On call

How to survive an on call

1) Have a good nights sleep beforehand. Be tucked up in bed with a nice hot chocolate by 11:00pm.

2) Have a good breakfast, preferably involving kippers or bacon. It may be the last time you eat that day.

3) Keep a copy of the oxford handbook in the one ward you cover and the foundation programme in the over.

4) Buy the nurses chocolate, it really does work.

5)When calling the med reg be very clear what you want him/her to do. When on the phone they will be coming up with questions in the hope you don't know the answer to so they can tell you to go away and come back when you do know the answer.

6) When/if the med reg comes worship him. And have two pieces (at least) of clerking paper ready for him.

7) If you can, find the sho's/cts in anaesthesiae and butter them up so that they'l come and do a cannula for you.

8)When the cannula nurse agrees to help you with bloods, cannula's etc, have stuff ready for you. They'll remember it.

9) have something to EAT AND DRINK. At least so you don't have the irony have treating somebodies AKI when your technically in it to.