who is ok with sitting down and spending 15 - 20 min with a patient so that you can feel like you are a good listening provider please remember:

a. Lots of time does not mean lots of care. Some patients do require that time but the majority dont.

b. Patients value their time also, especially after waiting for two hours to be seen because you spent the last hour with two sore throats.

c. And, Please get out of emergency medicine because you dont have a clue what it is about. The head rush of emergency medicine is being able to hear a story, see the body and make the decision of what to do in a rapid, timely manner.

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  • 2 months later...
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Good stuff. Im surprised at the myriad of "time burglars" there are in the ED.

most of them are administrators...that's why I work at night....no one taking away my coffee or telling me to wash my hands every 30 seconds or update the xyz database with trivial info that doesn't impact pt care...

I once heard one method for finding out what essential staffing is for a hospital:

document everyone present in the hospital 4 weekends in a row and every night between 7pm and 7 am for a month. compare that list to the total staff. anyone not on both lists is fluff....(this would mostly be administrators in you hadn't guessed....anyone with any kind of actual relevance to operation of the hospital should have shown up at least once on the first list...).

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