What do you guys consider the best shoes, our instructor says "absolutely no sitting AT ALL"....which is understandable, but painful after the 4th-5th-6th hour. Any suggestions on clogs or a certain shoe type or brand that you find gives the best support. My nike's are not working for me anymore!!
Also, we HAVE to wear our earpieces. Annoying at times, but I see the point. Do any of you use your earpiece, what do you think of earpieces? We had ours made by a drug rep for free, but i've heard the more expensive ones are better.
Thanks guys, TONS OF RESPECT to you all, cause SKOOL IS HARD RIGHT NOW!! :crying2:
..... I sit, I stand, I do Yoga, when I am comfortable it is better for the patient. .....
All fine and well for us oldtimers, I agree, but for beginners I believe the feeling in many programs remains, just as it was forty years ago in my Army program: NO sitting. Standing, one can see over the drapes and stay involved with the physical presence of the patient, not just values on the monitors. It promotes alertness (students still do party and stay out late, I believe?) to stay on one's feet.
All fine and well for us oldtimers, I agree, but for beginners I believe the feeling in many programs remains, just as it was forty years ago in my Army program: NO sitting. Standing, one can see over the drapes and stay involved with the physical presence of the patient, not just values on the monitors. It promotes alertness (students still do party and stay out late, I believe?) to stay on one's feet.
Old-fashioned? Maybe. Effective? Certainly.
No slackers allowed.
deepz
Been in anesthesia for over ten years. I very rarely sit during cases. Enhances my sense of alertness, I'm watching the surgery, keeping up with the progress/complications/completion of procedure. Surgeons and other personnel take note of who is paying attention (if standing is a measure of attention). Yeah, I can pay attention from the stool behind the drapes but I am much more involved in the case when I'm standing, watching actively, and participating in the entire surgical procedure.
On the other hand, one CRNA intoned the following advice: Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, and never just lie down when you can actually sleep! Now, this individual did a LOT of 16 and 24h call shifts in a trauma center. Hence, conservation of energy was paramount.
My current practice setting runs to 10-12h days. Usually 4-8 cases a day. Frankly, I'm too busy to sit.
On the other hand, one CRNA intoned the following advice: Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, and never just lie down when you can actually sleep! Now, this individual did a LOT of 16 and 24h call shifts in a trauma center. Hence, conservation of energy was paramount.
PG
I heard the exact same quote in school! PG, did you go to school out east, or is this one of those universal anesthesia axioms that has made the rounds all over?
This was not the universal feeling in my educational program though. There were plenty of "no-sitting" people as well. We learned to adapt to each situation. After all, flexibility is rule one in anesthesia. I am still adapting-some ORs expect you to sit, some don't. Just go with the flow.
This is an interesting discussion. Isn't it funny how the smallest of things, that we don't even take note of, can give us some surprisingly fascinating insights?
they have thick, cushy soles that don't seem to break down. run $60 to $90. come in all widths. they don't seem to have a webpage, but i did find this description. the stores listed here are in calif. but they have outlets all over.
btw, read lots of foot stuff while looking for their website. one person recommended changing shoes halfway through shift.
good luck!
it's definitely worth the call to get a flier. i've driven 4 hours one-way to get my last two pairs. another plus, they seem to last several years!
I was at a dog show, and one of the vendors were Bob & Laurie Baker out of North Carolina, selling "Walk the Walk" shoes. They were originally handmade for surgeons, and have the negative-heel technology, and round knobs on the bottoms for pressure points.
Well, they are INCREDIBLE. I work 12-hr shifts in the ED and I don't have any heel/foot aches, etc. I tried Dansko recently and my heels hurt, especially compared to my Walk the Walk shoes. They sell for about $70, but well worth it. Here's a link to read about them:
All fine and well for us oldtimers, I agree, but for beginners I believe the feeling in many programs remains, just as it was forty years ago in my Army program: NO sitting. Standing, one can see over the drapes and stay involved with the physical presence of the patient, not just values on the monitors. It promotes alertness (students still do party and stay out late, I believe?) to stay on one's feet.
Old-fashioned? Maybe. Effective? Certainly.
No slackers allowed.
deepz
And we did 5 hour mask cases because we were told it "built character". What a crock! It wasn't the best thing for the patient, but hey, who were we to argue with our instructor when we were lowly students?
We also had those who thought there was never an appropriate time for a STUDENT to sit, and although I understand the point, I don't agree with it. Yes, there's always something you can be doing, but that doesn't mean you have to stand to do it. Sitting doesn't imply laziness or inattention to the case. Sometimes it's just practical.
So here's an interesting bit on earpieces. You can make your own homemade one with IV tubing, a foley catheter, and the little metal piece that connects BP tubing to the cuff. So I bet you're wondering what goes in your ear? Yep, it's the foley balloon. I've never done it myself (I don't think it would be thought highly of since I'm still a student), but one of the CRNA's I worked with showed it to me. And says it actually works quite well. Funny what evolves after years of practice and paying for lots of lost earpieces.
We actually did the same thing with the tubing connector end of the foley - cut off the distal end of the catheter and hook it to tubing connected to your precordial.
So here's an interesting bit on earpieces. You can make your own homemade one with IV tubing, a foley catheter, and the little metal piece that connects BP tubing to the cuff. So I bet you're wondering what goes in your ear? Yep, it's the foley balloon. I've never done it myself (I don't think it would be thought highly of since I'm still a student), but one of the CRNA's I worked with showed it to me. And says it actually works quite well. Funny what evolves after years of practice and paying for lots of lost earpieces.
I've been away from nursing for a few years and am confused about what y'all are talking about - the only earpieces I can think of are on stethoscopes... and we always used the ones that came with...
:crying2:
deepz
612 Posts
All fine and well for us oldtimers, I agree, but for beginners I believe the feeling in many programs remains, just as it was forty years ago in my Army program: NO sitting. Standing, one can see over the drapes and stay involved with the physical presence of the patient, not just values on the monitors. It promotes alertness (students still do party and stay out late, I believe?) to stay on one's feet.
Old-fashioned? Maybe. Effective? Certainly.
No slackers allowed.
deepz