Musings of a Nurse (my work life)

[msnobody]

The gospels seem to show Jesus feeling forsaken in the face of death. The famous line is from a psalm, so conceivably he was still in control enough to be reciting it as one last bit of rabbinical teaching, but it was a pretty bleak verse to spring to his mind at the time.

I hope I'll face death with faith and courage, but if it scares me, I feel I'll at least be in good company, reaching up a hand in the dark, hoping a parent is there.

Me too, PG.

[msnobody]

How many non-healing wounds or amputations/further amputations, smoking-related illnesses, and just plain stinking, does it take to make you think, "I should probably stop smoking?" Apparently not enough.

Venting today!

[Xenophon]

How many non-healing wounds or amputations/further amputations, smoking-related illnesses, and just plain stinking, does it take to make you think, "I should probably stop smoking?" Apparently not enough.

Venting today!

I can't even imagine the frustration. Years ago I knew a lad that was in a car accident resulting in quite a bit of damage to his face and jaw. Bone and skin grafts were required to repair some of that. Anyone that has had any experience with them can tell you just how painful and uncomfortable those can be both at the extraction site and also wherever the transplant is. The healthcare providers warned and warned him that if he continued to smoke, especially during the early healing process, it was absolutely going to reject and they'd likely be back to square one and have to start over.

You'll never guess who got very angry when the graft ultimately didn't take.

[msnobody]

How many non-healing wounds or amputations/further amputations, smoking-related illnesses, and just plain stinking, does it take to make you think, "I should probably stop smoking?" Apparently not enough.

Venting today!

I can't even imagine the frustration. Years ago I knew a lad that was in a car accident resulting in quite a bit of damage to his face and jaw. Bone and skin grafts were required to repair some of that. Anyone that has had any experience with them can tell you just how painful and uncomfortable those can be both at the extraction site and also wherever the transplant is. The healthcare providers warned and warned him that if he continued to smoke, especially during the early healing process, it was absolutely going to reject and they'd likely be back to square one and have to start over.

You'll never guess who got very angry when the graft ultimately didn't take.

I’m guessing the patient got mad at the doctor when the grafts failed.

[msnobody]

What comes along with my job, at times, is that I sometimes get yelled at by patients. A patient showed up Friday and my thought was that there is no way this is going to turn out well. Sometimes patients have difficulty accepting what the doctor says while I am only the messenger. I endured the verbal lashing for a time, looked around at the other patients in the waiting area and thought, they have a right to come in for their doctor’s visit and not have to hear this. My message was clearly communicated to the patient who had refused to go to a private area to talk, and I listened to the yelling for a bit, heard all the pertinent information, then, I silently turned and walked away.

The time before that was during a phone call with a patient. Because I was a nurse, he told me I had to listen to him excitedly and loudly utter every swear word under the sun. I listened for a bit, and after a while, announced to him that I was ending the call. I ended the calmly call.

The time before that a similar situation occurred and the next morning (2/14), the patient had left me a box of valentine candy, and a card with an apology and a $20 bill. I had to give the gift back, of course. We are now on good terms and I call him my valentine. So, we were able to forge a good nurse patient bond.

To those “yellers” and verbally abusive patients out there, I’m actually on your team, your best advocate, and want the best for you. I go to bat for you behind the scenes, and go the extra mile which you never see. It brings me great joy to serve you. In time, I will win you over.

[malkie]

How many non-healing wounds or amputations/further amputations, smoking-related illnesses, and just plain stinking, does it take to make you think, "I should probably stop smoking?" Apparently not enough.

Venting today!

My wife used to work in a hospital communications department. Depending on her shift I was often able to either drop her off or pich her up.

It never ceased to amaze me how many patients, many in wheelchairs, with drips attached, used to gather just outside the door (and well within the 30-foot 'exclusion zone' to smoke.

But what was even more amazing was the number of doctors and nurses who joined them.

[msnobody]

How many non-healing wounds or amputations/further amputations, smoking-related illnesses, and just plain stinking, does it take to make you think, "I should probably stop smoking?" Apparently not enough.

Venting today!

My wife used to work in a hospital communications department. Depending on her shift I was often able to either drop her off or pich her up.

It never ceased to amaze me how many patients, many in wheelchairs, with drips attached, used to gather just outside the door (and well within the 30-foot 'exclusion zone' to smoke.

But what was even more amazing was the number of doctors and nurses who joined them.

So true. If a patient ever went missing, I’d go check the smoking or coffee area before I panicked.

[msnobody]

I’ve seen a couple of patients who would leave the hospital against medical advise when they were in danger of loosing a limb, just because of a pet at home, and they didn’t want to get someone else to go in and care for the pet.

[msnobody]

Heavy sigh! I can't give you the results of the x-ray because you never presented to radiology to have the x-ray completed.

[msnobody]

It is scary the folks who drive out on the roads who have no business driving.

Nurse to patient, "If you are experiencing chest pain/tightness, shortness of breath, fatigued, dizzy, can't walk more than 15 feet without getting dizzy, you should not drive yourself. Call 9-1-1 and go to the nearest ER." Patient to nurse, "I don't think I need to go to the ER. I will show up at the clinic tomorrow [likely driving himself]."

Document, document, document-- patient strongly encouraged not to drive himself, instead call 9-1-1 to go to nearest ER, or if insists upon coming into the clinic tomorrow, to have someone else drive him.

Looks like cardiology also advised emergent care. Arg!