Thursday, September 30, 2010

Great Moments in WTF-ery

An assumed to be good humoured middle aged woman with cellulitis comes into fast track and has the bad luck to get Dr. Kick ‘Em Out as her doctor just as I was leaving for a much deserved pee break. She was his patient less than 24 hours ago and was joking about how quickly he goes through patients – almost as if he kicks them out. She came back because she lost her prescription for antibiotics. She waits patiently for her turn and expresses her apologies for wasting the staff’s time. She didn’t waste anyone’s time. Stuff happens. Dr. Kick ‘Em Out writes an incomplete prescription and sends her on her merry way. By this time, I had returned from what could be considered one of the best pees of my life to find that the patient is nowhere to be found inside the fast track area but her chart loomed ominously on my desk. The doc tells me he has discharged the patient but will finish the chart later (snort – yeah right). Just then I receive a call from the in hospital pharmacy stating that the prescription was incomplete and the patient was on her way back to the emergency department. Instead of getting her re-registered, I thought I would get the doctor to finish writing her prescription and she could (once again) be on her merry way. Sure enough, I see the patient talking to the triage nurse and I bring her right back while I jokingly said, “I guess the doc kicked you out huh?” What followed was like an unsuspecting slap and left me wondering, ‘W. T. Effin. F’? She went on a 10 minute rant which included the following gems; “You have no right talking to me the way you just did! Is that ‘dark humour’*? Do you think your ‘dark humour’ is funny? Do you think that’s funny? You nurses are so cavalier about your attitudes to life and death, it’s disgusting! You’re a mean woman who deserves nothing less than to have your nursing license taken away and be publically shamed into learning how to speak to CUSTOMERS of the Canadian health care system! How dare YOU assume that the doctor would have kicked ME out? I’m a patient and I have rights which cannot be violated especially by the likes of an uncaring nurse like you! I’m going to be sending a letter of complaint to patient relations about your unseemly behaviour!” I wonder if he also gave her a script for Zyprexa.

*Each time she said dark humour, she used very dramatic finger quoties. I should have won an Oscar for being able to keep a straight face for those 10 minutes.

10 comments:

Bendy_Clutz said...

LOL! All I can say is...Wow. I'm thinkin she needs a little Vitamin-A (aka Ativan =)

OMDG said...

WHOA!!! What's up crazy lady?

CombatBootRN said...

Long time reader, first time commenter :-) I had an experience similar to this the other night. I am a nursing student doing my senior practicum. My preceptor and I got chewed out by the daughter of an elderly patient because we walked in while the doctor was in there, "made" him get out of the chair blocking the IV pump so that we could hang some much needed antibiotics. The doctor was good natured about it and kept right on yapping after he stood up. After he left the daughter just blasted us saying she had NEVER in her time dealing with hospitals witnessed such rude nurses. The doctor didn't care. He's a nice happy-go-lucky gentleman who found the tirade as funny as my preceptor and I.

Grumpy, M.D. said...

What an evil bag!

GrumpyRN said...

10 minutes ranting....? After you tried to do her a favour and save her some time.....? After the first minute I would have told her to stop and walked away. You also have rights. The right to a safe working environment and to being spoken to as a professional. In my department this is enforced by patients being warned if they don't modify their behaviour they will be arrested for breach of the peace.

WannaBeNavyRN,
You do not have to take this nonsense from anyone. Complaints about care, yes. Complaints about you being 'rude' to doctors? Sod that.

Unknown said...

hah omg i hate people. they're all freaking crazy

The Nerdy Nurse said...

wow.
humor and comedy are a huge part of my nursing ritual. I find most really enjoy it, and have many people thank me for treating them like a person rather than just another patient. However, I have had a few who decide to inform that of their status, as if I am below them, a mere service worker, and should not dare address them as if we even share any part our our genome. Those people suck.
Good thing they are few and far between, and I have learned, for the most part, how to read those people and provide 'just the facts', do what is required and requested, and leave them alone. If that is their idea of customer service, then that is what I will give them.
Sad to see that your attempt to take someone time and inconvenience was met with such obnoxious bitchiness.

Anonymous said...

If she thinks the nurses are bad, wait until she gets to deal with paramedics...

L said...

Well obviously you were being rude. Anything less than meeting her in the parking lot with the scrip, a gourmet coffee and a happy ending is worthy of a writeup. Sheesh, wtf is wrong with you?!

Brendan said...

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check