5 answers
Aaliyah
Student
Barstow, California
1
Question
Updated
796 views
what is the medical environment like?
Like is it a nice environment, is it always stressful, are there slow days or is it always a rushed stressful one. How many patients do you get a day or does it very, And is the work overall hard/stressful?.
5 answers
Michel Davis
Medical student
171
Answers
Cranston, Rhode Island
Updated
Michel’s Answer
Medical environment has an inherent bit of stress too it. There is a lot going on and a lot hangs in the balance with most decisions. The environment will be different depending on what direction you are going. Since this question is under medical school I will take a stab at that. It is stressful, but not unbearable. It is a hard environment being the low man on a totem poll when you are first starting. You get this idea that your questions are going to be unwelcome and a burden to the people you are working with. They are not a burden and so many of the doctors really want you to ask questions. A lot of the doctors will treat you very nicely. If we are working a little bit later a lot of the time the doctors will point at you and say want me to get you a coffee, juice, food. The doctors are extremely nice as long as you are working hard and trying to learn. I also worked in the healthcare field in the military and that was extremely different, but I was in a roll of what would be equivalent to a nurse while in the military. The bosses would treat you poorly because you couldn’t fight back or do anything about it.
The days are fast paced and most anyone I talk with agrees that most days fly by. This is because there are so many things going on and you are balancing so many things at once. When you do get a break typically you notice that three hours have gone by and it feels like it had only been an hour. The days are stressful when you are first starting because you are really trying hard to be great because lives depend on it. So you are stressed, but you will become more comfortable as time goes on. When I first gave report to a boss I was shaking because I was nervous they would think I was dumb. I fumbled and took 10 minutes to report one patient. I now give an easy report in five minutes that is concise and has all of the knowledge that you could need on that patient. That being said I wouldn’t say it is stress that is difficult, but the fact that you need to remember that lives are in the balance, and decisions always matter no matter how big or small those decisions feel.
How many patients will vary greatly. If you go into nursing you will look at 2 patients up to 5,6 if good ratios are in balance. If bad ratios are happening like COVID these numbers can get horrible. Nursing is a lot different than medicine though. In the ER the doctors may have patients stuck because they can’t move up to rooms. The other day in the ER we had 7 patients and we couldn’t get them up to the rooms, but we were still responsible to make sure they were comfortable and not getting worse. Typically the ER moves a lot faster and you may be dealing with a lot more patients. The amount you do for the 15 patients in the ER would be different than what a surgeon would be doing for 4 patients throughout a shift. So these numbers will be different depending on what field you enjoy.
The work is hard, and you will feel exhausted. There will be days you are absolutely overwhelmed. There will be days you want to quit and just hang up your coat. But all it takes is one good day to bring back that love and joy you have for the field. People go through phases medicine is a job and its a hard job, but some of the rewarding aspects are unbeatable. Being there for people during the worst times in their life and being able to help them through it what medicine is all about. The job can be difficult but medicine is one of those fields that gives you a purpose.
Hopefully this was helpful if you have any questions or clarification let me know.
The days are fast paced and most anyone I talk with agrees that most days fly by. This is because there are so many things going on and you are balancing so many things at once. When you do get a break typically you notice that three hours have gone by and it feels like it had only been an hour. The days are stressful when you are first starting because you are really trying hard to be great because lives depend on it. So you are stressed, but you will become more comfortable as time goes on. When I first gave report to a boss I was shaking because I was nervous they would think I was dumb. I fumbled and took 10 minutes to report one patient. I now give an easy report in five minutes that is concise and has all of the knowledge that you could need on that patient. That being said I wouldn’t say it is stress that is difficult, but the fact that you need to remember that lives are in the balance, and decisions always matter no matter how big or small those decisions feel.
How many patients will vary greatly. If you go into nursing you will look at 2 patients up to 5,6 if good ratios are in balance. If bad ratios are happening like COVID these numbers can get horrible. Nursing is a lot different than medicine though. In the ER the doctors may have patients stuck because they can’t move up to rooms. The other day in the ER we had 7 patients and we couldn’t get them up to the rooms, but we were still responsible to make sure they were comfortable and not getting worse. Typically the ER moves a lot faster and you may be dealing with a lot more patients. The amount you do for the 15 patients in the ER would be different than what a surgeon would be doing for 4 patients throughout a shift. So these numbers will be different depending on what field you enjoy.
The work is hard, and you will feel exhausted. There will be days you are absolutely overwhelmed. There will be days you want to quit and just hang up your coat. But all it takes is one good day to bring back that love and joy you have for the field. People go through phases medicine is a job and its a hard job, but some of the rewarding aspects are unbeatable. Being there for people during the worst times in their life and being able to help them through it what medicine is all about. The job can be difficult but medicine is one of those fields that gives you a purpose.
Hopefully this was helpful if you have any questions or clarification let me know.
I'm excited to put your great advice to good use!
Aaliyah
Jessica Settineri MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Nurse Practitioner
2
Answers
Celebration, FL
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
Every environment is different and it also depends on the work culture of the organization, leadership strategies used, and the team members you work with. Keep in mind that even if your first experience is in an environment that doesn't suit your needs, it doesn't mean that you have to settle! Make sure to ask your future employer questions that will tell you how the work environment is:
Ex. Describe how you respond to an employee who is not succeeding in their role. (Do they jump to punishment or are they supportive?)
Describe your ideal employee (I've found that leaders who jump to descriptions like "hard-working," "flexible" and "go above and beyond" burn their employees out quicker than those who want an employee who is "curious" "collaborative" or "team-player"
Hope this helps!
Ex. Describe how you respond to an employee who is not succeeding in their role. (Do they jump to punishment or are they supportive?)
Describe your ideal employee (I've found that leaders who jump to descriptions like "hard-working," "flexible" and "go above and beyond" burn their employees out quicker than those who want an employee who is "curious" "collaborative" or "team-player"
Hope this helps!
Ossai Gift
Nursing
1
Answer
Benin City, Edo, Nigeria
Updated
Ossai’s Answer
Medical environments varies in nature depending on the services offered. Mostly, the generic medical environment is soothing for the client, steady and rigorous for the team as they need to be on their toes in other to provide solutions to problems arising and most are urgent and needs you to think on your feet. But in all its educating, intense and fun altogether.
Thank you, Ossai!
Aaliyah
Jessica Shedron
Counselor
4
Answers
Sugarcreek, Ohio
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
What kind of medical environment? a doctors office? a urgent care? a hospital? There are many different environments.
Susan Yates
Pharmacy Technician
1
Answer
Corinth, TX
Updated
Susan’s Answer
Hi. I work as a Pharmacy Technician in a 208 bed hospital. I don't do actual face to face patient care but I am caring for all our patients by providing the best service I possibly can and sometimes that involves high stress situations. Probably the most stressful situation I am in is when a patient is crashing and in need of IV medications that have to be made in a sterile environment. Making IV's isn't hard but when something STAT comes across, I have to quickly gather all components, calculate dosages and then make the IV. It sounds simple but there are many steps which also include documenting every step so that there aren't any mistakes. All medications are verified by a Pharmacist prior to leaving the Pharmacy so there is good check-double check methodology. My best advice is taking care of yourself whether it is forcing yourself to take a 5 minute break, a lunch, take a little walk, whatever you need to clear your mind and calm yourself. We actually have a room that any employee can go to where there is a massage chair and other comfy chairs and we can take a little break to calm ourselves. Most healthcare workers are not good patients but we all believe in good self care! Good Luck!
Thank you for this detailed answer, I really appreciate it I'm currently studying to be a pharmacy technician, so I really appreciated your response.
Aaliyah
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