The New Job

I'm enjoying the new job, although its very different to my previous post in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The bread and butter work is obviously similar and the staff are lovely so I'm happy.

There are a few issues with the rota and of course, I still have no contract or confirmation of pay and conditions. Nor do I have a parking permit, a full rota or even an end date! They are still unsure whether I am there for a year or six months. Hmmmph.

Educationally, I am slightly concerned. We are not doing enough hours and I am very much a service provider. Bloods, venflons and discharges. I notice that the extended role midwives are being trained to do ventouse deliveries and fetal blood sampling, whilst I sign off blood results.

The Gynaecology Nurse Practitioners are very good at their job but they have no knowledge of medicine and try to coerce me into dangerous practices. One asked me three times why I wasn't given fluids to an unwell patient. She had heart failure and was dangerously fluid overloaded. Later, she patronisingly asked if I had done some medicine "because I seemed to know what I was doing". Quite. I know I am young and inexperienced but I have been trained well in the basics. These people tell me regularly that they are the same as an SHO. Apart from the fact that they can't prescribe, order unnecessary tests and scans and won't make any decisions other than whether or not to bleep the Registrar. They are excellent at the Gynaecology though and a mine of information. It's just that they haven't been trained in anything else.

The other career trainee is also concerned. The GP trainees are happy because the job is ideal in that respect. It doesn't matter if they can't do an instrumental delivery or a caesarean section or interpret a CTG. It does matter for me. We are going to run a rota cycle (six weeks) and then discuss it with the Consultant in charge. I want to work and I want to train. Hopefully, they're going to let me!