"Scuse, Scuse, nu vorbesc romaneshte" (Tuesday)

^^ Excuse me, sorry, I don't speak Romanian

 I woke up to the sound of sirens this morning. Just like home! But these sirens seemed rather prolonged and just filled the atmosphere, made me wonder whether paramedics leave the sirens running even while jumping out and treating a patient at a job. When I walk onto the balcony and freeze my feet off its all worth it because there's snow on the mountains! We are all eagerly anticipating a good snowfall.

Second day!!

Anyway, second day at SMURD. I was in yellow (immediate care) and gosh it was insane! There must be about 12 bed bays most of which were occupied at the beginning of the shift, but a few hours later we were shipping patients in and out, poking their mobile beds in corners and doing constant reshuffling as we fit pretty much 3 beds into each normally-single-bed-bay. I tried to make myself useful which amounted to not much at all for a few hrs, but then I gained enough trust to become the official 12-lead-ECG taker for every new patient, and then graduated to removing a jellco, and then to actually cannulating patients and taking bloods under supervision. In between all the drama about 6 spinally immobilised patients came in as apparently it was the day of car accidents and I learned just how wonderful a "metallica" (scoop board back home) is for transferring patients who must stay immobilised off an ambo stretcher and onto a bed.

Wow. That description sounds like the day was a massive flurry of activity. It was for most people except the conspicuous white volunteer who stood awkwardly observing for a large proportion of the 60minutes in each hour (me in case you're wondering). As a student one has plenty of moments where you wonder if you are just a nuisance. In a busy atmosphere you also realise you MUST be crystal clear when you speak, and of course it's that situation where you ironically become tongue-tied when trying to communicate the most simple thing to a busy doctor. Language barriers make it one thousand times more complicated.

The door of the patients' bathroom upstairs in the old section of the hospital. Thought this was funny - if you read it quickly! There's a vast contrast between SMURD's ED and the old hospital wards

Made a trip with a patient up to this ward: Gen Surg1

At least 1 in 10 patients is a gypsy or one of "the Roma" people characterized by long
colourful plaited skirts, jewelled shoes, head scarfs and waist length ribbon-laced plaits.
Well that's my observation so far anyway... I'm trying to develop my understanding and
appreciation of their culture.
Amanda ran with the ambulance crew today - there seems to be some communication difficulties with following them around - but she did go to a couple jobs. One was a resuscitation and she told us that there were 8 or 9 ambulance crew in attendance!

 SMURD at night

At dinner my first thought was "Company is awesome!!!" I'm so glad I'm experiencing all these strange things with 5 other Aussie students too. Laughing and the perspective that we are only on day 2 of 3 weeks (which is a lot of days of potential) were important ingredients of the evening.

Out my bedroom window