-So every time you have an agitated, possibly dangerous patient, you either have to waste time getting a witness to verify the waste in the Pyxis, then draw up a microscopic dose, which usually seems to be about as effective as fighting a four-alarm fire with a teaspoon, or pull out the whole thing and waste later, and then get written up for violating policy.
Or why drug companies put pills and tabs in blister packs that are so sharp you could perform surgery with them?
Or why every floor only has ONE flipping set of keys to the narc cabinet?
-So, now when you have the drug-seeker with the egg timer whining for his Lortab, you have to have roll-call to find out who's got them. Usually it's someone on the preceeding shift and they have them in their car, and then you have to wait for them to bring them back. That is, of course, unless the sup is feeling magnanimous and comes to unlock the narc cabinet for you. Of course, by that time, Mr. Abdominal Pain NOS is practically in DT's because he's had to wait ten minutes.
Or why IV poles always have a bum wheel?
Or why the lab always takes the CBC machine down for maintenence at 10 in the morning?
Or why the sickest patients are the ones you never hear a peep from, yet the ones that are probably better off than you are always the ones that whine and carry on fit to make you hold your ears?
You guessed it, I'm on another one of my tangents. Nursing's great Unsolved Mysteries. I'd love to hear some of yours.
-So every time you have an agitated, possibly dangerous patient, you either have to waste time getting a witness to verify the waste in the Pyxis, then draw up a microscopic dose, which usually seems to be about as effective as fighting a four-alarm fire with a teaspoon, or pull out the whole thing and waste later, and then get written up for violating policy.
Or why drug companies put pills and tabs in blister packs that are so sharp you could perform surgery with them?
Or why every floor only has ONE flipping set of keys to the narc cabinet?
-So, now when you have the drug-seeker with the egg timer whining for his Lortab, you have to have roll-call to find out who's got them. Usually it's someone on the preceeding shift and they have them in their car, and then you have to wait for them to bring them back. That is, of course, unless the sup is feeling magnanimous and comes to unlock the narc cabinet for you. Of course, by that time, Mr. Abdominal Pain NOS is practically in DT's because he's had to wait ten minutes.
Or why IV poles always have a bum wheel?
Or why the lab always takes the CBC machine down for maintenence at 10 in the morning?
Or why the sickest patients are the ones you never hear a peep from, yet the ones that are probably better off than you are always the ones that whine and carry on fit to make you hold your ears?
You guessed it, I'm on another one of my tangents. Nursing's great Unsolved Mysteries. I'd love to hear some of yours.
The answer to all your questions can be summed up in two simple words:
Specializes in Burn, CCU, CTICU, Trauma, SICU, MICU.
why do family members get mad when you ask them to step out of the room because we are coding the roommate? and then only want to stand outside the room because they think they can "wait until you are done"? and then go to the waiting room only to call in every 10 minutes complaining that its been too long and *they* want to be back in the room when the game is on tv?
why do patient families insist on setting up camp in the patient's room the entire freaking day watching tv when the patient is intubated and sedated and been there for a month?? this is NOT your living room!
why dont patient families listen to you when you explain whats going on? why, when you FINALLY got the patient calm and you are trying to find a nice balance of blood pressure and ICP, that when you tell them thats ok to hold their hand and be quiet and visit, that it is not ok to talk in the room and start waking them up and shaking them to get them "more awake" because YOU came in to see them? when will people realize that the ICU is not about making them more comfortable and satisfying their visiting needs and its about being able to take care of their loved one??
why do docs ask you what the vitals were over night, how the i&os are, what the gtt rates are, when the pumps, the monitor and the flowsheet are right in front of them, and you are elbows deep in poo with your other patient?
rngolfer53
681 Posts
The answer to all your questions can be summed up in two simple words:
Murphy's Law.