Justified

The most terrifying part about my job is that when it comes to medical decisions, I'm it. I have friends that are teachers that envy the schedule and flexibility; for example, I don't have 30 kids knocking at my door when I get to school after the first bell rings. My response is always that they wouldn't want to be the one everyone's looking at in an emergency, and I usually win with that. Twice last week I had heavily wheezing kids in my office; for both, I took a listen to their lungs with my trusty stethoscope and was pretty alarmed at what I heard. Neither said they had ever had asthma before or used an inhaler, and in both cases I was able to reach the parents and they were taken to the doctor. The result of both: inhalers prescribed. It is totally satisfying when you're right in this job, because even though I've heard plenty of wheezing in my short time here, there's no one right there that you can ask for a second opinion.  (Not to mention the parents appreciation when a trip to the E.R. wasn't for naught.)

On a completely different note, I helped a nurse screen at a different site this morning. As I pulled up, the paramedics and fire department were in the parking lot. A student had fainted, everything was fine, but all I could think was, "Really?" I have seen the fire department and local ambulance company way more than necessary, and I can't even get away from them when I go somewhere totally new.