Chapter 237: To think of ways for the sake of the patient Chapter 237: To think of ways for the sake of the patient Tan Kelin shifted from resting one hand on his hip to slipping both hands into the pockets of his white coat, seeming to be slightly less angry, and his tone softened as he inquired from the student, “What did you just say about Bed 7?”
The teacher had asked her again. Xie Wanying was just about to answer.
From the side, Luo Yanfen and the other two shot her a look: Please don’t talk anymore.
How dared she defy a teacher’s command? Xie Wanying said, “The patient in Bed 7 is preoccupied. I noticed in her medical history that she was scheduled for surgery on the third day of her hospital stay, but three days passed without the surgery or her signing the consent form. It seems like she’s hesitating about whether or not to have the operation.”
“Bed 7,” Liu Chengran took over for Tan Kelin and asked Dr. Xiao Sun and the others, “Haven’t you all figured it out yet?”
It was clear then that the senior doctors were already aware of Bed 7’s situation.
You need to confront reality sooner rather than later. Not going for the surgery means waiting for death. Staying hospitalized without the surgery and taking up a bed is unacceptable, too, because it prevents other patients from being admitted. This was blatantly obvious to anyone looking through the eyes of the senior doctors.
“I had the three of them go and communicate with the patient, and they were tasked with contacting the patient’s family to come in,” Dr. Xiao Sun reported swiftly on his actions.
Continuing in relay, Luo Yanfen and the three said, “We asked her to call her relatives, and she said her son was away on a business trip and would need a few days to return. We have spoken to her personally, it’s not okay not to have the surgery. She has rectal cancer.”
Hearing an answer that didn’t quite fit from these people, Xie Wanying couldn’t help but interject, not wanting to keep the teacher in the dark: “The lady in Bed 7 doesn’t have a son; she has a daughter who is overseas.”
A landmine—that had just been defused—was triggered once again.
Thud, the surroundings fell so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Following that, Luo Yanfen exploded, “She said she has a son; she never mentioned a daughter. She told us herself—don’t believe it? We can turn back now and ask her!”
Being double-crossed by two patients in a row was enough to drive any medical student crazy.
In response, Xie Wanying mentally shrugged: Isn’t it common for patients to lie? These people were clinical doctoral students, they ought to know from their practice in clinical work. Observing a patient’s condition isn’t just about asking and examining; one needs to learn to observe what’s on the patient’s mind. These three doctoral students were slick, probably treating their rotations as stepping stones. Hence, they didn’t plan to take the work seriously since it was just a rotation and not their adviser’s department.
The two male doctoral students were somewhat cooler-headed and sought confirmation from Xie Wanying, “Did the patient personally tell you that she has a daughter?”
“The aunt in Bed 8 next to her has a lighter condition and is about to be discharged. I told Bed 8’s aunt what to look out for after discharge and casually asked about Bed 7’s son and why he hadn’t visited. The aunt in Bed 8 quietly told me that Bed 7 had no son, only a daughter who went abroad.”
“How did the aunt in Bed 8 know about her?” the others wondered.
“The aunt in Bed 8 accidentally overheard her talking on the phone with her daughter abroad, and later asked her personally to confirm,” she replied.
“You sneaked off to ask the next bed?” the group expressed surprise.
“If she had concerns, she definitely wouldn’t have said it outright,” Xie Wanying said, implying that for the patient’s sake she had to find sneaky ways to inquire.
“Even if you did find out she has a daughter, what good would that do?” Luo Yanfen asked her anxiously and aggressively.
“It’s a breakthrough, to show her lying is pointless,” Xie Wanying explained, “Most people, once a part of their lie is uncovered, find their psychological defenses easily broken down. Then, she might tell me why she’s hesitant to proceed with the surgery.”
“Did she tell you?” Doctor Sun chimed in.