Log in to MyACC
The Board of Truth
On the wall hangs a humble, magnetic dry erase board.
A column for each cath lab room, a row for each time slot,
More reliable than the Epic Snapboard,
It is the board of truth.
The cath lab schedule for the day.
A variety of colored markers rest at the bottom.
Clean, careful handwriting on each magnetic panel.
Patient, procedure, time, attending, fellow,
Initials for monitor, nurse and technician,
Dictating the best laid plans of the cath lab.
Small, labeled round magnets are added,
Designating anesthesia, name alerts,
Quick scribbling by a hurried fellow,
6 F R radial, JR4, JL3.5,
Severe aortic stenosis no – nitro!
Before long the board transforms with the day,
Check mark, ready to load.
"In" circled in red: case is starting.
Big "X" in black marker: case is finishing.
How fast can the room turn over?
NSTEMI? Add it to the board.
Hold for an incoming transfer,
Bumped, for a STEMI.
Cancelled, for unexpected bleeding,
Shuffling faster than Hogwarts stairs.
Scribbles, smudges, and cross-outs,
The aftermath on a battlefield of lives saved and lives lost,
All get erased at the end of the day.
With barely perceptible residual markings holding their memories,
Until tomorrow, a new day, with a clean board and fresh marker.
This poem was authored by Christine P. Shen, MD, an interventional cardiology fellow at Scripps Health in La Jolla, CA. @iconsideritjoy.
This content was developed independently from the content developed for ACC.org. This content was not reviewed by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for medical accuracy and the content is provided on an "as is" basis. Inclusion on ACC.org does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement by the ACC and ACC makes no warranty that the content is accurate, complete or error-free. The content is not a substitute for personalized medical advice and is not intended to be used as the sole basis for making individualized medical or health-related decisions. Statements or opinions expressed in this content reflect the views of the authors and do not reflect the official policy of ACC.
