Newly anonymized to reduce complaints from colleagues and potential legal difficulties.
From: Kirsty Jordan
Sent: Friday, 23 December 2016 12:27 PM
To: Wellington Anaesthesia All Staff
Subject: Awkward
Well, a fortnight ago I said it would be my last email before Xmas – and yet, here I am in the office, with Buble still playing, and quite loudly too, to block out the sounds of Chris coughing and sniffling from the Summer cold gifted by his children for Xmas. This is an awkwardness on the level of saying goodbye to someone after a social function, and then walking the same way out; or approaching someone you know along a long corridor and not knowing when to smile and wave, so you just pat your hair, look out the window, or rummage in your bag for an imaginary thing until you’re close enough. In fact, this latter social gaucherie isn’t such an issue for me with my myopia: by the time I’m sure the person coming towards me is familiar, it’s almost too late to acknowledge them.
My schedule encompasses that magic week between Xmas and New Year when those of us lucky enough to be on leave can spend the entire time being self indulgent without too much guilt. I love it. And, boy, am I ready for 2017: 2016 has certainly outstayed it’s welcome. It has been dominated by two things in my view: the grim reaper; and the revenge of the deplorables.
As befitting the general low key attitude to work at this time of year, we are down to a bare minimum of theatres on the nonSTATs next week. Although, after a feisty production planning meeting just now, at which an in-form Chris H (orthopod) made a guest appearance, it’s less minimal than we were expecting. In addition, a paeds onc list has been faxed in for Wednesday, bypassing all the usual accepted routes for applying for an exemption from seasonal closures – but of course we can’t turn them down. Not much worse at Christmas than your child having cancer.
Sunday: Merry Christmas!
Monday and Tuesday: STATs
Wednesday
I’ve put the surprise paeds onc list into OT 10 as they are reasonably well set up for snotty kids and their parents on the ENT lists which live in there, but it may be decided to move it back to OT 14 which is their usual habitat. Under negotiation.
Obs never sleeps, as we know: delivery suite is well staffed all week, and both the usual Obs preassessment clinics will be happening as usual.
The pain rounds might reasonably expect to be quieter than usual, but I’ve staffed them as normal. Not sure what the pain nurse situation is over the week although I vaguely remember getting an email about it which I should have read.
I expect there will be further anguished calls for extra ortho trauma into the following weekend and STATs, but hopefully we will all get the chance to welcome in the New Year in our own fashion. We usually drink lots of bubbly and play loud music to annoy our staid Waikanae neighbours, and then cap it off with fireworks at midnight. Magic.
Best wishes to all, and thanks to everyone for all the hard work we’ve made you do over the year.