What does a day in the life of an intensive care registrar look like?
I’m either based in the pods taking care of up to 12 critically unwell patients or working with our ICU outreach service. ICU outreach deals with everything outside the ICU – any new referrals from the ward, emergency department, or external hospitals, as well as any emergency calls on the ward. It can get quite hectic when there's a lot going on in intensive care, but there’s a degree of control that comes to working in ICU and ultimately, things distil down to what's happening with the patient in front of you and what needs to be improved to get them better.
How do you manage your own health and wellbeing through a week of nightshift?
I'm working at Barwon Health in Geelong under the seven-on-seven-off roster. My weeks alternate between a week off, and then seven shifts working 12 and a half hours that alternate between day shift and night shift. Seven long nights in a row is quite challenging. I’ve learned it’s important to make sure I don't let go of the essentials, that I keep up my diet and physical activity and stay on top of housework and life admin during my weeks ‘on’. This is so that I’m not left with an accumulated workload on my week off, because I need to make the most of that time too.
What has motivated you to be involved in enterprise bargaining?
I first got involved in enterprise bargaining when I was an intern. This current round is the third I've been involved with, and while we've made a lot of gains in the last few cycles, there continue to be shortfalls and ongoing barriers for doctors in training, which is where my focus is. We often discuss issues that are affecting people significantly, but they feel too vulnerable or exposed to be able to speak about locally. We’ve seen these problems affecting people across different hospitals and in different specialties, and collective bargaining means we're able to address those issues in a coordinated way. It’s never too late to get involved.
What advice do you have for interns?
Don't focus on what everyone else is doing. Focus on your own goals. Try not to compare yourself to others; just focus on your own race, at your own pace.
Dr Nathan Abraham is an intensive care registrar at Barwon Health and a doctor in training delegate observer on the ASMOF Federal Executive.