I have known some people who can go to sleep at any time, any place, and even under extremely uncomfortable conditions. These are the gifted ones. I know someone who would go to sleep even in standing position, that too without falling down. That person was treated for narcolepsy and is doing well. I had not known any resident doctor who could do it.
"Sir, Dr. XXXXXX was assisting a vaginal hysterectomy. Suddenly she/he stumbled."
"Stumbled? While stationary?"
"Yes. Then we realized she/he had gone to sleep while assisting in a standing position."
"That is great" I said.
"Sir, that is nothing. The other day she/he was injecting oxytocin into a bottle of normal saline hung on an IV stand. She/he went to sleep with the syringe poised close to the bottle. The patient then woke her/him up and said 'doctor, please put the injection into the bottle.' The patient must have got upset because the doctor's sleep was delaying her treatment."
"That is awesome" I said.
The fun part apart, there is something quite upsetting in all this. If our resident doctors have good time management, they will not spend their free time working and will have time to catch up with their sleep. Then such things will not happen. I recall conducting a time management workshop for them, which many of them did not attend because they had either no time or no interest. Now I am in the process of working out rules so that they get more time to sleep. In the meantime, our master sleeper will continue to sleep while standing, and I can only pray that she/he does not fall down and injure herself/himself.
(Note: The 'she/he and her/him business as an attempt to protect the identity of the person."
"Sir, Dr. XXXXXX was assisting a vaginal hysterectomy. Suddenly she/he stumbled."
"Stumbled? While stationary?"
"Yes. Then we realized she/he had gone to sleep while assisting in a standing position."
"That is great" I said.
"Sir, that is nothing. The other day she/he was injecting oxytocin into a bottle of normal saline hung on an IV stand. She/he went to sleep with the syringe poised close to the bottle. The patient then woke her/him up and said 'doctor, please put the injection into the bottle.' The patient must have got upset because the doctor's sleep was delaying her treatment."
"That is awesome" I said.
The fun part apart, there is something quite upsetting in all this. If our resident doctors have good time management, they will not spend their free time working and will have time to catch up with their sleep. Then such things will not happen. I recall conducting a time management workshop for them, which many of them did not attend because they had either no time or no interest. Now I am in the process of working out rules so that they get more time to sleep. In the meantime, our master sleeper will continue to sleep while standing, and I can only pray that she/he does not fall down and injure herself/himself.
(Note: The 'she/he and her/him business as an attempt to protect the identity of the person."
