Top Tips for F1s

• Eat, drink, and go to the toilet.
• Take your breaks – studies have shown you get more done if you do.
• Take healthy food to long shifts. Snacking on rubbish will make you feel rubbish.
• Sleep – get early nights before long shifts and invest in good curtains/eye mask/ear plugs/whatever it takes you to sleep during the day on night shifts.
• Go home on time. If you don't go home on time, politely let the nurses on the ward know you’re supposed to have finished if they ask you to see a patient or sign a prescription etc. If you’re regularly going home late, talk to your seniors about why and whether anything can change.
• You will never finish ‘the list’ so make sure you’ve prioritised what is important (particularly to your consultants) and hand over anything you haven't been able to do to the next team even if they are disgruntled.
• Always ask for help. No question is too stupid and not everything is your responsibility.
• Check your pay.
• Book your annual leave early.
• Be nice to people, especially the domestic staff, clinical support workers, nurses and ward clerks (who know everything about how to do anything). Learn their names.
• If a nurse bleeps you for something, explain when you are likely to get to it in your current workload.
• Keep your eportfolio up to date, be proactive asking for CBDs/Mini-CEX and send tickets early (and send out more than 10 TABS).
• When you’re referring to another team have all the information beside you.
• Don’t take things personally. Rude people are usually stressed.
• Be organised – know the patients, keep a list and have space to easily write in jobs.
• Think ahead – consider whether a patient might need e.g. analgesia, and prescribe it so that you’re not called back; if prescribing fluids, check they’ve got a cannula.
• Take the time to explain things to patients and relatives. They will be really appreciative and it’s a rewarding part of the job where you can make someone feel better without prescribing any medications.