Know-it-all, nonmedical bosses

[TazziRN, RN]

i was out for blood last night. my daughter, 18, works in the deli of a grocery store. she showed me a rash on her forearm a few days ago, and i told her to pay attention to what she's come in contact with. she figured out it was the meat slicer.....it's an abrasive rash, isolated to one spot. both hubs (also a grocery clerk) and i told her to tell her supervisor. the deli manager teased her about how it wouldn't work to get time off. she went up one more level, who told her to let the assistant manager know. asst manager told her that it's not a comp problem, it's a food allergy.

i told her that it is not his place to determine the source of a rash, that if he had any doubts he should have sent her to the clinic.

where does he get off telling her something like that?? she's not asking for time off, she's doing what we told her to do, which is report the problem in case it gets worse later, and to ask for help in determining how to avoid a recurrence.

*update* dd texted me a bit ago. big boss is not happy with the way this was blown off by two other supervisors. details to follow.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I'd be wanting to sterilize that equipment before you sliced some lunch meat for me. (Infection control anyone?).

steph

[TazziRN, RN]

i'd be wanting to sterilize that equipment before you sliced some lunch meat for me. (infection control anyone?).

steph

it gets cleaned every day!

the part she's in contact with isn't the part that cuts. the slicer angles downward; the operator uses the upper arm/hand to manipulate the slicer. it's that arm....she's rubbing it against the housing. the fix might be as simple as standing on a step so she's a little higher.

[chocokitten]

it gets cleaned every day!

the part she's in contact with isn't the part that cuts. the slicer angles downward; the operator uses the upper arm/hand to manipulate the slicer. it's that arm....she's rubbing it against the housing. the fix might be as simple as standing on a step so she's a little higher.

being a shortie myself, this makes sense :) tell her to try that!

[EmmaG, RN]

Not a boss, but...

When my oldest daughter was in jr high, she fractured her arm one weekend while skating and was casted. I was concerned because she seemed to have more than the usual swelling; doc said to ice and elevate, and come back if symptomatic. The cast just didn't look right to me, or maybe it was just my Mom intuition, who knows. But on Monday, I sent her to school with explicit instructions to call me immediately if she noticed any numbness or tingling, color or temp changes or increase in swelling.

I went to pick her up at the end of the day, only to find her sitting in the office sobbing and rocking back and forth, holding her arm. Her fingers were pale and cool and swollen--- it looked BAD.

She'd noticed several hours before that it had begun to swell more, and was numb and tingly. She went to the office to call me as I had instructed, and the secretary and assistant principal had refused to allow her to contact me. She'd tried to go back to class, only to return to the office, begging them to allow her to call. Again, they refused. Told her to sit and wait until I arrived, so they "could have a talk with me."

When I saw her, I didn't know about what the office staff had done, and immediately asked my daughter why she didn't call me. That's when the secretary spoke up and informed me that their phones were not there for the personal use of students. She then told me that "all breaks swell" and suggested that maybe my daughter was "just looking for a reason to leave school."

Oh. My. God.

I am a very laid back person. I rarely if ever lose my temper. But when I do...

I truly do not remember what I said to that witch; probably just as well cuz all y'all see here is a bunch of ***** across the screen anyway. You know that expression "see red"? It really happens. I was possessed.

I do know that I am lucky I wasn't arrested. And she's lucky I was too short and out of shape to vault that counter. The assistant principal came out and demanded to know what was going on, and then repeated what the secretary had said.

I had a few choice words in response, ending with something along the lines of if she had suffered any damage to her arm, I was going to own that school district.

Took her to the ER. Turns out, there was a dent in the cast not really noticeable until they'd cut it off. She had a pressure area that took some time to heal. She was splinted and after the tingling and swelling went away, had no more problems with it and healed well.

Damn. My BP shot up just typing about those idiots.

:angryfire

[chocokitten]

Not a boss, but...

. . . Took her to the ER. Turns out, there was a dent in the cast not really noticeable until they'd cut it off. She had a pressure area that took some time to heal. She was splinted and after the tingling and swelling went away, had no more problems with it and healed well.

Damn. My BP shot up just typing about those idiots.

:angryfire

stupid people... that is a limb threatening complication this is why we need school nurses, not unlicensed, untrained personnel assessing injuries

[EmmaG, RN]

stupid people... that is a limb threatening complication this is why we need school nurses, not unlicensed, untrained personnel assessing injuries

Precisely. We were lucky there was no permanent damage. After we got home, my daughter said, "Mom, you were scary!"

Ah, from the mouths of babes...

[chocokitten]

Precisely. We were lucky there was no permanent damage. After we got home, my daughter said, "Mom, you were scary!"

Ah, from the mouths of babes...

I would be scary too! Not all kids are liars

[lindarn]

Not a boss, but...

When my oldest daughter was in jr high, she fractured her arm one weekend while skating and was casted. I was concerned because she seemed to have more than the usual swelling; doc said to ice and elevate, and come back if symptomatic. The cast just didn't look right to me, or maybe it was just my Mom intuition, who knows. But on Monday, I sent her to school with explicit instructions to call me immediately if she noticed any numbness or tingling, color or temp changes or increase in swelling.

I went to pick her up at the end of the day, only to find her sitting in the office sobbing and rocking back and forth, holding her arm. Her fingers were pale and cool and swollen--- it looked BAD.

She'd noticed several hours before that it had begun to swell more, and was numb and tingly. She went to the office to call me as I had instructed, and the secretary and assistant principal had refused to allow her to contact me. She'd tried to go back to class, only to return to the office, begging them to allow her to call. Again, they refused. Told her to sit and wait until I arrived, so they "could have a talk with me."

When I saw her, I didn't know about what the office staff had done, and immediately asked my daughter why she didn't call me. That's when the secretary spoke up and informed me that their phones were not there for the personal use of students. She then told me that "all breaks swell" and suggested that maybe my daughter was "just looking for a reason to leave school."

Oh. My. God.

I am a very laid back person. I rarely if ever lose my temper. But when I do...

I truly do not remember what I said to that witch; probably just as well cuz all y'all see here is a bunch of ***** across the screen anyway. You know that expression "see red"? It really happens. I was possessed.

I do know that I am lucky I wasn't arrested. And she's lucky I was too short and out of shape to vault that counter. The assistant principal came out and demanded to know what was going on, and then repeated what the secretary had said.

I had a few choice words in response, ending with something along the lines of if she had suffered any damage to her arm, I was going to own that school district.

Took her to the ER. Turns out, there was a dent in the cast not really noticeable until they'd cut it off. She had a pressure area that took some time to heal. She was splinted and after the tingling and swelling went away, had no more problems with it and healed well.

Damn. My BP shot up just typing about those idiots.

:angryfire

I believe that it is called practicing medicine without a liscense. I would have called the school district anyway, and also the parent teachers association. If they did this to your daugher, you can be sure that it has been done to other students.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

[SaderNurse05, BSN, RN]

Interesting. If it is casued by the machine and she still has a rash, then (in Texas anyway) this would be a workman's comp issue and the treating physician can require modifications to her work environment. She may need to check and see if there is a safety officer type person, or maybe risk management. It is in the company's best interest to take this seriously and fix it. Good luck!

[leslie :-D]

i'm a bit perplexed by their dismissive attitude.

wouldn't this be a job for osha?

leslie

[TazziRN, RN]

Interesting. If it is casued by the machine and she still has a rash, then (in Texas anyway) this would be a workman's comp issue and the treating physician can require modifications to her work environment. She may need to check and see if there is a safety officer type person, or maybe risk management. It is in the company's best interest to take this seriously and fix it. Good luck!

Oh, it's comp, Sader, no two ways about it. The big boss will take it seriously, believe me. He's a friend of Hubs's, he knows we wouldn't tell her to tell him unless it was necessary.