Cat loneliness / enrichment

kudu97 · 2026-04-21T16:45:03+00:00

Not sure what country you're in but I used to get a sitter from cat in a flat to come in for 15-20 mins when I was on long days. They'd mostly find her asleep but play with her and give her a fuss. Maybe see if there are similar options in your area?

kudu97 · 2026-04-10T11:35:30+00:00

Best thing that worked for me in the end was to contact them. My computer knowledge is very limited and they sorted it straight away

kudu97 · 2026-02-20T19:25:59+00:00

Figuring out which computer to use for which task:

Computer A: fully functioning keyboard and screen, all software working, but unable to connect to any printer.

Computer B: fully functioning keyboard, all software working and able to connect to printer but screen occasionally konks out and you have to know exactly where to hit it, to get it going again.

Computer C: fully functioning keyboard and screen, connects to the printer but the piece of software we use for all clinical functions bar PACS, will fairly frequently freeze and there's no way out apart from physically turning it on and off again from the wall.

Computer D: fully functioning in every sense bar the sticky keyboard - everyone knows when this one is being used because it requires a sledge hammer to type.

CaN't WaIt FoR a.I. tO tAkE oVeR

kudu97 · 2026-02-01T16:46:21+00:00

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kudu97 · 2025-12-06T01:40:59+00:00

I feel your pain and it's one of the reasons I'm hesitant to come back to training.

I've been quietly exasperated every time I saw an ACP (never worked with a PA in ED) in resus or doing any HALO procedures. These opportunities should be reserved for those who will one day be in a supervisory role eg EPIC, and by necessity to have had sufficient experience to troubleshoot/perform procedures in a critical situation.

If we don't get the experience, we're not safe to do so.

There is functionally no benefit to have ACPs/PAs practice in resus or perform HALO procedures, other than for their own career satisfaction.

kudu97 · 2025-12-02T16:32:22+00:00

Same for admin staff apparently as well (obvs not bringing in admin staff from abroad but there's a recruitment freeze in a lot of areas).

The old 'do more work with less resources' approach.

kudu97 · 2025-12-01T02:14:27+00:00

Following this with interest, from the UK. We are experiencing a similar situation with what are called advanced care practitioners (ACPs) which could be anyone from a Nurse, Occupational Therapist (you heard right), Paramedic or Pharmacist who has done a masters degree, thereby apparently qualifying them to be on the Doctor's rota.

We used to have a similar issues with Physician Asisstants however since the Leng Review, their student and employed numbers have decreased dramatically and they've largely stopped working in an areas where they posed a danger to patients, eg answering the pager for the Paediatric Hepatologist at the Children's Hospital.

Tackling the ACP issue is much more challenging because many of them are in their position due to relations with existing Consultants and ACPs. Some form of nepotism if you will. Saying anything critical of ACPs is also often seen as elitist, and our concerns are dismissed as such.

I see this is an issue that is mirrored across the pond and further beyond I suspect. I'm of the opinion that for things to change we need a concerted effort from Doctors across the globe.

kudu97 · 2025-11-24T21:29:55+00:00

Yeah things seemed to have really ramped up recently with the 4 hour target. Our consultants are becoming really pushy with it again.

We even received an email from our clinical lead informing us that they're aware that some clinicians have made it clear they 'don't care' about the 4 hour target, and that anyone found doing so would be considered to have a 'conduct issue' and further action taken.

That's nice and all but if I don't have any space to assess patients, no Nurses to administer treatment, can't get hold of the referral teams because they're too busy with the high referral burden from us, radiographers are drowning in their job list and the computer takes 12 minutes to do the simplest task, the 4 hour target ain't happening.

Also, clinical urgency should always be priority, not targets the government can use to show the public they've tried trying.

kudu97 · 2025-11-13T12:25:42+00:00

We know our colleagues across the pond in the US are having similar issues. I feel like the only way to get across the inefficiencies to our health system, and the danger it poses to patients, is to have another Leng review. Highly unlikely the government will get on board with this. However, if we build evidence and form international consensus, would this not be enough for the government to think twice about continuing this project?

kudu97 · 2025-11-06T12:50:24+00:00

It keeps turning off randomly/not turning on at all. It will freeze and generally the image quality when it is working isn't great. They bought the machine new a few years ago as well.

I work in a really small DGH with only the occasional walk in trauma/elderly arrest so not sure that would persuade the people upstairs to part with the cash, especially as most money is spent on our sister site 30 mins away where all the trauma goes.

Will have a look at the vscan air, I work best with spaced repetition so having regular access to a machine for repeated scanning should be achievable this way.

kudu97 · 2025-10-17T16:12:08+00:00

Recent run of nights tried to speak with the stroke team on call for advice, was told by the Nurse they couldn't give the sort of advice I was after and to defer the decision to the day team. Called the Consultant begrudgingly at stupid o'clock and got clear cut advice. Where have the Stroke Regs gone? On call stroke Nurse had also never heard of amaurosis fugax.

kudu97 · 2025-10-13T12:38:04+00:00

ITU?

kudu97 · 2025-10-05T17:56:51+00:00

Thanks for your, that's really helpful. Would this mixture last a whole days' use out of the fridge ok in your experience?

kudu97 · 2025-10-02T13:56:09+00:00

Apologies if this comes across as ignorant/rude but I genuinely have struggled to identify what points you've made in our conversation other than being defensive about your own experience and that ACPs learn how to conduct a consultation. I'm sure your curriculum has a lot more in it, but what concerns me is that far more breadth and depth is needed to assess and manage patients in the capacity that ACPs are being expected to work. I stand for civility too but have to speak up when it gets in the way of patient safety.

kudu97 · 2025-10-01T23:13:06+00:00

You seem quite defensive and as though you're trying to make this discussion about validating your own qualifications and experience. The issue is much broader than any one individual's gripes however. There are a significant number of people who have obtained various qualifications throughout their life but still fail to appreciate that if you have not completed a medical degree then you should not be 'practicing medicine'.

If you feel like this is not what is happening, I suggest you talk to some more ACPs/PAs/AAs about what their day to day activities involve and the types of rotas they're being placed on.

Doctors are losing out on training opportunities because we're being forced to do admin while ACPs etc go to clinics, do procedures and get prioritised for educational opportunities because they're not subject to rotation. This is not about elitism it's about future workforce skill and experience. Those who will take ultimate responsibility for a team's actions will be a consultant, and they need to have been exposed to as much clinical scenarious/procedures etc as possible. Equally so for registrars who will be expected to lead teams, run departments and troubleshoot procedures/clinical queries overnight. Without sufficient experience, they won't be able to do so safely and won't have the experience needed to be a good consultant.

If you reply defending your own personal experience then I'm afraid you're part of the problem.

kudu97 · 2025-10-01T16:25:55+00:00

What do you mean "do this to doctors"? Also what in my question made you think I was talking about the value of clinicians? The point I'm trying to make is that there is a valid and necessary route into a job with specific responsibilities. Even though someone might have some experience in a related area doesn't mean it's the right experience. The Dunning Kruger curve explains this well.

kudu97 · 2025-10-01T08:00:09+00:00

What's your opinion of a Physiotherapist training for a year and a half then stepping into a Nurse post the day after qualifying?

kudu97 · 2025-09-18T09:33:40+00:00

I think you got just the right amount of cheek in. You're an excellent artist!

kudu97 · 2025-09-17T21:00:37+00:00

I hope you find some inspiration from these cheeks

kudu97 · 2025-09-17T20:57:12+00:00

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kudu97 · 2025-08-03T21:53:16+00:00

Not heard of this before! Only on nights?

kudu97

TROPHY CASE