Family Medicine: New Clinic!

My clinic has moved to a brand new building just down the street, and it's soooooo nice! The nurses' station is now twice as big as the old one; each MA and LVN/RN gets her own little desk and computer so that they don't have to share anymore. In the past we did all our charting at the counters; now we each have a little desk to work at. I even have my own desk and computer for the time being since the OB nurse practictioner won't be here until May =) We got the phone lines working today (so that we can page Dr. RR when a patient comes), and today the LVN put him on speakerphone when he answered the phone with a cheerful, "YO!" That made us all laugh.

One patient we had today was a middle-aged guy who smelled like he hadn't had a bath in days. Lupe had warned me about him beforehand and I thought it wouldn't bother me (it's not the first time I've had patients who didn't bathe), but when I had to get close to him to listen to his heart and lungs, I found that I really had to suppress my gag reflex. =/ It makes me feel bad to even say something like that; not everyone has easy access to a shower. We also heard back from the mother of the 3-month-old boy who died last week; the father, whom others had suspected of abusing his girlfriend and child, is now in jail. What apparently happened was that they were helping with a yard sale in Dallas, and while the mother was outside, the father was indoors with the baby. And when the baby began crying inconsolably, the father couldn't take it anymore, grabbed him, and shook him. The autopsy report showed evidence of fractured ribs from where the father had gripped him tightly, and that was enough to put him in jail. And yet...the mother is still staying with the father's parents because her own parents had kicked her out (she's only seventeen) and she has nowhere else to go. *sigh* This is a vicious cycle.

In other news, I was finally able to submit my Dean's Letter Profile today (after working on it until 1:30 a.m. last night and getting it critiqued this morning); it feels so good to get it done. I also got my TB test and a Tdap (required at certain programs before you can do an elective there) after this morning's quiz. I didn't think the Tdap would give me much trouble, but sometime in the afternoon I got a huge headache and ended up taking a one hour nap as soon as I got home from work. *sigh* Well, at least my TB test looks negative already =P