Working too hard

By early last week, I had done so many ED shifts in a row that I felt constantly on the verge of a temper tantrum.

Nurse: "What time do you want the next troponin on Mr Smith?"
Lucy: "WHY DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE???"

I found myself seeking solace in the more boring ED activities- quietly suturing a large stab wound on a drunk man's chest, or moulding a plaster for the broken ankle. I felt completely incapable of making any clinical decisions.

On my precious days off we cycled to Simpson's gap. The bicycle track was stunningly beautiful: 20km of meandering paths through low lying, scrubby bushland interspersed with huge ghostgum trees. We scrambled up the gorge to reach the sunny rocks and ate an amazing picnic of roast beef sandwiches, apples and chocolate cake. Enid Blyton would be proud!




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