A day in the ER:
Patient arrives via ambulance, ESI level 2
Pt: Can I get a blanket? And some coffee? Maybe something to eat too, I haven't eaten all day.
RN: You can't eat or drink anything until the Doctor sees you. I'll get you a blanket after I do a few <hundred> things to get you in the process of seeing the Doc.
Pt: What are you damn nurses good for if you can't bring me food?
<Yes, I'm not good for anything, I'm just a ER waitress.>
PT's family member: Blah, blah, blah.....this is such a long wait time, we're tired of waiting, blah blah.
RN: I'm sorry for the wait, but the ER has had an incredible surge in patients at this time. The Doctor will be with you as soon as he can. Can I get you something to drink?
PT's family member: Yes, I want a cup of coffee. Where can I get it?
RN: We have it in a locked room, I can quickly get one for you.
PT's family member: I need a medium cup. I need you to froth the cream before adding the coffee, then...
RN: We have creamer packets, how many do you want and I'll -
PT's family member: IF YOU JUST PUT THE F*****G CREAMER IN THE COFFEE FIRST LIKE I SAID THEN YOU WON'T MAKE A MISTAKE. DO IT LIKE I SAID AND GET ME THE COFFEE!
RN: You can get your coffee in the cafeteria, it's down that hall.
PT: Are you my doctor?
RN: No, I'm your nurse. Woul-
PT: Well, you look like a doctor. You sound like a doctor.
RN: I am your nurse. So Mr. Soandso, would y-
PT: But I think you're a smart girl, I'm going to tell your boss to promote you to doctor.
RN: Thank you, but it doesn't work that way. I'm a nurse. So, I need you to-
PT: If you're smart then you shouldn't stay a nurse - that would be a waste......
<sigh>
Patient in the room ESI level 3:
RN: Hi, I'm your nurse and -
PT: Can I get a warm blanket and something to drink? How long do I have to be here?
Patient in room ESI level 4:
RN: Hi Mr. So and so, I'm -
PT: You're my nurse? Go get me a drink and a blanket.
Patient in room arrives via ambulance:
RN: Let's get you into a gown first, so we can-
PT: Are you a lesbian? Are trying to look at my tits?
<What? no blanket and drink?>
While on the phone trying to transfer a patient back to the resident's facility, a crying woman comes in informing me that my patient pulled everything out and eloped. The facility on the phone is telling me that it is my job to find a ride home for the patient, the charge nurse tells me I have a new chest pain in my room and nothing has been done - I better get in there to meet the protocol times and the security guard asks me to watch my dementia patient because she keeps leaving her room.
I couldn't find my happy place during this shift. It made me regret not going to law school..
Friday, February 17, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Flashback
I've had a stressful past 2 weeks which I don't feel like talking about right now, so I think I'll reminisce a little.
I heard about the recent new hires at the department where I once worked and discovered that their interview process is a shadow of what I had to go through to get the same job.
To get a position as an officer at this Department of Public Safety, a potential candidate had to do the following:
>Fill out a 30 page packet which took a long time to fill out. Information had to include the past 20 years of history (which at the time meant going back to grade school information).
>Once called to start the process (it took 9 months - I actually forgot about the application), a candidate had to go take a written exam consisting of general knowledge, math, critical thinking and mechanical aptitude. The exam took approximately 5 hours to take.
>If you passed, a phone call confirmed it and invited you to take the next eliminator - the physical fitness test. It was a long "workout" which was timed combining both firefighting and police requirements.
~I forgot how long the time requirements were, but the test was exhausting and performed without rest
breaks.
Ready, get set, GO! Pick up a hotel pack (weight = approximately 70 lbs), run up 3 flights of stairs,
drop the pack. Run to the edge of the building and pull up 2 sections of hose (approx. 40lbs) by a
rope 3 stories. Pick up hose, lift over railing, touch the floor, and the lift over the railing again and
lower to ground in a controlled manner. Run back to the hotel pack, and run down 3 flights of
stairs with it.
Run to the other side of the building, climb a ladder 3 stories, touch the top and back to the ground.
Run back around to the other side, chop a piece of wood with an axe.
Run inside the building where there is a hose rack with 10 sections of 2 1/2" hose on the top section.
Take each section down, stack neatly and then return them back to their original place.
Run outside the tower to an area where you have to run 50 ft with various boxes and weights, then
drag a charged 2 1/2" hose the 50 ft. Drag a 180 lb manikin.
Now you ran to the police obstacle course area. Jump/climb over various heights of chain link
fences, crawl through some tunnels, balance on beams and perform some sprints.
Next, get into a patrol car - huh, I forgot what the hell I did in there - weird. Then you jump out
and hold a training 9mm gun in firing position for 2 minutes. (This doesn't sound difficult, but after
everything, you feel like a rubber band).
Now you drop the gun and run half a mile.
That's the end of the physical fitness test.
>If you passed that, then you get a phone call for a medical physical and a written psychological test to see how much you hate your mother and such.
>If you pass that, then you have an appointment with a psychologist to see how much you hate your mother again.
>If you pass that, you have to wait for your background investigation to be completed. They had people visit my relatives, neighbors, friends from school - back to elementary school. Amazing.
>If you pass that, then you meet with your case investigator who asks you about everything they found out and to explain any bad thing you could have done in the past.
>If you pass that, then you are invited to have be interviewed. An interview consists of 6 senior officers of both the fire and police department. It is not a pleasant experience. They use every means possible to piss you off and play psychological games. One was "the good cop", one was the "bad cop", one asked the goofiest and strangest questions, another was the agitator.
I was seated at a round table with all the interviewers looking at me. The started pleasantly, then one by one started asking questions. The strange guy kept asking about decapitations and described gruesome scenerios with questions. The "good cop" asked a couple of questions, was all smiles and listened to me intently. The "bad cop" asked questions with a scowl on his face, swirled around in his chair while I was talking to him, etc. I was surprised by his actions at the time. The agitator told me he saw some of my grades in college and thought I was stupid. He asked, "Are you f*cking stupid or plain lazy?" "I'm not hiring a dumbass." WHAT???!!
Any answer to his question he called me "stupid" or "dumbass". He clearly was trying to piss me off. Situational questions, shoot/ don't shoot questions, personal questions..... The finale was the question, "Who here will vote for you being part of our "family" and who here will vote against you and why."
I walked in there looking professional in my suit and left sweaty and plainly shocked. I was lead to an office where I was offered the position.
I have never before had an "interview process" like that and probably never will again.
The officer candidates now have it easy. They no longer interview that way and I think it's a shame. It clearly eliminated those that would succumb to easy stress in the job. One guy, who actually made it to the interview part, exploded and yelled at the interviewers and stormed out of the building. I don't know what they called him. LOL.
I heard about the recent new hires at the department where I once worked and discovered that their interview process is a shadow of what I had to go through to get the same job.
To get a position as an officer at this Department of Public Safety, a potential candidate had to do the following:
>Fill out a 30 page packet which took a long time to fill out. Information had to include the past 20 years of history (which at the time meant going back to grade school information).
>Once called to start the process (it took 9 months - I actually forgot about the application), a candidate had to go take a written exam consisting of general knowledge, math, critical thinking and mechanical aptitude. The exam took approximately 5 hours to take.
>If you passed, a phone call confirmed it and invited you to take the next eliminator - the physical fitness test. It was a long "workout" which was timed combining both firefighting and police requirements.
~I forgot how long the time requirements were, but the test was exhausting and performed without rest
breaks.
Ready, get set, GO! Pick up a hotel pack (weight = approximately 70 lbs), run up 3 flights of stairs,
drop the pack. Run to the edge of the building and pull up 2 sections of hose (approx. 40lbs) by a
rope 3 stories. Pick up hose, lift over railing, touch the floor, and the lift over the railing again and
lower to ground in a controlled manner. Run back to the hotel pack, and run down 3 flights of
stairs with it.
Run to the other side of the building, climb a ladder 3 stories, touch the top and back to the ground.
Run back around to the other side, chop a piece of wood with an axe.
Run inside the building where there is a hose rack with 10 sections of 2 1/2" hose on the top section.
Take each section down, stack neatly and then return them back to their original place.
Run outside the tower to an area where you have to run 50 ft with various boxes and weights, then
drag a charged 2 1/2" hose the 50 ft. Drag a 180 lb manikin.
Now you ran to the police obstacle course area. Jump/climb over various heights of chain link
fences, crawl through some tunnels, balance on beams and perform some sprints.
Next, get into a patrol car - huh, I forgot what the hell I did in there - weird. Then you jump out
and hold a training 9mm gun in firing position for 2 minutes. (This doesn't sound difficult, but after
everything, you feel like a rubber band).
Now you drop the gun and run half a mile.
That's the end of the physical fitness test.
>If you passed that, then you get a phone call for a medical physical and a written psychological test to see how much you hate your mother and such.
>If you pass that, then you have an appointment with a psychologist to see how much you hate your mother again.
>If you pass that, you have to wait for your background investigation to be completed. They had people visit my relatives, neighbors, friends from school - back to elementary school. Amazing.
>If you pass that, then you meet with your case investigator who asks you about everything they found out and to explain any bad thing you could have done in the past.
>If you pass that, then you are invited to have be interviewed. An interview consists of 6 senior officers of both the fire and police department. It is not a pleasant experience. They use every means possible to piss you off and play psychological games. One was "the good cop", one was the "bad cop", one asked the goofiest and strangest questions, another was the agitator.
I was seated at a round table with all the interviewers looking at me. The started pleasantly, then one by one started asking questions. The strange guy kept asking about decapitations and described gruesome scenerios with questions. The "good cop" asked a couple of questions, was all smiles and listened to me intently. The "bad cop" asked questions with a scowl on his face, swirled around in his chair while I was talking to him, etc. I was surprised by his actions at the time. The agitator told me he saw some of my grades in college and thought I was stupid. He asked, "Are you f*cking stupid or plain lazy?" "I'm not hiring a dumbass." WHAT???!!
Any answer to his question he called me "stupid" or "dumbass". He clearly was trying to piss me off. Situational questions, shoot/ don't shoot questions, personal questions..... The finale was the question, "Who here will vote for you being part of our "family" and who here will vote against you and why."
I walked in there looking professional in my suit and left sweaty and plainly shocked. I was lead to an office where I was offered the position.
I have never before had an "interview process" like that and probably never will again.
The officer candidates now have it easy. They no longer interview that way and I think it's a shame. It clearly eliminated those that would succumb to easy stress in the job. One guy, who actually made it to the interview part, exploded and yelled at the interviewers and stormed out of the building. I don't know what they called him. LOL.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
5 Minutes
This was my first 5 minutes with a patient who was brought in via EMS:
"I want a drink"
"I need a blanket"
"I need someone to take my shoes off"
"Help me take my pants off"
"How old are you?
"How long have you been a nurse?"
"Why are you asking me all these questions?"
"Go get my husband"
"Where's my blanket?"
"Move me up in bed, I'm uncomfortable"
"Yes, I'm allergic to all of those 15 medications"
"I started a new medicine - a pink pill. How should I know what it is..aren't YOU a nurse?"
"Can't I have some crackers before you put all these stickers on my chest."
"I have to go to the bathroom"
"Take off my socks, my feet are swollen"
"Why aren't you doing anything I'm telling you to do?"
"I'm going to have a panic attack."
"I'm having chest pain."
"I want to be a DNR."
"Where are the ambulance drivers?"
"What's your name again?"
"I don't want an IV"
"Do you know what you're doing?"
"Are you my doctor?"
"I want a blanket, a warm one."
"Don't you already have me in the computer?"
"Don't touch that arm, I can't have anything touching there."
"Are you coming back? I need things done."
I wanted to either stab myself in the ear with my pen or duct tape her mouth shut.
Why, O, why did I volunteer to pick up that shift?
"I want a drink"
"I need a blanket"
"I need someone to take my shoes off"
"Help me take my pants off"
"How old are you?
"How long have you been a nurse?"
"Why are you asking me all these questions?"
"Go get my husband"
"Where's my blanket?"
"Move me up in bed, I'm uncomfortable"
"Yes, I'm allergic to all of those 15 medications"
"I started a new medicine - a pink pill. How should I know what it is..aren't YOU a nurse?"
"Can't I have some crackers before you put all these stickers on my chest."
"I have to go to the bathroom"
"Take off my socks, my feet are swollen"
"Why aren't you doing anything I'm telling you to do?"
"I'm going to have a panic attack."
"I'm having chest pain."
"I want to be a DNR."
"Where are the ambulance drivers?"
"What's your name again?"
"I don't want an IV"
"Do you know what you're doing?"
"Are you my doctor?"
"I want a blanket, a warm one."
"Don't you already have me in the computer?"
"Don't touch that arm, I can't have anything touching there."
"Are you coming back? I need things done."
I wanted to either stab myself in the ear with my pen or duct tape her mouth shut.
Why, O, why did I volunteer to pick up that shift?
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Freakin' Sink, but Lovin' the Dremel
I've been having some problems with my sink lately, specifically my faucet. A couple of weeks ago we found out that the side sprayer didn't work. So, I picked up a new one and replaced it with the help of hubby. After a few uses, it leaked. We discovered a rip in the hose. Back to Lowes, bought a new hose. We couldn't replace the hose because the set up under the sink was strange.
Today, my brother who once was in the construction business, took a look at it. He said that it was jerry-rigged. Really? Then he discovered that the faucet itself was leaking because the plumber never screwed in the stem properly and the base continually filled with water which rusted underneath and above the counter top. Unbelievable. I never really noticed anything until recently. Oh, and my house is only 5 years old.
So presently, as I type this, I have no faucet at all - my brother had to cut it, which lead to all of these aforementioned discoveries. I despise contractors. I don't trust them.
However, I do love my Dremel! I actually forgot I had it until today. It's such a versatile tool. I need to buy some more attachments for it. I thought of some projects that I've been meaning to do and this is the perfect tool for them.
<<My Father-in-Law bought me the Dremel for Christmas one year. I think it's the same year I asked my hubby for a chainsaw for my birthday. We lived on a few acres at the time and I wanted to do some work around the place. Now I live on a golf course, not much use for a chainsaw without the neighbors complaining about me chopping up their little trees or cute front door benches.>>
It cut through the faucet nicely. The inner part is suppose to be free afterward and easily popped though the granite. Did it happen that way? Of course not! The inner part is corroded beyond belief just like the undermount. This is the reason why my kitchen looks like the entrance to hell sans kitchen faucet.
Hopefully, it'll all be fixed tomorrow.
Hopefully.....
Today, my brother who once was in the construction business, took a look at it. He said that it was jerry-rigged. Really? Then he discovered that the faucet itself was leaking because the plumber never screwed in the stem properly and the base continually filled with water which rusted underneath and above the counter top. Unbelievable. I never really noticed anything until recently. Oh, and my house is only 5 years old.
So presently, as I type this, I have no faucet at all - my brother had to cut it, which lead to all of these aforementioned discoveries. I despise contractors. I don't trust them.
However, I do love my Dremel! I actually forgot I had it until today. It's such a versatile tool. I need to buy some more attachments for it. I thought of some projects that I've been meaning to do and this is the perfect tool for them.
It cut through the faucet nicely. The inner part is suppose to be free afterward and easily popped though the granite. Did it happen that way? Of course not! The inner part is corroded beyond belief just like the undermount. This is the reason why my kitchen looks like the entrance to hell sans kitchen faucet.
Hopefully, it'll all be fixed tomorrow.
Hopefully.....
Friday, January 20, 2012
Blogging is new to me. I have a lot to learn with regard to the layouts and "special boxes" (as I call them). I've seen some terrific blogs with additions that I'd like to develop, but I guess that'll come with time.
Hubby and I went to the bookstore yesterday and found some nice gems. We were verbally sparring most of the day like siblings who are annoyed with each other. I don't know why - I guess it was the mood of the day.
He was walking to the check out counter loaded down with a bunch of books,
"You could hold some of these books for me"
I teased him and said, "What....are you a girl?"
He promptly turned around with eyebrows raised and tossed my future purchase down the aisle with a flick of his wrist - "Piss off!" And he continued to walk on.
I could not stop laughing. I thought it was the funniest thing in the world at the time. I guess you had to be there.
I started going to a chiropractor recently for lower back pain which work naturally exacerbates. I've been feeling like an old lady for a while now. I'm truly amazed by how great I feel. No more lower back pain, no more ocular migraines, and both of my legs are now even (I've worn a lift in orthotics since high school). The difference was small, so it wasn't like I was walking around like a peg legged pirate, but I knew.
I'm a big fan....actually a HUGE fan of my chiropractor. I think everyone needs a little back cracking in their lives.
Hubby and I went to the bookstore yesterday and found some nice gems. We were verbally sparring most of the day like siblings who are annoyed with each other. I don't know why - I guess it was the mood of the day.
He was walking to the check out counter loaded down with a bunch of books,
"You could hold some of these books for me"
I teased him and said, "What....are you a girl?"
He promptly turned around with eyebrows raised and tossed my future purchase down the aisle with a flick of his wrist - "Piss off!" And he continued to walk on.
I could not stop laughing. I thought it was the funniest thing in the world at the time. I guess you had to be there.
I started going to a chiropractor recently for lower back pain which work naturally exacerbates. I've been feeling like an old lady for a while now. I'm truly amazed by how great I feel. No more lower back pain, no more ocular migraines, and both of my legs are now even (I've worn a lift in orthotics since high school). The difference was small, so it wasn't like I was walking around like a peg legged pirate, but I knew.
I'm a big fan....actually a HUGE fan of my chiropractor. I think everyone needs a little back cracking in their lives.
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