Subbing can suck.

I'm pretty happy with my hygiene situation right now.  I have 1.5 days guaranteed at a fabulous office close to my house.  I pick up days (as we say in the industry) up to 5 days a week.  I like having certain flexibility, some weeks I work a lot, other weeks I hardly work.  It has it's upsides and it usually works really well, except for when it doesn't.  Here is the most recent frustrating sitch.

A lady asked me to sub the 16th and the 23rd.  She LEFT A MESSAGE on my phone about the days, etc, asking me to call her back.  I call her back, LEAVE A MESSAGE with a front office person that I CAN'T work the 9th but I CAN work the 16th (or something like that).  Then I realized I hadn't even responded to the days she had asked me (you'd think I'd be more organized, this is my LIVELIHOOD we're talking about). I realized my mistake, called her back, LEFT ANOTHER MESSAGE with ANOTHER front office person.  The hygienist then called me back and LEFT A MESSAGE saying she had gotten my messages and that she had me down for the 16th, but was going to get someone else for the 23rd.  At least I'm pretty sure that's what she said.

Anyway, of course the perfect storm comes yesterday when my PG friend asks me to work for her 7-1.  I say I am already working 7-5 at another office.  I tried to get somebody else to cover her day, because she is uncomfortable and having a hard time walking around without lower back pain, but nobody could.  I felt bad telling her I couldn't do it and nobody else had responded to my call.

This morning, I set my alarm for 6:15.  Snooze.  6:24.  Snooze.  Then my husband saying, "Marianne?" . . . 7:00am.  "suck."

Jump out of bed, nearly waking up the 7 month-old and 3 year-old that practically sleep on top of me every night, run to the bathroom.  I can get ready in about 5 minutes.  Go to the bathroom, put my contacts in, comb my hair back, get dressed, grab my loupes and as I'm running out the door I call the office I'm supposed to work at.  I am sick (a sick women getting up at this ungodly hour, psh) and I've lost my voice so I am like squeaking into the phone, "Hi!  I'm supposed to be working today, I am running late (NOT I just woke up) I'll be there in 5 minutes" and I hear on the other line "Um . . . I have you down for working the 23rd . . . "  Of course you do.  The eye of the storm.

So there are some upsides to this.  I called my PG friend and told her I'd be there to start her 2nd patient.  I am not working as long today overall.  I now will be working in an office where I have worked before and like.  I might be able to get off early enough to go to a staff meeting at my normal office that I thought I'd miss before.  I have time to write this post. 

Downsides to this.  I spent all day yesterday thinking I was going to be doing one thing and kind of dreading it because I'm sick.  My PG friend had to get her PG backside out of bed this morning way too early and go to work for 1 hour.  Miscommunication drives me CRAZY, as it is inefficient.  Meh.

Hats off to subbing!  And all it's future crappy situations.

Really?

I am FLOORED by certain instructors and what they think is appropriate in clinic.  Watching your favorite sitcom, with the volume up LOUD in the Instructor pod, laughing your head off, as if you're not there getting paid to HELP students LEARN?!?!?  And when I have to wait 5 minutes for you to check my radiographs so you can "quickly" look at your friends facebook pictures from the weekend?  Seriously?  Not a fan.  At all.  So frustrating.  At least TRY to pretend that you care or TRY to appear as if you are doing something pertinent to your job.  Real good example, real good.  I am so tempted to name drop, but I think I'll try to show some maturity that this person obviously cannot.  And I know instructors say they read these blogs, but I don't believe it.  We'll see if anything comes of this outburst (don't plan on it). 

The above behaviors made today's clinic less than desirable. I'm sure it's just me, but I get a little irritated by certain things.  Like sitting around with half the clinic chit chatting when others are finishing charts and cleaning up rooms.  I think we can help each other.  I think when half the clinic gets done WAY early and the other half get done on time/late the first half as already mentally checked out, so they're either not aware or not in the mood to get up and help.  I am SO appreciative to those who remain cognizant of others and continually help.

I treated a 1B in the morning and did 3 sealants and 2 PE's (the worst ones in my opinion) in the afternoon.  HUGE thank you to Michelle for letting me see her sealant patient, that helps me a TON.  Not a super productive day, but I'm losing steam mentally in clinic.  Should I admit that openly on my blog?  Sure.  Let's be honest.  Like I said, I'm sure no instructor will read this anyway.

A Pink Lowercase Letter Day

Don't get me wrong, it was a good day.  It just wasn't the Red Letter Day I was unrealistically hoping for.  Last week I really sat down and planned today's schedule though and it turned out quite well.

Mr. "You're going places Gal" who has been "so impressed" got all done in the early morning.  2Q Class II.

Mr. Espanol (again no translator, boom baby) was walking out by 11:00am.  2Q Class III.

lunch, BK with MeCh and Karlie.  I thought I left my lunch at home, but MeChel found it in the car on our way to BK.  So that turned into my after clinic meal.

Here is where it all went pink.  My high-high-unrealistic hopes were to see a 12 year old, take bwx and pano, prophylaxis, Diagnodent and PE, and sealant and PE BEFORE my next patient came at 2.  :)  Don't laugh at me, I was shooting for the stars.  Well, it didn't go as planned.  I did do bwx, prophylaxis and Diagnodent PE.  The sealants would have been great except that she had 30+ readings from the Diagnodent on ALL her 2nd molars.  Let's just say she sucks at home care and I don't even feel bad using that verbage for her because she completely sucks at it, her mom is a hygienist, and she KNOWS why she should take better care of her teeth she just doesn't because she is a mental 12 year old who wouldn't hold still during radiographs because she just likes to be irritating and eeew, I could go on!  Yucky.  Anyway, she had all permanent dentition so that took awhile, plaque everywhere and I didn't ultrasonic her BECAUSE I AM AN IDIOT!!  Also, when I told her mom that I couldn't do sealants because of the Diagnodent readings she was not happy.  I talked to Alexander who talked to Dr. Anderton who did not want to talk to the Mom, so Alexander talked with the Mom.  Anyway, it wasn't good and took TOO LONG!

So, I brought my next 11 year old patient back way too late.  30 minutes after I told them to be there.  :(  But, she was a really CUTE and NICE 11 year old.  She doesn't have great home care, and grows plaque/calculus like CRAZY, but your attitude determines your altitude you know?  Anyhoo, couldn't do sealants on her either because of carious lesions.  Sad.  I DID use the ultrasonic on her and that was practically it.  Going through each surface and scaling is what took me 100 years on my first afternoon pt.  It was interesting though on my second patient to see the eruption process in REAL LIFE!

She still had one primary tooth hanging on for dear life, and I really tried to "accidentally" get it out, but I couldn't.  We encouraged her to wiggle it A LOT and hope it comes out in the next week or two.  She had some interesting erythmatic lesions on her gums though and Alexander said it just comes from the tooth erupting.  BTW, love Alexander.  She is just so laid back and nice.

So all in all, a productive day.  If only I could have done a pano and some sealants.  Ah well.

Thank you to Heather M for charting for me, Leigh, Kristie, Whitnee for helping me clean up my unit.  MeChel for doing my Treatment Plan for my fourth patient, Karen for bagging my instruments, and whoever else did all the rest of the crud I didn't do!  Wow, thanks friends.

grrrrr

I thought I was cool, because I was going to email my pts x-rays to their dentist, decreasing overall exposure and increasing efficiency and quality of radiographs.  HOWEVER, I missed one little detail.  Getting my patient to sign a "release of information" form.  grrr.

I finished my Class V patient today.  He was super easy to work with and we found out we have a mutual friend.  Darn those darn radiographs. 

Don't Suck.

Goal: Don't suck as bad as you did today. Ever Again.

Things to work on:

Set up x-ray room before taking patient back.
Don't use Schick on a small mouthed person.
Don't switch to size #1 sensor for BWX.
Barrier the doorknob.
Barrier the exposure button.
Make sure pt is wearing safety glasses in x-ray.
Keep thyroid collar against the neck.
Try not to cross-contaminate.
Tell pt's before they come how long they'll have to be here.
Be THOROUGH in OD.
Note overjets.
Have good posture.
Use a positioner for BWX (sorry, I just can't eyeball it.)
Record probe depths 2 teeth at a time.  You can't remember more than that, no matter what you think at the time.
Be thankful your patient showed up and was nice.
Be thankful J. Vining didn't fail you multiple times today.
Be thankful you got this suck-fest over with at the first of the semester.
Bring books and toys for pt's 5 year old for next appt.
Tx Record is everything you are going to do, not just what you did today.
Don't be in a hurry.

Goal for next time:  Don't suck so bad.