Friday, June 5, 2009

Okay, Then Let Me Talk to Her Janitor

Hospital phone call tonight:

Dr. Grumpy: "Hello, this is Dr. Grumpy."

Nurse Helpful: "Hi, Dr. Grumpy. I'm taking care of Mrs. Shakesalot. She just had a seizure."

Dr. Grumpy: "Does she have a history of seizures?"

Nurse Helpful: "I don't know. I'm just her nurse."
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11 comments:

  1. as alwaysJune 5, 2009 at 10:14 PM

    Remember its Full Moon, Dr. Grumpy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nurse KJune 5, 2009 at 10:56 PM

    Not to bust your balls, but if you're the patient's neurologist, shouldn't you know that? Don't you see your own patients?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bad to the BohnJune 6, 2009 at 12:32 AM

    Maybe she's just an M.A...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Uro*MAJune 6, 2009 at 12:43 AM

    ..kinda sad and scary at the same time, right? But as mentioned it is a full moon...

    ReplyDelete
  5. LeahJune 6, 2009 at 1:45 AM

    That is funny! That is something that you can NOT make up!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. One NurseJune 6, 2009 at 2:42 AM

    Once again. . I apologize for those nurses that make us all look so stupid! Does anybody take, read or become intersted in the patients history anymore? This is basic nursing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Rx InternJune 6, 2009 at 2:54 AM

    Excellent...I wasn't the only person to have problems with the nursing staff tonight...though, mine is a bit more extreme.

    This "Nurse Helpful" couldn't have taken the time to look under the History and Physical, could she?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Grumpy, M.D.June 6, 2009 at 5:00 AM

    Nurse K- No, I'm not. I'd never heard of the patient before. I'm covering for her regular neurologist.

    Because of the sheer volume of patients (20-50) they usually don't give me check-out unless there is an active, urgent, issue I may need to deal with.

    ReplyDelete
  9. DreamingTreeJune 6, 2009 at 8:46 AM

    One little flip of the chart would have given her that information -- and she should have thought to look BEFORE calling you. Hard to believe she's rather sound stupid than look it up.

    One Nurse: I agree that knowing the patient's history is basic nursing. Here it comes......... BUT, I've had shifts where I couldn't take a break to use the bathroom, let alone look at the H&P. If info wasn't on the kardex, or wasn't given in report, then I don't know it during those shifts. I hate those days because I take pride in doing a good job, but basic care always comes first. With that said, I would have looked at the H&P before calling Grumpy.

    ReplyDelete
  10. RussJune 6, 2009 at 9:20 AM

    Did you actually say "Let me talk to the janitor then"? 'cause that would have been CLASSIC!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Grumpy, M.D.June 6, 2009 at 9:38 AM

    No, I just asked for the charge nurse.

    Asking for the janitor would have likely either gotten me the janitor, or written up for staff abuse, or both.

    ReplyDelete

So wadda you think?