What's my limit?
A recent article in a local daily states that the optimal number of patients to doctors is envisioned at 1:1.(And as we currently fall at 2 patients : 1 doctor, we are encouraging the influx of more foreign doctors)
As an individual, I wondered how many patients can I handle comfortably without acknowledging that maybe patient care is compromised at some point.
As most healthcare departments work in teams at the moment, we must consider that if the team consists of 2 SCon, 1 Con, 1 ACon, 1 Reg, 2 MOs and 1 HO; there should be 8 patients x 2 =16 patients for the HO to manage. (which is really quite a bit)
Of course some will say16 patients is not a lot, but it really takes 1 ill patient to keep you busy.
Having worked in teams with >50 patients and also in teams with <10 patients, I've felt that any number up to 16 is a realistic number that I can stretch myself to, before I start feeling that I'm not giving my best care to every patient in my care.
Of course, some patients need more attention than others. And having the help of an MO , especially with an ill patient is invaluable.
Routine changes are expected, it's the unexpected sudden urgent changes that can turn the whole day from a normal peaceful day to a 'oh my god, it's bad' day.
What's my limit? Is it too low?
Wei Qiang converses @ 10:12
4 Comments:
Hey bro, don't worry, your limit is not low. Like you said it's not the patient number but what you need to do per patient :)
Haha. You must mean THAT day you were back from leave, on call, hadn’t even started morning changes at lunch time and patient had PE.
One pulmonary embolism = 8 NOF # going to SACH by 9am who you haven’t done discharge checklist = 12 young men with finger lacerations
Always thought you’re already quite zai and manage well. =)
To: fellow ex orthopod slave
hey! how did you know that? I was in team 2 then. are you colin/farhan/maureen?
actually 16 is a very respectable number. and as you say, it is the complexity and condition of the patients, not the absolute number, that matters.
i think my record was 72 patients one day when postcall though... had to do changes for an entire ward, sigh. hope i didn't make any mistakes. :-(
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