Things I learned on my first rotation, part 2!

I finished my nuclear pharmacy rotation yesterday! As first rotations go, I really couldn't have asked for a better experience (minus the crazy schedule). My skills have definitely improved a lot over the last four weeks. My preceptor and everyone at GE was wonderful and so very patient with Courtney and me as we went from raw beginners to semi-competent nuclear pharmacists.

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At the half way point of my rotation, I talked about some of the things I had learned thus far. Now I'm here to share a few more things that stuck with me from my experience.

Thing #1: Muscle memory is the real deal.

Previously, I discussed the physical challenges of nuclear pharmacy, and I'm happy to report that I got much better at manipulating heavy objects with just my fingers. I could see my muscle memory developing, and by the last week, I was able to do tasks much more accurately and quickly than my sad attempts from the first few days. I was by no means as fast as the pharmacists and techs who had years of experience in nuclear, but I could hold my own without causing everything to be late.

Thing #2: Being on rotation with a friend makes even the worst nights better.

On our second to last day, Courtney and I arrived at rotation for night shift to find that the tech was ill and it was just going to be us and our preceptor getting everything ready in time for the first delivery run. We looked at each other over our masks in a panic like "oh snap there is no possible way this is going to end well." Then, we said to each other, "We can do this." And we rocked it. We got those kits made and those doses out and felt like competent pharmacists doing real work. Having Courtney there made the rotation so much better. We laughed, we encouraged each other, and kept each other sane at 3am when the rest of the world was asleep. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have been by myself or been with someone I didn't like for the month.

Thing #3: Always remember your person.

On our second or third day, we were practicing drawing doses and learning what the margin for error was for the doses (nuclear is not an exact science). The tech who was working with us had been a nuclear medicine teacher for years, and she told us something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. She looked us in the eye and said, "Girls, I want you to think of the person who is the most important in your life, the person you love the most and can't imagine anything happening to. Now whenever you are not sure if the dose you've drawn is good enough, think of that person, and imagine that they are in the hospital and are about to receive that dose. Would you be comfortable with what you drew being administered to your person?" This might be the best advice I have ever received in my time as a pharmacy student. Think of your person. Would you be comfortable with your person receiving the drug/IV/care that you are about to give?




 February is my didactic month, and I only have class three days a week. Hello four day weekend! I'll pretty much be working or reading all month. It will be such a nice change to be back in the land of living and be able to do fun things! I should probably start training for the half marathon again, too.

February in a nutshell