Two black biros at all times

August: Having an important bit of information close to hand when we need it can be troublesome. Whether that’s a notebook crammed with valuable medical acronyms or nurses’ handover sheet with complex details about today’s patients, an A4 sized bag is all we can carry around with us.   

Knowing that that I’ll be wearing a disposable apron each time I’m in a patient’s rooms, I’ve chosen an open top bag on a strap which crosses my body.  This may seem like a small detail but I realised, as I was giving a treatment last week, that a ‘back pack’ style of bag was becoming uncomfortable as I was reaching across an unavoidable obstacle to give a Reiki treatment.  I was being careful about my posture from a H&S perspective, but the straps were digging in a restricting my own circulation.   

A cautionary tale, with a very successful outcome today.  It’s helpful to make notes as I go along about length of treatment, any relatable anecdotes or reactions.  By the end of the afternoon, treating 3 – 5 patients, it’s hard to remember the details I want to record with accuracy. 

“2 black biros at all times” – I’m so glad I was warned.  Who could have predicted that 1 will always run out when you need it most.  Today was a case in point.  Mindful of doctors, nurses and other staff navigating the restricted space around the nurses’ station, I had secured both the Clinical Notes from the central filing system and a clean surface on which to lean.  (Before offering Reiki to the patient, I had checked her progress in these notes, reviewing as much as I was qualified to glean about her progress over the past 48 hours – nothing was contraindicated, thankfully.)   

Poised, ready to make my brief entry in today’s notes, I was mightily grateful for the reserve biro.  We aim to be sensitive to the multiple priorities on the ward and to blend in easily, so anticipation’s important, even when it comes to a humble biro.