Full steam ahead

Paramedic school is firing on all cylinders these days, especially the clinical component. With obstetrics and gynecology drawing to a close, we've been able to sign up for our Labor & Delivery clinical at Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo. We have to spend two eight-hour shifts in L&D, during which time we must observe at least two deliveries. A la the intubation clinical in the OR, if we don't see the required number of deliveries during our two shifts, we need to sign up for more.

Additionally, we're about halfway through Pediatric Advanced Life Support right now. Once we finish PALS, we'll be able to sign up for clinical rotations in the emergency department at Children's. On top of that, all of our cardiac and stroke clinicals take place during this clinical period. I'm going to the cardiology stress lab on Friday, the stroke unit next Wednesday and the electrophysiology lab in early March. And of course, the rotations in the adult ED continue unabated.

In addition to class and clinical, I'm managing to keep myself busy with ambulance work, tutoring, chess coaching, CPR instruction and editing work. This weekend will be a welcome break, however, since Ellen is coming to visit for Valentine's Day. It has been nearly four weeks since we last saw each other; Friday cannot come soon enough!

In other news, a nurse in Texas is being charged with felony "misuse of official information" for reporting a doctor to the Texas Medical Board for unsafe and irresponsible medical practice. I don't see how she will possibly be convicted, but I have to approve of the name of the local sheriff: Robert Roberts.