Chapter 119: Tensions in the Ward

This matter must be put on hold for now.

However, Zhou Can continued to keep a close eye on the man. Patients who have just undergone surgery must be monitored closely within 12 hours to prevent any unforeseen events.

Sometimes, the sooner a surgical oversight or failure is detected, the better the chance to salvage the situation.

“Everyone, set your work aside! Chief Resident Shen will be here shortly for rounds—get ready,”

bellowed Chief Resident Xiang to alert the ward doctors.

On-duty residents are required to check on patients at least twice a day.

This is scheduled for the morning and before the evening shift ends.

In fact, diligent junior doctors often examine critical patients every two hours and ensure checks at least every three to four hours, even at night.

Although patients are accompanied by family, their medical knowledge is extremely limited.

When danger looms, families may not notice in time.

Nor can they take effective measures to help.

It ultimately falls to the doctors and nurses.

Speaking of nurses, their roles differ greatly from those of doctors.

They handle injections, change dressings, offer specialized pre- and post-operative nutritional advice, and relay orders from the doctors.

Only doctors possess true diagnostic skills.

Ward rounds are the most effective way to prevent mishaps.

Junior doctors are diligent in rounds, but due to their limited expertise, they often miss subtle issues or fail to answer questions about potential risks.

That is why both attending and chief doctors join the rounds.

At present, major hospitals use a three-tier ward round system.

Residents check patients two to three times a day; attending doctors once; and chiefs once or twice a week.

Dr. He appeared rather nervous upon hearing that Chief Resident Shen was on his way.

“You three, please sort through the check-up reports and medical histories for the ten beds. Also, make sure you review the dietary and bowel details of the critical patients,”

he ordered. According to protocol, when attending and chief doctors conduct rounds, even the lower-ranked must follow, promptly reporting patient conditions and providing the necessary reports and histories.

Dr. Hezhang seemed rather timid.

He hurriedly and clumsily organized all the patients’ documentation.

Zhou Can couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

Isn’t it just a ward round by the chief? No reason to be so frightened.

“Is Chief Shen handling many patients? I see lots of doctors scrambling to prepare!” Zhou Can asked two interns.

“Senior, you might be new here. You have no idea how formidable Chief Shen is. He’s a team leader and a professor renowned in orthopedic trauma. Most patients in Orthopedics are under his care, and he personally oversees the more complicated trauma cases,”

the two interns replied with obvious admiration.

In their eyes, every team-leading professor was a giant.

Figures to be admired from afar.

After gathering all the documents, Dr. He personally placed them by the patients’ beds, briefing both the patients and their families.

At that moment, Chief Resident Shen was still nowhere in sight.

However, the doctors in charge had already lined up by their respective beds.

They stood silently, waiting.

It should be noted that in such open ward areas, standing by the bedside in advance is a sign of respect. In private wards, one must wait in the corridor.

If you barge into the ward before the chief arrives, it won’t be seen as respectful.

It would instead seem as if you’re trying to steal his thunder.

Especially when hospital leaders drop by for rounds; interns are often not permitted inside.

There are simply too many people.

At last, a team of seven or eight members appeared in view for the rounds.

At the forefront was a nearly sixty-year-old male doctor with a commanding presence and the demeanor of a king.

Surely, that must be Chief Resident Shen.

Beside him were the department’s attending doctors and the head nurse.

Dr. Yang, who supervises the trainees, had to stay at the back.

Zhou Can noticed a female doctor with exceptionally fair, wavy hair following closely behind Chief Shen.

She wore a confident yet somewhat haughty smile.

Her presence was equally commanding.

The surrounding doctors clearly held her in high regard.

One could tell from their positions who held the higher rank.

“Who is that lady following Chief Shen? She looks quite young, yet her position seems important!”

Zhou Can whispered to Dr. He beside him.

Only then did he notice the anxious look on Dr. He’s face, with a fine bead of sweat on his forehead.

His hand, clutching the documents, trembled slightly.

“That is Dr. Shan, the youngest attending in Orthopedics. She’s only 31, but her surgical skills are exceptional—meticulous, in fact. Her academic record is impressive; she even published a paper in The Lancet, that renowned British medical journal. You know it, right?”

“I know. It’s one of the core medical journals!”

Zhou Can recalled borrowing some concepts from The Lancet when writing his thesis.

Being appointed as an attending at Tuyu Hospital at 31 definitely marks her as a genius.

No wonder her status is so high.

Chief Resident Shen led the team as they moved from one bed to the next.

For patients with straightforward cases, he merely listened to brief reports before moving on.

After over twenty minutes, he finally reached the area managed by Zhou Can—beds 115 to 124.

“Chief Shen, hello! I am Dr. Hezhang, the resident managing beds 115–124.”

Dr. Hezhang’s greeting was somewhat comical.

With his shoulders slumped and a slight bow, he greeted Chief Shen with a beaming smile.

Perhaps too nervous, his words were a bit tongue-tied and his hands shook noticeably.

Don’t laugh at him for being so eager.

Everyone wants to climb the ladder. For a resident like him, earning Chief Shen’s favor could change his fate in an instant.

Even just leaving a good impression would be enough.

“Well done! As the doctor in charge knows the patients best, please give us a concise report on each patient’s condition.”

Chief Shen said warmly, smiling.

“No problem!”

Immediately, Dr. Hezhang straightened up and began giving a brief, clear rundown of each patient’s status.

For the first few beds with uncomplicated cases, Chief Shen only asked a few quick questions.

When he reached the female patient repeatedly crying, ‘I’m dying!’ he listened intently.

He took her reports and examined them carefully, one by one.

Especially the X-rays.

“Her hip is fractured in several spots; the surgical plan is rather complex!”

After reviewing the reports, Chief Shen handed them to the fair-skinned Dr. Shan.

She took them, and under the light, carefully scrutinized the X-rays.

“It is indeed complex, and she shows signs of osteoporosis. The outcome of repair remains uncertain,”

Dr. Shan offered her insight.

“We might need to consult Director Luo, an expert in joint surgery, to discuss whether to enhance the patient’s nutrition, attempt a repair, or opt for a complete hip replacement to devise the optimal plan.”

Treating hip fractures is inherently challenging.

The hip, being the connection between the lower limbs and the torso and subjected to continuous movement, endures significant stress.

“Who is the family member?”

Chief Shen inquired.

“This is the patient’s son. Coming from a single-parent family, the patient was injured in a car accident; the driver is entirely at fault, and the insurance company is already handling the claim,”

Dr. He quickly explained.

The thorough preparations made before Chief Shen’s arrival were now proving useful.

At least, the answers satisfied the senior doctors.

“Young man, since your mother’s injury involves a fractured hip with multiple breaks, we must deliberate carefully to determine the best treatment plan. This may take two to three days; we’ll discuss it with you once a decision is reached.”

Chief Shen explained to the family member.

“Alright,”

the young man replied with a casual nod before returning to his game.

They say strictness is justified—there is some truth to that.

This young man, though not bad by nature, seemed utterly indifferent to his mother’s suffering, absorbed solely in his game—a likely result of being overly pampered since childhood.

Chief Shen merely smiled at the young man before moving on to the next bed.

As Dr. Hezhang was about to speak, Chief Shen waved his hand.

“I’m clear on this patient. I performed the surgery myself.”

He looked over at the man in the bed.

“Has he had any water or food post-op?”

“He had a bowl of porridge.”

“Did he urinate?”

“Yes, once.”

“Was the urine color normal?”

“Bright yellow!”

“Hmm, that sounds acceptable. Our surgical team executed an 11-hour operation to save his leg. If there’s no adverse reaction post-op and he makes it through the first seven days, the leg is essentially saved.”

Chief Shen lifted the blanket to inspect the patient’s leg.

“The skin on the foot looks fine, and the temperature is good. It seems Dr. Shan’s skill in anastomosing vessels and nerves has reached a high level!”

“All thanks to your guidance—I’ve improved so quickly,”

Dr. Shan replied with notable emotional intelligence.

In front of her seniors, she showed no hint of arrogance.

Zhou Can glanced at Dr. He, hoping he would seize this opportunity to report the patient’s slight edema and bruising, but Dr. He pretended not to notice.

It was understandable.

He believed that the slight swelling was just a normal post-operative reaction.

Pointing it out publicly might upset both Chief Shen and Dr. Shan, who performed the surgery.

Sometimes, offending someone can happen in an instant.

Especially when the atmosphere is so relaxed—Chief Shen was clearly pleased with his own performance.

Dr. Shan, in particular, felt a sense of pride.

At this point, raising an objection might be acceptable if the issue were serious.

But to question their work over minor swelling while the senior doctors celebrated their success was unthinkable.

The likely outcome would be painfully obvious.

Seeing Dr. He’s timidity, Zhou Can felt it was necessary to seize this rare chance to report to Chief Shen.

After Chief Shen had spoken a few words and was about to move on,

gathering all his courage, Zhou Can said, “Chief Shen…”

Before he could finish, Dr. He tugged forcibly at his sleeve,

shaking his head slightly at him,

indicating he should not speak at that moment.

“Do you have something to say?”

Chief Shen looked at Zhou Can, surprised.

He couldn’t even recall the names of many residents, let alone the new trainees.

“The patient reports that his leg is swollen and painful!”

Zhou Can was determined to speak—this wasn’t about personal gain but about saving the patient’s leg. If there was an issue with the surgery, it needed correction immediately.

If there were no problems, that would be ideal.

“I know. The patient did mention earlier that his leg feels swollen—that’s a normal post-operative reaction,”

Chief Shen replied in a gentle tone.

His expression remained kind.

“I carefully examined the leg; the area near the operation site shows significant swelling with subcutaneous bruising,”

Zhou Can stated in a serious tone.

Unlike Dr. He’s sycophantic tone, he reported the issue confidently and respectfully.

This showed that truly capable people have great self-assurance when speaking to their superiors.

It’s confidence born of skill.

“Because the patient’s leg was run over by a car, causing mild subcutaneous bruising near the ankle, it’s generally not a major issue,” Chief Shen admitted, his smile fading slightly.

The young doctor’s tone was somewhat abrasive.

Even if he wanted to stand out, there’s a time and place.

Chief Shen had examined the leg himself—would he have missed what Zhou Can pointed out?

“The swelling near the surgical site is also a normal post-operative reaction. In a day or two, it should subside. In the future, you should consult your supervisor about these details,”

Though he didn’t overtly scold Zhou Can, his words carried a trace of displeasure.

“The new trainees are clueless. After the shift, I’ll hold a training session,” Dr. Yang interjected quickly.

With so many patients and family members watching, he was careful not to scold Zhou Can directly.

Otherwise, he might have completely reprimanded him.

Logically, a perceptive junior like Zhou Can should have admitted his mistake and quietly stepped aside.

Yet he remained stubborn.

“Chief Shen, I’m only daring to hypothesize—could the patient’s leg have vascular damage or even a thrombus? I feel that the edema and bruising here differ from normal post-op reactions. In the emergency operating room, I’ve seen post-operative swelling that isn’t this firm. Bruising from a skin injury would be darker and wouldn’t continue to spread.”

Zhou Can’s stubbornness stemmed from his extensive surgical experience.

He was convinced something was wrong with this patient.

Earlier, when Chief Shen examined the leg, Zhou Can clearly saw that the bruising had expanded somewhat.

It had spread to the area around the ankle.

Chief Shen’s expression changed minutely, but he said little.

He seemed to be pondering Zhou Can’s words.

However, Dr. Shan wasn’t willing to let it go.

This patient’s leg had its vessels and nerves rejoined by her, so for Zhou Can to question potential vascular damage or a serious thrombus was tantamount to challenging the success of her surgery in public.

For someone so young who was promoted to attending status and known for her surgical talent, she must be immensely proud.

If Chief Shen were to question her work, she wouldn’t take it lightly.

But for a trainee, especially one from the Emergency Department, to dare to question her publicly

was simply unacceptable to her.

“Dr. Yang, it seems you need to reinforce your training of the new residents tonight! Their tendency to obsess over trivial details is just too ‘endearing,'”

A highly educated woman would never shout like an ordinary harpy.

Even though Dr. Shan’s face turned pale with anger and her chest heaved, she maintained her composure and eloquence.

Dr. Yang could clearly detect the dissatisfaction in her tone.

His eyes turned cold as he looked at Zhou Can.

One might even fear he was plotting to strangle him.

“Xiao He, take him to the office and explain everything clearly so he doesn’t cause another scene,”

Dr. Yang, unable to personally intervene, ordered Dr. He to take the unruly trainee away.

He was truly astonished by Zhou Can—while other juniors strove to impress Chief Shen, this young man had managed to offend the two most esteemed doctors in the Orthopedic Trauma Department.

After all, offending someone can also drag down the supervisor in charge.

Sometimes misfortune finds you at the most unexpected moments.

During the ward round, while the patients’ status remained stable, this kid managed to screw things up.

Dr. He was nearly in tears from worry.

Who would have thought Zhou Can could be so obstinate—a one-track mind without any nuance.

“Dr. Zhou, come with me to the office. I’ll make everything clear for you. Don’t disrupt Chief Shen’s rounds any further,” Dr. Hezhang said, almost dragging Zhou Can toward the office.

“Wait!”

Chief Shen unexpectedly called out, stopping the forceful removal of Zhou Can.

“His analysis isn’t without merit, and his observations are very precise. For the sake of our patients, I believe this matter deserves careful consideration.”