Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 37

#37 ICU (4)

The nurse’s urging came through the call phone.

“I’ll be right there!”

I answered immediately.

It would be a problem if I was branded with a slacking-off image from the first day.

As soon as the elevator arrived on the 3rd floor where the ICU [Intensive Care Unit] was located, I said to Doctor Byun.

“Then I’ll go to work.”

“Okay. Good work~”

“Where are you going, senior?”

“I’m going to rest a little more.”

Doctor Byun grinned and sauntered towards the on-call room.

I bet he’ll hole up somewhere and play phone games.

If not, he’ll be lying on the sofa.

“Sigh.”

I sighed.

Doctor Byun’s insincere attitude is disappointing.

Especially when I think of Doctor Yeo Bong-cheol, who I worked with last month, he is even more contrasting.

Yeo Bong-cheol even meticulously taught the interns the work from the first day…….

I guess it’s hard to expect that kind of thing this month.

‘I can’t help it. I have no choice but to do well on my own.’

Swish―

I took out a bunch of printed papers from my pocket.

It’s called .

It is a work note that has been passed down among interns every month.

This month, I think I have no choice but to rely solely on this note to survive as an intern.

[SICU Handover Note]

A. Schedule

Work: 7 a.m.

Leave work: 6 p.m. (12 p.m. off on weekends)

On duty: Once every 3 days with PICU [Pediatric Intensive Care Unit] and MICU [Medical Intensive Care Unit] (pong pong dang) [alternating schedule]

B. Clean up after surgery

1) Throw away all steel products (D―set, poly set, stapler remover) and put them in the washing area.

2) Put the needles in the needle container on the patient’s desk.

3) If you use a new special dressing set such as Medix or Skin Fore, tell the nurse in charge what and how much you used.

4) …….

Etc.

The list goes on endlessly.

There are as many as 20 pages of A4 paper filled with work instructions and precautions.

I turned the paper over, reminded myself of the important contents, and took a step.

‘This month is self-survival!’ beep―

The door to the intensive care unit opens when I tag my IC card.

On the left side of the hallway is the Department of Thoracic Surgery Intensive Care Unit (C03T), and on the right is the Department of Surgery Intensive Care Unit (C03S).

This is the scenery I will be seeing to death for the next month.

‘Let’s see…… First of all, it would be good to finish the ECG [Electrocardiogram] and routine dressing that I got a call for earlier in the morning, right?’

As I was thinking that and trying to turn right to the surgery department, the call phone I had put in my pocket rang again.

Ring ring ring!

“Yes, I understand.”

It’s an urgent call!

As soon as I hung up the phone and turned my feet to the left, the call phone rang again.

Ring ring ring!

Damn it!

This is also an urgent call?

I shouldn’t have been relaxing in the morning.

Since one intern has to cover two places at once, work piles up in an instant.

It’s like playing Tetris and if you let go for even a moment, the blocks pile up to the top in an instant.

I hesitated for a moment.

Left first, right first…….

“I’ll finish things up here at C03T and go!”

I hung up the phone and headed to the Department of Thoracic Surgery Intensive Care Unit to take care of the most urgent matter.

I shouldn’t have followed him to the cafe, and now my morning work is piling up.

If I don’t want to get caught up with Doctor Byun in the future, I need to keep my head on straight.

‘Let’s keep our minds sharp for the next month!’

* * *

10:10 a.m.

I went back and forth between the two sides and took care of urgent matters.

After working hard, sweat is beading on my forehead.

“Phew.”

I finally took a breather.

At that time, I felt the gaze of an elderly nurse looking at me.

What’s going on?

“Intern, did you get the handover? Patient Kim Hye-jeong’s sore dressing is originally at 10 a.m. every morning. We always do it before visiting hours.”

“Ah, 10 o’clock bed sore…….”

Only then did I remember what I had heard while receiving the handover.

There is a huge dressing that requires 5 people to stick to it.

The most difficult climax of the morning’s work remained.

The rounds were long and I was busy handling various tasks, so it was slightly delayed from the original time.

“I’ll get ready soon!”

“Okay. Please take good care of me, intern!”

“I should be the one asking you to take care of me.”

I answered cheerfully.

Among the nurses, there are many people with long careers.

I heard that the nurse I just talked to is a veteran with more than 10 years of experience.

If I don’t want to be ignored by those nurses, I have to keep my mind straight and show them a proper appearance.

‘Let’s see. Is this where the bed sore dressing supplies are……?’

I looked at the contents written in the handover note and walked busily.

Since it was my first day, I had to wander around because I wasn’t familiar with it.

As I was turning the corner like that.

Whack!

I feel a soft impact on my body.

“Oh.”

“Ah!”

The nurse staggers.

I hurriedly supported the nurse so she wouldn’t fall.

It was my fault for not watching the front while looking at the notes.

“I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“Oh, you scared me. I’m okay, I’m okay!”

The nurse who collided with me laughed cheerfully and straightened her hair.

Is she about my age?

Despite her small size, her voice is full of energy.

Her IC card hanging around her neck catches my eye.

“You must be the new intern. What are you looking for?”

“Ah, I’m trying to prepare for dressing…….”

“Ah~ Grandma Kim Hye-jeong?”

Nurse Cha Yu-ri seemed to have quickly grasped the situation just by listening to me.

“It’s your first time in the intensive care unit today, do you know where the supplies are?”

“I heard it’s in front of bed number 5.”

“That’s right. Here!”

Clunk―

Nurse Cha Yu-ri opens a drawer on one side of the station and says.

“Most of the dressing tools are here, but if you don’t have enough, please tell us and we’ll fill them up from the supplies storage room.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“If you have any questions in the future, please ask me anything!”

Doctor Cha Yu-ri smiles brightly.

Because she is so full of energy, her smiling face is attractive.

How can she radiate such positive energy while doing such hard work in the intensive care unit?

‘She’s full of life.’

I admired inwardly.

Nurse Cha Yu-ri took out the dressing tools from the drawer and put them in my hand, then said cheerfully.

“Shall we go dress the wound then?”

* * *

Grandma Kim Hye-jeong was a 74-year-old grandmother.

Her body was skinny, she had an ileostomy [surgical opening in the ileum] in her stomach, and stool-like substances coming out of it were contained in a plastic bag.

A ventilator was connected to her neck, and an L-tube [Levin tube, a nasogastric tube] was inserted into her nose.

In addition, several lines came out of her body and were connected in a dizzying manner.

“Grandma~ we’re here!”

Nurse Cha Yu-ri greets her brightly.

It was a warm tone as if a granddaughter was saying hello.

“Let’s see~ Did our grandma have any problems during the night?”

Nod nod―

The patient can barely move her head.

“Today, a handsome new doctor will dress your wound. Isn’t that great?”

Nurse Cha Yu-ri said that and held the grandmother’s hand.

Then a winking smile returns.

She was a cute grandmother who didn’t lose her smiling face even while breathing hard.

“Intern, did you hear where the bed sore is?”

When Nurse Cha Yu-ri asked me slyly, I nodded.

.

In the case of critically ill patients who lie down all day, a part of the body is continuously subjected to pressure.

The area exposed to pressure eventually becomes necrotic [tissue death].

The skin melts and pink muscles are exposed, causing the patient to feel extreme pain.

This is called a bed sore.

To prevent this, nurses continuously change the posture of patients who have been in the intensive care unit for a long time.

However, it is not easy to prevent bed sores from occurring, and once a bed sore occurs, it will create a deeper wound if not managed well.

“We’ll turn the patient’s body, so disinfect it in the meantime and cover it with this.”

Nurse Cha Yu-ri handed me a dressing material I had never seen before.

It’s thick and fluffy, so it looks like it will relieve the pressure of being pressed down.

“Yes, I’ll start.”

I took off my gown.

And as I was about to approach the patient, Nurse Cha Yu-ri suddenly stopped me.

“Wait a minute!”

Huh? What is it.

Did I do something wrong?

As I made a puzzled expression, Nurse Cha Yu-ri handed me a blue vinyl gown.

“This patient has VRE [Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus], so you have to wear this.”

“Ah. VRE…….”

VRE is an abbreviation for vancomycin-resistant E. coli [Escherichia coli].

In short, it means that a germ that is resistant to strong antibiotics is in the patient’s body.

We have to prevent this germ from spreading to other patients, so we have to wear one more piece of protective equipment.

It’s a complicated procedure…….

“One, two, three!”

Heave-ho!

Soon, 4 nurses were mobilized to turn the patient to the side.

Then the patient’s bed sore was revealed.

‘This…….’

I gasped.

The condition is worse than I thought.

Is it because she is a long-term hospitalized patient who has been lying down without moving for several months?

The skin was already peeled off and the muscles were exposed, making it look like there was a pink hole in the patient’s back.

‘How long has she been lying in the intensive care unit…….’

I couldn’t hide my sadness.

However, the nurses have no change in expression, perhaps because they are used to seeing the same sight every day.

In addition to the 4 nurses holding the patient around, there was also a nurse next to me holding the patient’s various lines.

“Yeong-eun, be careful not to pull it out, just hold it. Got it?”

“Yes…….”

Cha Yu-ri is giving firm instructions to a nurse who looks like a newbie.

I started disinfecting.

‘Hoo…….’

It’s not as easy as I thought.

Sweat quickly filled my back as I tried to disinfect while wearing the VRE protective vinyl.

I wonder how hard it is for the nurses holding the patient…….

But the hardest thing is the patient herself.

Every time I disinfected the bed sore, Grandma Kim Hye-jeong was shaking her left arm as if it hurt, and the face I briefly looked up at was distorted.

“Grandma, please bear with me a little longer. It’s all done.”

I said as if to soothe the patient.

At this time, I suddenly heard a sound of air being released.

Shoo-shook―! Shoo-shook―!

Wait. Where is this sound coming from?

Beep beep beep!

Alarms start ringing on all the monitors.