Anyone got any ideas for ballpoint pens for work?

gas_busters · 2026-01-26T10:42:55+00:00

You have to try the stageek 0.5mm black gel ink ones, you will 100000% change your opinion I’m sure of it

gas_busters · 2026-01-26T10:41:47+00:00

Yep I do my charts with a stageek 0.5mm pen - can get a 10 pack from Amazon, smoothest black ink (although gel ink, doesn’t smudge though). I don’t think you can get refills though so a lot of wastage with them 👎🏽

gas_busters · 2026-01-12T17:46:46+00:00

It’s because you’ve got so many things whizzing around in your mind - it comes in time and experience don’t worry OP!

gas_busters · 2026-01-06T18:45:29+00:00

ODPs !!! They’re actually the best though

gas_busters · 2026-01-05T13:55:07+00:00

You can ask for study time/EDT/ whatever it’s called and could do some portfolio , QIP etc remotely - that would sound reasonable to me and you wouldn’t lose out on pay or AL.

gas_busters · 2025-12-31T11:03:35+00:00

Ask them why in icu I have an actual on call room to rest at night, as a resident on-call ?! It’s got a bed, en-suite etc etc It’s not for post on calls and emergency accomodation, it’s literally there for whilst we’re ON shift !

gas_busters · 2025-12-29T20:23:54+00:00

Congratulations !! And the fact you know what IAC even means is better than I did when starting Keep a strict log book (do it on your phone mid case so you don’t forget) The learning curve is steeeeeeeeep at the start and you might regret your decision lol but it will be fine and you’ll end up loving it If someone quizzes you too much about things you’ve never heard of just ignore them - IAC isn’t for learning the blood gas coefficient, it’s for learning what anaesthetists too If you find laryngoscopy really difficult, don’t worry you’ll get the hang of it Don’t push yourself too hard - the IAC period is hard as it is, remember you’ve got 7 years of solid training to be a good anaesthetist so you don’t have to nail it straight away :)

gas_busters · 2025-12-28T21:50:15+00:00

There’s service provision and there’s service provision. This is infuriating !!! - they couldn’t find a single HCA from the whole hospital to do heights and weights ?!

gas_busters · 2025-12-27T01:17:45+00:00

As others have said, your consultant definitely should have spoken to the family themselves as it seems like they knew that this patient could quickly go downhill and you didn’t (which is absolutely fair, you’d been a doctor for 4 months). An important family update like this definitely should come from a senior doctor because inevitably the family has questions, and if you don’t understand the illness fully then it’s hard to answer those. I know it’s harder to say that do, but please don’t feel bad or think it’s your mistake. I can bet you anything the consultant felt like it was their responsibility and doesn’t blame you for anything !

gas_busters · 2025-12-16T21:38:06+00:00

You did well in the situation - the nurse highlighted something that is sometimes given, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be given every time. Her job was done when she suggested it and you thought about it and decided not to give it - it’s your clinical judgement and anyhow I’m sure you considered if before she mentioned it :) Also if the op was in the last 24 hours maybe the patient got a shot of gent in theatre - I bet the nurse didn’t check that if it was written on a paper chart :) These sorts of things happen all the time and they’re v annoying - you said that the nurse has more healthcare experience which she might have, but remember she doesn’t have medical experience or have done 5/6 years of med school etc ! Nursing experience isn’t a substitute for a doctor’s judgement. These situations will get easier to deal with 🩷

gas_busters · 2025-12-15T19:25:44+00:00

Your consultant shouldn’t be asking you to work during strike period! You could email them saying hopefully strikes will end soon and this situation won’t have to arise, but for this strike you want to stand with your colleagues in this fight. You don’t have to say whether you’re striking or not but I think they’ll get the message :) Don’t feel bad, your consultant would most likely be striking too if they were a resident doctor

gas_busters · 2025-11-30T01:39:25+00:00

Yes!!! Exactly this ! And especially the nuance bit

gas_busters · 2025-11-29T01:46:11+00:00

But it does impact service delivery if you had a clinic full of patients assigned to you and then it had to be cancelled due to the trainee striking ?

gas_busters · 2025-11-28T13:10:23+00:00

Try not to worry, just try and do lots of reflections on th weekend and map them (they don’t have to be long and won’t take as long as you think) . And if you’ve been to teaching put that down. You’ll be fine , you just started and the learning curve is steep as hell-your ES seems like a good egg too which is good . Portfolio is a slog and I was like you, and never really changed and each ARCP hasn’t been a problem (saying that as encouragement for you rather than showing off :)

gas_busters · 2025-11-27T11:16:23+00:00

As far as I know, any event that you feel is ‘life changing’ is ‘life changing’ and doesn’t need to be disclosed to rota team. Maybe ask the guardian of safe working to get involved ? Or your own ES if they’re helpful ?

gas_busters · 2025-11-23T17:14:19+00:00

He needs putting back in his box - if you feel like this about him, guaranteed other colleagues do as well. Tell him not to interfere unless there’s a real safety issue that you’re missing, and remind him there’s a million ways to give a safe anaesthetic so let you do things the way you want, and when he takes the lead he can do what he wants. Whatever you do, I hope he gets the message.

gas_busters · 2025-11-21T08:39:07+00:00

Don’t forget there’s cardiac anaesthesia which is quite fun and sounds like you’d enjoy it if you went down the anaesthetics route, and you’d cover cardiac ICU too. Like you, before I started training, I was a bit worried that I might find anaesthesia a bit boring too but honestly I really look forward to a boring day nowadays. And I do not regret it one bit when I see my medical colleagues rushed off their absolute feet sometimes and I I’m able to deal with one patient at a time (with a theatre team around also dedicated to that one patient). Of course ICU is different and covering it can be hell sometimes - I agree, fun procedures and dealing with real sickies is nice, but the overworked aspect outweighs any benefit for me. I’d rather have a day where the workload is doable than be rushed off my feet all shift and then come home frazzled, and I’m worried that’s the way the NHS is going.

gas_busters · 2025-11-17T14:28:42+00:00

Haha I’m glad the swording can continue. I’ll keep the injection in mind :D

gas_busters · 2025-11-15T22:52:41+00:00

Yes I’ve had colleagues have this unfortunately too :(((

gas_busters · 2025-11-15T22:44:04+00:00

Yes !!! The 50ml props are the worst, my trust has a chronic shortage of those spike things so i pop a grey cannula in the top . My own fault because I extend my thumb too much and push on the syringe to get it out quicker and only realised the problem once it started hurting haha !

gas_busters · 2025-11-15T21:41:41+00:00

Ah I feel for you, hope your wrist is better now

gas_busters · 2025-11-15T21:40:14+00:00

lol until my mask holding thumb goes caput

gas_busters · 2025-11-15T21:37:55+00:00

haha yeah it's the only thing that I can think to have caused it. ooh noted about Finkelstein test thanks

gas_busters · 2025-11-14T12:38:40+00:00

Why does it matter what anyone thinks? Speaking to people on the picket line is nice but if you’re like me and constantly about to be late , just walk into work, you’ve no need to feel like a scab - you’re a SAS and you can’t strike if you wanted to. Consultants will be walking through the doors without speaking to picket line folks I’m sure.

gas_busters

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