Post-Its from the edge

[UM Review RN]

We're always putting little post-it notes for the docs or other nurses on the chart. Sometimes it'll be to clarify a nonessential med, or to suggest a lab, medication, or consult.

Sometimes I want to write a little different kind of a Post-It note. Like one to the family of one of the patients from a few weeks ago:

"Dear Family,

Despite what some doctors have led you to believe, your loved one is not going to live forever. Please make him/her a DNR so that we all can stop the craziness. Your loved one is miserable--and terminal--and we're only making it worse."

OR:

"Dear Dr. K,

I have noticed that your H&P refers to Mrs. X as a bilateral BKA. However, my assessment found her to have both legs and pedal pulses of +2/+2. Please advise."

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

Oh how I wish there were post-its big enough to write what I sometimes thought.

[DusktilDawn]

I'd get in waaaaayyyyy tooooo much trouble if I was allowed to post notes

Dear Family/patient,

Believe it or not, my nursing license did not fall out of a Cracker Jack, so kindly do not talk to me like you believe that it did. Unlike you, I passed the 3rd grade and I am able to write my name in ink, not crayon. I also would know how to make complete sentences on any complaint letter I sent, unlike you.

See what I mean?

[tencat]

I'd get in waaaaayyyyy tooooo much trouble if I was allowed to post notes

Dear Family/patient,

Believe it or not, my nursing did not fall out of a Cracker Jack, so kindly do not talk to me like you believe that it did. Unlike you, I passed the 3rd grade and I am able to write my name in ink, not crayon. I also would know how to make complete sentences on any complaint letter I sent, unlike you.

See what I mean?

:rotfl:

[nursbee04]

Dear Administration -

It has come to my attention that you have no idea what goes on in your facility and are completely out of touch with what is feasible to expect from your staff. Please get a clue, leave your plush new renovated offices and speak a civil word to the people who keep your facility going 24/7 - 365.

PS - have lost "ask me if I've washed my hands" button again. Am willing to do without a replacement for the sake of the budget. Also am willing to volunteer to filter all ideas stemming from administrators with too much time on their hands. Free of charge, for the sake of the budget, of course.

[sharann, BSN, RN]

Dear Doctor,

If you can read this then you are more fortunate than the nurses and pharmacists who must daily go blind trying to read your chicken scratching orders. Please slow down so we can have time to actually take care of the patient rather than wasting it having to play name that order. Then please don't scream at us when we call to clarify the illegible order. Thanks.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Dear Nurses and Doctors:

The fact that i am an LPN does not give you the right to remind me constantly that i'm not an RN, or how i'm a Little Pretend Nurse, or how i'm not a nurse at all. The Commonwealth of Virginia gave me a license that says NURSE on it, talk to THEM if this is such a problem for you. :)

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

dear previous shift,

when i walked in half an hour early and found you with your feet up, reading an in touch magazine and complaining that you were bored, i (erroneously, it seems) assumed your work was all done. instead, i find overflowing trash cans, empty drawers in the nurse server, out dated iv and pressure tubing, dressings that haven't been changed for over 48 hours, no bath done, empty iv bags with no replacements, and the soapsuds enemas (x3) that were ordered at 1100 not done "because they haven't been sent up yet." (by some miracle, they were sent up within thirty minutes when i ordered them -- although central supply tells me that no one ordered them earlier in the day . . . and i believe them!) it is now almost 4am, and i have just finished all the work you were too bored to get to. your patient has been awake all night, and is nearly crying with fatigue. i hope you had a nice day.

ruby

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Dear patients & families,

Please be advised that if you come to the ER and describe symptoms, we are obligated to TREAT those symptoms & attempt to discern their underlying cause. If you don't want anything to be done about that pesky chest pain, abd pain, leg pain, shoulder pain, back pain, n/v/d, rash, or bad hair day you are suffering from, but instead just wish to complain about it, save yourself the trouble of driving to the ER at 0300 and instead just call your mother, neighbor, significant other, best friend or therapist. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to hear from you.

The ER is an inconvenient place. Nurses will repeatedly interrupt your conversations about great aunt Sally's new husband to reassess your symptoms. CT scans and other testing may very well interfere with your eating a sandwich. The triage nurse may have to ask you to refrain from eating further vending machine snacks if you are repeatedly vomiting all over the waiting room.

Thank you, have a nice day, and please take a moment to think about the these issues when you fill out your Press Ganey survey.

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Hey.. rather than writing out all these lengthy "issues" on tiny "post-it notes", why not simply design little "post-its" that say it all, and fit any occasion?

In different colors for different moods, or to accentuate and emphasise the point we are trying to get across...? Design them with little emoticons, even.

Have a whole slew of them to choose from.. heh... a "variety pack".

Then, as the occasion arises , we can pull one off the little "WTF" pad with the fitting emoticon,

or the "KMA" pad with the appropriate little buttwiggle

... then, of course, we might have the post it handy for the doc's orders, ...and of course the post-it to send back to admin types to acknowlege having read their new and improved proposals...... errrr, perhaps this one... :rotfl:... might be even more fitting for that.

Of course, we want this one handy for all the stupid, piccyune "family requests" .

But in actuality, these simple little "emoticon post-its" would save us from all that writing, and still get the point across quite clearly, yes?

And we must also never forget to post a simple "THANK YOU" for all things well done and appreciated.. be it by colleagues, patients, or family.

[Someday-C.R.N.A.]

jnette, I think you're really on to something here.

May I add........................

..........Of course, I had to clean it up a bit for the forum!! :)

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Then, as the occasion arises , we can pull one off the little "WTF" pad with the fitting emoticon,

or the "KMA" pad with the appropriate little buttwiggle

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Dear Jeanette,

Thanks. I soooo needed that today.

[Indy, LPN, LVN]

The little buttwiggle one just made me spit out my dinner. OMG! My side hurts!