It Is My X-Ray

It was 2000 AD, I was studying undergraduate course of nursing. It was a final year. I was a student but I suppose to take responsibility as a staff. Nursing life is something like army life. That was a very strict life. We had to be much disciplined. We have to go through multiple burdens. One side there was a regular class, on another side a tough duty. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

It Is My X-Ray

In duty, there was pressure from a teacher, ward staff, in charge, patient and doctor. We have to manage the entire thing at once. A kind of fear always stocked with us. Whether anyone scolded us? Someone is asking us something or someone come and abruptly scolds us. Nursing life as a student is fear, fear, and fear.

Nowadays I analyze, why I was so afraid with everyone, but these days I do not. I concluded that it was because we did not understand the system of the hospital, have less knowledge, and we don't have confidence. In fact, professional experience is very important to get confident. Despite the fact that we study hard, practice more in student life but those are not sufficient to gain confidence. It may be owing to that less confident psychology we made some mistake, some fun and learn many things. This is what I want to share here.

My duty was in the female medical ward. I was in the morning shift. I was assigned to one COPD case. She was six-decade and more in age. She is lean, thin and chest was typically region shape. She was coughing for most of the time and wheeze heard from outside. Her visitors were sitting around her. Bedside table looks messy with medicines, saline bottle, jug, glass, broken biscuits and etc.

I took handover from night duty staff. She handover that," her chest X-ray was done in this morning but the report had to be collected." About at 8:30 am, I sent her visitor to collect report, but he returned without a report. I suppose to prepare all the documents for the morning round which took place at 9 am. I myself called radiology department; they replied that it had already sent.

At the same time the registrar doctor had come, he asked me for X-ray report, but I couldn't answer properly. He got angry. He ordered me for another X-ray which should be immediately done and anyway report should be ready within a round time. I have only 30minute, which was almost impossible to get a repeat X-ray.

I started to get nervous. I became hot and red. I thought I would be badly scolded in this morning round. My brain was full of fear, roaming around and around. I asked with all the staff and visitor again and again. My teacher also scolded me that, it was my mistake. In another hand, the visitor was putting pressure into me to get that X-ray as soon as possible. It usually happens when someone lost something, the surrounding environment will not be conducive for him or her. I faced the same trouble. I didn't know where to get that X-ray. In fact, it was not my mistake. Immediately after the handover, I followed the report but it was misplaced beforehand. I checked the entire X-ray folder in each bed.

Finally, I got, which was misplaced in another patient's folder. My mood gradually came to the line. It must be a work of ward attended that collected the report and put on another patient's folder. I got angry with her but didn't express because on that state of affairs my happiness to get report was stronger than my anger. Anyway, I was very happy, I checked the name, age, sex, inpatient number and bed number of my patient. No doubt, it is correct. Then I put into the patient's X-ray folder. I informed the patient, her visitor, my teacher and all except the doctor because I couldn't meet any doctor at that time.

Finally round had arrived. Senior consultant examined her X-ray and asked, is it her? I heard it was lost. Then immediately that patient replied, "No sir sister found it. It is my x-ray." Consultant surprised by her answer and asked: "how you can say it is yours?" She claimed "You see the doctor; there are only bony parts in my x-ray. There is no muscle remain in my chest. So it must be mine." All the doctors, sisters, my teacher and I laughed at once. I know she doesn't know about the technical aspect of X-ray but her logic is appreciable. She thought because she was lean and thin, that X-ray film which shows bony parts must be her.

Nowadays I am very careful to collect all the report of the patient including Xray.it was funny story based on fact that I ever recall.

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