General Medical issues thread

[Quickstatus]

RPAH ... Sleep medicine.

Ah yes, I remember trips as the night resident to the Page Chest Pavilion to do arterial blood gases.
Were you in the era of John Horvath, Jim Johnson. Michael Bookalill?

I had the left corner room of the RPAH residents quarters 1st floor.

 

[JohnK]

There is no way I would be able to sleep with all that gear on. I'm not a back sleeper.

I can sleep standing up through an earthquake but Im still not going to try and sleep with that gear on.

Both mum and dad have done that study. Both sleep apnoea. Dad tried the machine but extremely uncomfortable so stopped using it.

I've not done the study. I don't need anyone to tell me I have sleep apnoea. I know I have sleep apnoea. I wake up often. Sometimes it's from the pain. Sometimes from anxiety/stress. Sometimes different reasons.

Most times I get back to sleep fairly quickly.

 

[MARTINE]

Ah yes, I remember trips as the night resident to the Page Chest Pavilion to do arterial blood gases.
Were you in the era of John Horvath, Jim Johnson. Michael Bookalill?

I had the left corner room of the RPAH residents quarters 1st floor.

Residents quarters. Im almost triggered aboyt those long nights of ‘sleeping’ with one eye and ear open waiting for ‘the call’. Of course some nights you were just so exhausted you ended up falling asleep in a bed on the ward when you did a round. It is v important to be treated for sleep apnoea - its not just an irritating snoring partner issue - increased risk of cardiovasular disease and others…

 

[drron]

Ah yes, I remember trips as the night resident to the Page Chest Pavilion to do arterial blood gases.
Were you in the era of John Horvath, Jim Johnson. Michael Bookalill?

I had the left corner room of the RPAH residents quarters 1st floor.

My room was the right corner room.
I was a couple of years after those fellows but I did have John Horvath as my registrar on one occasion.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Ah yes, I remember trips as the night resident to the Page Chest Pavilion to do arterial blood gases.
Were you in the era of John Horvath, Jim Johnson. Michael Bookalill?

I had the left corner room of the RPAH residents quarters 1st floor.

@Quickstatus I was at RPAH from 1968 to 1973. Did you ever work on BP1 ??

 

[SuePa]

I can sleep standing up through an earthquake ...

Most times I get back to sleep fairly quickly.

I think the getting back to sleep is the trick, JohnK! I haven't learnt that one yet.

 

[JohnK]

I think the getting back to sleep is the trick, JohnK! I haven't learnt that one yet.

My wife also struggles to get back to sleep when she gets up to get milk for little one.

 

[Quickstatus]

I was at RPAH

I was much later 1990-1993. Spent most of my time in the main building, Page and KGV.
Interestingly around your time was when kidney transplantation really took off at RPAH

I escaped to RNSH after that

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

I was much later 1990-1993. Spent most of my time in the main building, Page and KGV.
Interestingly around your time was when kidney transplantation really took off at RPAH

I escaped to RNSH after that

Yes, that was my ward !! BP1 (the professorial surgical unit ) had the 2 bed renal transplant unit on it. Also whilst I was there on Saturdays the surgical team would do a liver transplant on a pig !! Fun times !!

 

[Quickstatus]

John Horvath as my registrar

I was attached to his unit for 6 months. He was not happy that I submitted an overtime time sheet for him to sign. But my era was the beginnings of junior drs being paid overtime. Though I never claimed overtime in Units where I really wanted to be positively noticed. But i should have claimed more overtime because I soon jumped ship to RNSH for a training position.

BP1

I did not venture into the surgical side much. Being left handed I decided surgery was not for me as most surgical instruments were right handed.

 

[drron]

Overtime was meant to be paid from 1974 on. That's when NSW RMOs were given the 40 hour week. Incredible that 48 years later Health departments still haven't worked out how to cope with it.
If you come to the Newcastle event in October I will tell you a funny story about John Horvath.

And by the way when mrsdrron tells you BP1 was her ward she is right. Youngest charge sister ever at RPAH.

 

[Quickstatus]

meant to be paid from 1974 on

Yeah well it is still resisted even today.
The usual refrain is trumpeted - something like" In my day....." or worse the silent expectation of no overtime claiming.

I worked out very early in my intern years that it was important to be on the best terms with the charge nurses. Made life a lot easier.

 

[andye]

Yeah well it is still resisted even today.
The usual refrain is trumpeted - something like" In my day....." or worse the silent expectation of no overtime claiming.

I worked out very early in my intern years that it was important to be on the best terms with the charge nurses. Made life a lot easier.

I found the Consultant's secretary an invaluable ally too

 

[MARTINE]

Overtime was meant to be paid from 1974 on. That's when NSW RMOs were given the 40 hour week. Incredible that 48 years later Health departments still haven't worked out how to cope with it.
If you come to the Newcastle event in October I will tell you a funny story about John Horvath.

And by the way when mrsdrron tells you BP1 was her ward she is right. Youngest charge sister ever at RPAH.

It was 48hrs in Vic in my intern year

 

[andye]

It was 48hrs in Vic in my intern year

In the good old NHS we did get overtime at 1/4 the hourly rate (not 1.25, 0.25).
On a scheduled 72 hour week though, it mounted up and you had very little time to spend it

 

[Pushka]

My wife also struggles to get back to sleep when she gets up to get milk for little one.

But your daughter is way past that stage now isn't she?

 

[RooFlyer]

Overtime? Field geologist in NT field season worked 80-100 hrs/week, 7 days/wk for 3-4 weeks at a time, under canvas in rain, heat etc. We were paid to do a job, not to work hours.

 

[tgh]

Medico's often present as the pin up boys of wage/hours exploitation but many professionals are.."locked in"
to the annual wage + the job…
#2 son in his early years as an english teacher in private schools worked massive hours for pretty ordinary pay.
Todays tradies would faint at the effective hourly rate -v- the edu quals...

 

[MARTINE]

In the good old NHS we did get overtime at 1/4 the hourly rate (not 1.25, 0.25).
On a scheduled 72 hour week though, it mounted up and you had very little time to spend it

My first pay cheque as in intern I bought a posh bed!

 

[ellen10]

Medico's often present as the pin up boys of wage/hours exploitation but many professionals are.."locked in"
to the annual wage + the job…
#2 son in his early years as an english teacher in private schools worked massive hours for pretty ordinary pay.
Todays tradies would faint at the effective hourly rate -v- the edu quals...

I agree with your comment for many jobs these days. I worked in a Primary school and teachers are at the bec and call for parents 24/7. We have an app called seesaw, effectively parents can contact teachers 24 hours a day. (in fact it got so bad that the Principal insisted that the app shut at 12 midnight, to give teachers a break). My husband was a high school teacher all his life. Worked every night after dinner in his study until very late, never watches TV. And for people that have done many years of Uni, masters etc the pay is quite poor compared to many other University qualified people. Teaching these days is definitely a career of love.

No 2 son works for a private company and is on call 24/7 even gets contacted on Christmas day to submit work. Uni, masters etc. and had several friends who left school in year 10 did a trade and earns twice as much as him and knocks off at 3pm.

But I digress from the topic. But I think generally we should worry about the health of many workers these days and the pressure mounted on them.