We often get caught up in all the aspects of our job that we don’t like. The mind has a natural bias towards negativity it seems. But when I think about what I get to do each day – working in the emergency room, trying to help others – there are so many little moments that I really enjoy.
Sure there’s a few problems. Things aren’t perfect. But throughout my day, there are so many great things that happen. If we could take still frame shots during my work day, there are many simple snapshots of amazingness. Interactions between me and another human being that bring a little bit of joy to my day or to others. Sometimes I forget to look for them because I’m distracted, or feeling too busy. But they are always lurking in the distance. If you search for them once in a while, you’ll be surprised how often you’ll see them.
Here are fifteen brief awesome moments that make Emergency Medicine so special.
Credit goes to the Book of Awesome for the idea.
1. The sound of the synchronized cardioversion machine charging up right before you shock someone.
2. The moment when you lift an epiglottis and have a Grade I view.
3. When you tell someone worried about cancer that their CT scan is normal.
4. When you hear nothing but your footsteps walking through a quiet hospital at night.
5. The moment you feel a pulse!
6. That feeling when you notice a shoulder dislocation setting back in place.
7. The cardiac pause a few seconds after giving adenosine.
8. That look of awe and bewilderment on a medical students face during their first ER shift.
9. The little clunk when a “Pulled Elbow” gets reset. And the moment when the parents look at you in amazement when their child moves their arm again.
10. When a patient with a “urinary symptoms” is actually just a simple UTI.
11. The moment when you take off fifteen pieces of gauze and three layers of bandages to reveal a one centimeter papercut.
12. The moment you get flashback after you puncture the IJ.
13. Propofol. Propofol is awesome!
14. The first puncture of an abscess with your scalpel.
15. The feeling you get when someone looks you in the eyes and genuinely says “thank you, doc”.
Did you like this post? Do you have some moments of awesomeness for your specialties? Please let me know. I’d love to make more of these.