For people in the medical field, do you ever feel like you can't stop wondering what happened to a patient?
As an EMT, we usually never hear about patients once we get them to the hospital. Since we aren't allowed beyond A&E OR the ER, we rarely ever get updates. Sometimes I stay awake at night wondering if they're even alive or not. Can anyone else relate?
@TheRandomEMT
Yes I can relate to what you are saying. But, sometimes it's a blessing in disguise not to know. I have known just about all the patients I have lost and it can be difficult to deal with as well. Especially neonate, pediatric, and geriatric patients. Medical professionals with a good dose of empathy can have a hard dealing with these issues. It's a hard line to walk; but with experience you can learn to incorporate those feelings into a positive attribute.
@xandia
Well, that's a fair point. Though it doesn't stop me from wondering but I get what you mean
@TheRandomEMT
Im dying of cancer...no one cared
@AMloco
I'm sorry to hear you're going through that. I hope you get better soon. You're stronger than you think and I know it's easier said than done but hang in there, hopefully everything will be alright
I relate to this, it's not exactly that I am more upset if they died though. I often wonder and lay awake because I don't know. If they're dead then perhaps that gives closure. I also wonder what their quality of life is: " did I see them on the last good day they ever had?" There are definitely fates worse than death. How many "saves" ended up being sentences to a life of pain in a rehab bed somewhere alone and forgotten? There are also patients I had who were "frequent flyers" who randomly and suddenly disappeared. I wonder about some of them, did the live or die? Did they end up in jail? Rehab? Assisted living? or with a relative?
There has been a few clients I wondered about. I'm in home health, so I usually keep the same client unless something happens.
