Getting comfortable in the 40's

Wait...I am way past the 40's...

(humor me please!)

I feel fairly comfortable in our fast track area. I am far from good, but not horrible. I am getting my charts done, and signed fairly quickly. It's all good. Now, to get better in the 1-50ish areas.

My norm has been- oh- 8-10 pts a day in the higher acuity areas. I think I have aggravated more than a few docs along the way- my desire to ask questions about cases may actually be construed as my not wanting to do the work. This is FAR from the case, but now, a month or so in to being a "real" PA, I can see how it might look.  I just want to make sure that I am doing okay, that my thinking is correct. I am still developing my clinical thinking, which is quite different than boards, or being a student. Each doc has "their way" and clearly it's not standard. That is what makes it the art of medicine.

I am still choosing my brushes and paints.

Today was a good day. I saw in excess of 13, and did a fairly good job of managing them. I had the AM with a doc that is really good, and my first time working with him. By the end of the day we had the dance down well, and I learned a lot...a ton, really.

The 2nd doc I worked with was one I have known and I have wondered about their feelings about me as a PA. Happened to be one that I spent a lot of time with initially when I was Oh-So-New and still very wet behind the ears.  Today went much better-thankfully.

I had pulled the chart- syncope. Should be okay enough. This was a pt who is not from our area. He was here in town on business, and it happened to involve hospital care, as well as litigation.

This was one very healthy male patient, with no- and I mean NO PMH at all. I had the A team.  I had the great  attending doc to guide my medical decisions. I had the hospitalists on board, and a very intelligent patient to boot. Informed, and kind, with a great smile, and wonderful attitude.  Several things have to be ruled out, and it went thru it's systematic process. All looked okay.

I spoke to him at length about my concerns, and worries. This was a very healthy man with zero risk factors except travel and it was a short trip from home to the mountains. No matter, Men that are healthy do not just fall down with out some reason. In the end, he headed back to his home town and his family doc. I worry, of course, but I know that he is a smart guy.

In the end, as I handed him his test results, he hugged me, and told me that I had been "just wonderful" and he was so grateful that he had met me.

That right there is why I do this job.  I have had 2 days that have reaffirmed why I have taken this path. And I am so very very grateful....