Saturday, May 9, 2009

The Concern is Overwhelming – and Embarrassing

After receiving orders to prepare a massive amount of antibiotics, analgesics and anti-emetics for a patient diagnosed with a ruptured appendix, I dragged myself to the med room and starting preparing one med after the other. Problem is that I was feeling extremely queasy (midnight shawarma is a bad idea) and had a massive headache (from the call bell constantly going off from a room with no patient). Then I thought, "what the hell! I’m in the med room standing right smack in front of ibuprofen and gravol. I will take some!" So I did just that. Except the med room has a glass window and a few patients were sitting outside. One of them thought that I was trying to kill myself so he grabbed two staff doctors, a resident and the charge nurse. They burst into the med room and demanded to know what I took! Imagine my surprise when I was confronted with a miniature infantry of green while I’m holding up a giant syringe filled with ceftriaxone. After being forced to reveal that all I took was gravol and ibuprofen, the concerned patient turned beet red and skulked away while the my charge nurse told me try some of the more fun drugs next time. Maybe I will!

7 comments:

Sapphire said...

What fun drugs would they be?

Anonymous said...

Well, I hate to say it but what would possess you to take a drug in a med room? It seems like a really dumb thing to do. If you need ASA or something keep your personal supply in your purse in your locker. Don't ever take some from the med room. You're lucky you weren't terminated- or reported to the BRN.

Marz's Bar said...

lol, thats funny. And despite what the comment above me is saying; take drugs from the med room!! What other benefits would you get if not taking free drugs from your employers?! Think of it like Homer when he kept taking those pens from work and had a car full of them after a year! It'll be the same with gravol and advil my friend.

therapydoc said...

Unbelievable.

RehabNurse said...

I hate to agree with anonymous (since he/she couldn't even make up a moniker) but please, don't take anything for yourself from the med room. It fscks up the counts and can get you in trouble.

Bring your own stuff, or if your facility provides a first aid kit staff can use, use it (one place I work actually did). Always, always, always take it with a full glass of water and away from any patient stuff.

You need your license. You need headache relief. Remember you're in control...so take care of it without an audience.

Maha said...

@ Anon and RehabNurse - I should have been more clear in the post. Our med room has a first aid supply for staff which has ibuprofen, tylenol, gravol and some other stuff. Its a communal stash of meds, bandaids and some other stuff. It's not the hospital's property since the staff all pitch in for supplies. Probably could have done without a window though.

@ Sapphire - any drugs that would make one happy!

Grumpy, M.D. said...

That's great. Mr. Bozo patient needs to mind his own business.