I don’t remember the details exactly, but this was on a great Grey’s Anatomy episode…
I’m sure the pt was a lovely little old lady who was kind and completely lucid. I’m sure they set it up so that you were rooting for her.
She had kidney failure and was dying, but if they could find a donor match maybe they could save her.
It was life and death and time was running out, and then they found it – a perfect donor.
They rush to surgery. Prep and drape the pt. Tension is high. Then, it happens: Meredith drops the kidney. Right on the floor. Holy crap, the freakin kidney!
Did they cancel the surgery? Freak out and run out of the room?
No, they thought it through. Washed the kidney off in betadine, made sure antibiotic coverage was optimized, and proceeded with the surgery.
I don’t work in transplant so I can’t say if what they DID was realistic, but I can say that things aren’t perfect all the time. And the way the problem solved was dead on.
It happens all the time, everywhere.
The equipment you need isn’t sterile. It will take 2 hours to sterilize it, and the pt is asleep and you’ve already made an incision.
The joint replacement rep says, “We have the implant you want but there’s only one and it’s expired.”
The anesthesiologist looks over the drapes and says, “The patient isn’t ventilating well, and there is crepitus. I know you need about 3 more hours but what do you think you can get done in 1?”
There are problems everywhere.
The most valuable people are those who help solve them. The least valuable people are those who decompensate and immediately start looking for someone to blame.
How do YOU handle mini disasters? Failed a test … do you look to blame something or someone or do you change your approach and experiment?
Don’t get along with someone at work. Do you blame them or figure out a way to either avoid them or make it work?
Panicking and blaming limits your choices. Look for ways to be a problem solver.
The skill that comes in most handy is the ability to clear your mind and think. To be able to focus amid the chaos. That’s a skill few people have, and those who do are treasured.
Using your neocortex to quiet down the rest of your brain so you can problem solve is a skill worth developing – whether you’re a student, a PA, a parent, or just a good human.
Do you know what helps you to keep your mind clear and calm on test day? Knowing your key terms. It’s like putting a soothing lotion on sunburn. You see those terms pop up and you’re brain starts to relax, so you can create new connections and see around corners. Then your scores go up.
And the best way to learn key terms is, of course, The Final Step.
Brian Wallace
