It's very different from the wards I've become accustomed to over the last 4 months. It's one big room split down the middle and on either side, there are 13 patients. This means 26 patients, 26 beeping heart rate monitors, 26 beds to be made, 26 stations to be restocked and 26 people in intensive care to look after. Not to mention the nursing staff, nurse aid staff and handfuls of doctors always running about.
It. is. nuts.
As a result, this week has been more of a game of Olivia vs. Nurse dodgeball game as I try to help where I can but also get my butt out of the way. It has been lovely though. The nurse aid staff are all hilarious and they've been teaching me Japanese slang. It is SO fun! Everyone thinks its really funny when I say it in general conversation too. It's been great. My favourite one is "Chyo ka-KEHH" (chee-yoh ka keh) which is a slang way of saying "kakoi" which is similar to calling someone cool.
No wonder I didn't understand what anyone says here, it's all slang and half of it doesn't even mean anything!
This week, the Iizuka hospital also had a visit from Dr. South-Paul, Medical Director of the Community Health Services Division and Chair of the department of Family Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. I attended a lecture she lead about onset, symptoms and treatment plans of Dementia at the Iizuka Hospital as well as participated in a small conference at the Kaita Hospital lead by Kinjo sensei about alcohol dependance. She was a pleasure to meet and certainly an inspiration. The Japanese doctors referred to her as "a powerful and aggressive woman", but she was nothing but smiles. We were even invited out to dinner with her and a bunch of Iizuka/Kaita hospital doctors! At dinner, I also successfully managed to get the entire group to chant "eye of the tiger" before taking a group picture...not really sure why though.
but clapping to and singing "eye of the tiger" with Japanese doctors and International guest doesn't need justification.
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