Handover
As an FY1 doctor in cardiology my day shifts started with a morning ward round with the consultant of the week. Depending on staffing, the juniors would split patient bays between each other so as to share the workload.
Job expectations included taking bloods, cannulating, requesting and chasing scans, liaising with cardiac surgery, speaking to relatives, and interpreting ECGs. My ECG reading skills improved a lot in this rotation, and I had regular protected teaching in my trust.
On-calls and night shifts were a bit trickier as cardiac and respiratory patients can become sick very quickly. Know where your guidelines are, as you will often be managing electrolyte imbalances, angina, hyperglycaemia etc.
And always escalate to a senior if unsure!
Workload Rating
5/10
Tasks Performed
Bloods/Cannulas, ECG Interpretation, X-Ray Interpretation, Verify Death, Opportunities to Teach, Opportunities for QIPS/Audits etc