Being a Doctor

On call yesterday night, I admitted an elderly patient with sepsis to the intensive care unit. He needed an arterial line for close measurement of blood pressure and frequent labs. It was one of those non-stop whirlwind call nights, running from one emergency to another, and by the time I brought the arterial line box into the room, it was 3AM.

One thing I have learned about placing arterial lines and IVs is to sit down if you can. It's much better for the back than stooping, it optimizes positioning, and at 3 in the morning, a chair is a welcome reprieve. When I felt the patient's pulse, I knew there would be no problem placing the line; he had a clearly demarcated radial artery. But instead of rushing through the procedure, I took my time and asked him to tell me about his life. While I positioned his hand and prepped his wrist, I learned about how he met his wife, what his children were doing. When I placed the lidocaine, he told me about a daughter he adopted and how proud he was of her despite developmental delay. In the next few minutes while I entered the radial artery, I began to learn of his grandchildren. As I sewed the catheter down, I learned of his job. The entire thing took ten minutes, and by the end, I felt like a primary care doctor, holding a patient's hand, sitting at the bedside, cherishing what it means to be a physician.