EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management On-Call

Venturi emergency suction, calls from senior nursing staff, its making a strange leaking noise it doesn't normally do that!

As a slight (non-NHS, I guess) diversion:- in my experience "On-Call" can also be a contractual obligation (requirement) ... and - as has already been mentioned - private* patients (often paying OTT money) sometimes expect "premium service".

Those who have worked overseas may recall that "carrying the bleeper" was generally regarded by many as a "badge of office". I must admit that I didn't really see it that way myself, but nevertheless ended up burdened with the darned thing for extended periods on a number of occasions (as in, six months or more). And I can relate that - even at this distance now of twenty years and more ago - the "novelty" of being called in during the night every time they wanted to connect up a baby to the Bear Cub ventilator rapidly wears off.

* Or VIP - both "so-called" and de facto.

Used to get a lot of calls for Blood Gas Analysers in my early years. As a poor Medical Physics Technician I was still living at home. Getting phone calls at two in the morning annoyed my parents, they used to ask if it was that "Bloody Gas Machine" again?

Oh yes - the ABL.

I also used to spend (pass, waste ... whatever) many a "happy" evening with those (well, the one in the ICU, mainly). So much so that I became "quite good"* on that particular piece of kit.

But "luckily" for me, I lived on site at that particular place (a couple of hours north of Riyadh, in case anyone was wondering). But therein laid the difference:- living on site versus living at home. A completely different scenario, I agree.

* Although never having been trained on it, by the way (or any of the other kit in that hospital, I might add).

Hello

I was called in to fix an oxygen leak at the bed head; had a quick listen turned down the radio (tube style head set not plugged in) and magically cured the "fault".

Lee

Ha, ha. Yes I've heard that one (or something like it) before.

"Nice work" if you're a Contractor and can charge for the Call-Out.

(but maybe I had better not mention that particular Can of Worms)