Today was my first month doing dedicated regional anesthesia as a CA-2, and my goodness, blocks galore! I swear, if I had done zero neuraxial or peripheral nerve blocks coming into this month, I’d easily meet my minimum requirements for RESIDENCY by the end of December. The volume is crazy, the nurses are super helpful, and the attendings have all been remarkable in skill and patience.
Just today, I did over 10 procedures ranging from CSEs and epidurals to continuous adductor canal peripheral nerve blocks and intraoperative TAP blocks. Sprinkle in floor rounds on our prior patients, and it was a busy but fulfilling day!
This is a relatively new regional rotation for our program, and it is truly a gem! Besides the volume of blocks we place, it also gives us a taste of working in the private practice setting (all about billing, volume, and turnover).
Truth be told, my career goals in critical care and cardiothoracic anesthesia are on the opposite end of the spectrum to regional anesthesia, but the procedural skills and knowledge base are still a cornerstone to any “modern” anesthesiologist’s training. I’m hoping to make the most of it!
Time to rest up for the 10+ block opportunities I have tomorrow! 🙂
