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Discussion

I'm Sorry

About last night...

I just remembered a patient asked me for coffee. It was about 0600, and I promptly started a fresh pot for him.

I hope that he doesn't think that I forgot about him.

I did start the pot. Then a pt had an episode of hypoglycemia and another patients radiology report came back with a critical finding. Next, a patient began coughing up blood. Then there was a code blue on our floor.

I just remembered the patients coffee was never given by me. I hope he understands.

/Thoughts of a med-surg nurse/

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    • Featured Replies

    Coffee is not that important considering all that going on

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    • Experts

    "(Crap) happens." Sometimes coffee doesn't.

    The very best to you and yours, vintagemother!

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    Yeah, that happened to me the other day, except it was with a container of jello.

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    • Experts
    vintagemother said:
    I just remembered the patients coffee was never given by me.
    klone said:
    Yeah, that happened to me the other day, except it was with a container of jello.

    512562467_trollppost.png.c823d0b144d3496e28e8149f6c00fec1.png

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    Sorry, but if your patient doesn't understand that you may have more important things going on than his coffee, then he doesn't deserve his java fix. 'Nuf said.

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    I get it, VM. Those little things we tell the patients we will do for them, to help them feel more normal, sometimes get replaced by medical stuff.

    Let it go, come in with a coffee for him tomorrow.

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    • Experts
    Farawyn said:
    Let it go, come in with a coffee for him tomorrow.

    1071275027_trollppost(1).png.720b0069f4367bc801aee7436a261998.png

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    Honestly, I was sure your post was a joke? Not that it didn't happen but that you really felt badly! I guess it is good that you are concerned. But you'd better save up your concerns and sorrys for more serious issues and learn to let these little things go or even laugh about them.

    Almost every time I ask my patient what flavor of juice and type of cracker they want I return with the wrong "order". If they say something or if I even remember I got their order wrong I laugh at my "error" and tell them I can never work as a waitress.

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    brownbook said:
    Honestly, I was sure your post was a joke? Not that it didn't happen but that you really felt badly! I guess it is good that you are concerned. But you'd better save up your concerns and sorrys for more serious issues and learn to let these little things go or even laugh about them.

    Almost every time I ask my patient what flavor of juice and type of cracker they want I return with the wrong "order". If they say something or if I even remember I got their order wrong I laugh at my "error" and tell them I can never work as a waitress.

    It may have been a joke!

    Some days I think, here's your freaking coffee. Other days I think, Wow, I really forgot that cup of coffee that patient wanted and it was the one thing they asked for.

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    • Experts
    Farawyn said:
    It may have been a joke!

    Perhaps...

    But I get the sense that vintagemother was reviewing her shift and remembered the situation. In order to deal with her feelings, she made an expression of them. That's healthy stuff to do, casting your feelings to the winds.

    From reading vintagemother's posts, I also get a sense that she is a sensitive and caring professional.

    But a lousy waitress.

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    I really dislike it when this happens, particularly the situations where someone who has been a relief/breath of fresh air/kind & pleasant patient asks for one little thing and the request gets sidelined in favor of urgent needs and especially squeaky-wheel-type distractions.

    I hear you. Reason #5,629 why those PG comments hurt.

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    There's a good chance that someone else gave that patient coffee eventually and he doesn't even remember that you were supposed to get it to him.

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