Day 10: Do someone else’s job

I’m serious. Have a look around the ward, the clinic or your operating theatre. Each person you work with are highly trained in what they do. Each of your colleagues are treasures of knowledge, experience and skills. Today, pick up a new skill, or refresh yourself on an old skill. If you’re a surgeon and have not held an anaesthetic face mask in a long time, ask to hold one as the patient goes to sleep. Put in an IV cannula, intubate a patient, write the drug chart, help a nurse draw up some antibiotics, check in a patient, draw some blood, fax a letter, book a patient into clinic, escort a patient to the ward, call a taxi for a patient, sit in with a pharmacist as they educate patients, change a wound dressing, etc. The options are boundless. Be reasonable though, do not put anyone at risk. Try today to be in someone else’s shoes and perform a duty that you do not normally perform. It will stretch your courage and humility. Good luck.