HOSPITALstyle on Attitude

With the new year on the horizon, I reflect on my intern year with a lot of hours under my belt. I certainly learned a lot, made new friends, and hopefully helped some people along the way. That is the point of this all right? I think it all boils down to one trait that can make you or break you as a resident. Attitude. It is reflected in how you speak with your patients, in how you speak with your colleagues, in the sacrifices you make, in the way that you approach each day and each new challenge that is revealed. Attitude dictates your work ethic and what you bring to your hospital. Is it with a willing smile? or with a grumble along the way? It is not an easy task to work a lot of hours in very intense environments without a few moments of discouragement and an imperfect attitude. However, if you make it a goal to dictate your attitude everyday you will be a positive force in whichever hospital corner you keep. Work on!

HOSPITALstyle Feature: Cape Clogs

Style at work? Who has time? If you are like me and wear your scrubs day in and day out, you start feeling like the private school kid that is always jealous of those public schools (where they got to wear whatever they want). However, there is always a little something you can do to show your own individual personality and HOSPITALstyle . It can easily be done with your shoes.

This week I am featuring a company called
Cape Clogs.
They have a variety of FABULOUS Swedish clogs with original designs and just a little something to put your style back into the step of the hospital hallway.

www.capeclogs.com

Average price 85.00

Travel to Colorado with HOSPITALstyle

Growing up in Kansas, the mountains of Colorado were the picture of an idyllic vacation. I have always felt very connected to the mountains and I recently found this great article from The Denver Post about 10 Things To Do in Colorado Before You Die. If you have vacation coming up or have never been, I suggest you go. Escape the Hospital to Colorado...

Check it out!

http://www.denverpost.com/style/ci_5054084

Creating community in your department with HOSPITALstyle

Each of us in the healthcare industry has a different role in the big machine we call the world of medicine. But we all have the responsibility to fill those roles to the best of our ability. We are nurses, doctors, medical assistants, receptionists, etc. Generally though, like in high school, we tend to travel in groups/cliques. The surgeons stick with the surgeons. The emergency department never escapes it. However, long hours and challenging situations call for us to be teammates for the best interest of our patients. And in this setting, the people we work with become our mentors, our best friends, and our family.

This article is devoted to creating community within our departments and in our hospitals. I am going to include several ideas to bring fun and a sense of belonging to whichever group you are a part of.

It is important to create tradition

Just like in your own family, you have certain things you do on holidays that you would never think of changing. And they are events that everyone looks forward to.

- Create a department calendar on your MAC (iphoto) of pictures that include everyone

- Holiday parties. Need I say more.

- Slide show to sum up and to celebrate success

- Football (For example TEAM URGENT CARE vs TEAM ACUTE CARE, TEAM ATTENDINGS vs. TEAM RESIDENTS) (Have not done this but think it would be awesome!)

-Sweatshirts/Jackets. Just like any team, wearing something to represent that you are part of a group identity

-Regularly scheduled group events like bowling, skating (pic above is of me and my colleagues on resident appreciation day), rock-climbing, snowboarding, beach days, etc.

The bottom line is that when work= family=friends=fun you look forward to going. As healthcare professionals we must rely on each other for support as it is hard for the outside world to truly understand what we do.

Would love to hear your ideas/comments on ways you build community in your department.

HOSPITALstyle in Spanish

The current statistics in the United States stand that over 34 million people speak Spanish as their primary language. Obviously areas like California, New Mexico, Texas, New York City and Miami are more heavily populated with Spanish speakers. I have had a lifelong obsession with the Spanish language. This all began with speaking to Taxi drivers while vacationing with my family in Mexico as a kid. This turned into much travel in Latin America and obtaining degrees in Spanish and International Studies (concentration on Latin America) in college. It was a big dream of mine to combine my love of medicine and Spanish one day.

That day is NOW and I find that being able to speak Spanish is such an advantage in the Emergency department at my hospital and in any healthcare environment. This is why I am making a commitment to you all to better our communication in our hospitals in SPANISH.

This will be the first of many postings of Spanish phrases and vocabulary words that are essential and helpful in any area and in doing any task throughout your hospital and mine.

I will be better. You will be better. Our patient’s care will be better.

Vámos! (Let’s Go!)

QUESTIONS

Hi. How are you? (Hola. Como esta usted?)

How are you feeling? (Como se siente?)

What is your name? (Cual es tu nombre?)

My name is doctor (Mi nombre es doctor/doctora ______ )

It is nice to meet you. (Me da mucho gusto conocerlo.)

How can I help you? (Como puedo ayudarle?)

What brings you in today? (Que lo trae por aquí?)

Do you have any allergies? (Usted tiene alergias a medicina?)

What medications do you take? (Que medicina toma?)

Do you have any medical problems? (Usted tiene problemas de salud?)

Where do you have pain? (Donde le duele?)

USEFUL VOCABULARY WORDS

El derecho (Right)

El izquierdo (Left)

El cuerpo (Body)

El dolor (Pain)

La medicina (Medicine)

La mujer (Woman)

El hombre (Man)

El apellido (Last name)

Muchas Gracias (Thank you)

De nada (You’re welcome)

Por Favor (Please)

La enfermera (Nurse)

Email me if you need any help with pronunciation. HOSPITALstyle@gmail.com

For all my gals...with HOSPITALstyle

Sorry gentleman, but this post is for the ladies. In honor of the movie release of "Sex and the City 2" this week, I am taking an opportunity to talk fashion and style with my gals in healthcare who have been confined by their scrubs day in and day out for far too long.

The good news is that there is no need to invest our hard earned dollars on work wear, but instead on fabulous attire for nights out on the town that we so desperately deserve. Right ladies?

First, my new favorite site is
www.renttherunway.com

This biz was started by two Harvard Business School graduate students six months ago. It is operated out of a Dry Cleaner's in NYC. This is how it works...


1. Log in to your account
2. Peruse the designer dresses
3. Rent a dress/accessories
4. They send you two sizes for 4 days
5. You return the dress in an already
addressed envelope

This concept is amazing.

No more need to buy expensive dresses that you will wear only once. Just rent it. Whether you are in residency, medical school, or just trying to save up for something else this site is a godsend.




Also check out Gilt Groupe (This site is for the GUYS too!)
www.giltgroupe.com


Started by a team (one a founding member of eBay, the other an integral member of the fashion industry). Gilt Groupe will send you daily emails on discounted designer collections, luxury vacations, and exciting events in NYC. You need an invitation to become a member, so email me at HOSPITALstyle@gmail.com and I will get you on the list.


Happy Shopping!

Early Goal Directed Treatment of Sepsis

I recently had the privilege of attending the Warren Wetzel Trauma/Emergency Medicine Conference at Jacobi Medical Center (The Bronx, New York). The keynote speaker was Emanuel Rivers M.D. who published "Early Goal Directed Therapy of Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock" in the New England Journal of Medicine in November of 2001. This paper has had a tremendous impact on the field of Emergency Medicine and hearing Dr. Rivers speak of his path to bringing ICU principles into the Emergency Department was an amazing experience.

A few Highlights:
1.) Get a lactic acid level early (levels >4 worrisome for sepsis)
2.) Volume resuscitate heavily early on, and more conservatively later (This will decrease IL-8 production)
3.) Use the venous oxygen saturation to monitor the progress of resuscitative measures
4.) The methods the paper outlines serve to decrease incidence of multi-organ failure, mortality, and the unnecessary use of intensive care resources

Make sure you check it out for yourself and see how you can integrate it into your practice if you have not already done so. It is a valuable for the pre-septic patient anywhere (outpatient, inpatient, pre-op, post-op, etc.) This will make a difference in saving lives with style (just like Dr. Emanuel Rivers). Thank you for the inspiration!

"Early Goal Directed Therapy of Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock" in the New England Journal of Medicine in November of 2001
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/345/19/1368

Surviving Sepsis Campaign
http://www.acep.org/sepsis