Post-Its from the edge

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

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."

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Specializes in IMCU/Telemetry.

Dear family.

We want your mother to be a DNR. You want your mother to be a DNR. Your mother wants to be a DNR.

Make her a DNR "BEFORE" you go out to smoke, or we will code her and send to ICU.

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Dear Family,

You aren't the only ones in L&D today. Please don't ask for the code so you can let yourselves in so you don't have to ring the desk. There are other families and babies up here. Although this IS a very special time in your life, please be considerate of the other people up here. Please remember this when you are in the the nourishment room, too. Oh yeah, although the words "hospital" and "hotel" begin with the letters "HO", there is a difference between the two.

Thanks!

BabyRN2Be

(aka "The Management" in my own little world) :)

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Dear Family,

You aren't the only ones in L&D today. Please don't ask for the code so you can let yourselves in so you don't have to ring the desk. There are other families and babies up here. Although this IS a very special time in your life, please be considerate of the other people up here. Please remember this when you are in the the nourishment room, too. Oh yeah, although the words "hospital" and "hotel" begin with the letters "HO", there is a difference between the two.

Thanks!

BabyRN2Be

(aka "The Management" in my own little world) :)

Dear Family,

The last time I checked, my name had RN in it and not waitress. I am here to get you better and make you comfortable, not wait on your every need and whim. I do have other patients. I would also appreciate it if your family members would ask before taking things out of the linen cart, bagging and throwing the trash and blankets in the dirty utility, walking into the pantry and helping themselves to our cups and snacks and the most important one: micromanaging what I am doing for the patient and standing over me during assessments!!! There I feel so much better :chuckle.

Dear MD,

I really don't mind making rounds with you but I don't like having charts thrown at me and being yelled out in front of the patients and family when you ask me where something is in the chart and you tell me no it's not there and you find it. I would also like for you to try and put things back like you found it, i.e. having you open a patients abdominal dressing, binder and all, and leaving it all out and open, barking orders at me and then walking off and tell me to finish this up and put it back!!! Is it that hard to speak to me in a plesant tone or regard me as a proffessional? :uhoh3:

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
having you open a patients abdominal dressing, binder and all, and leaving it all out and open, barking orders at me and then walking off and tell me to finish this up and put it back!!! Is it that hard to speak to me in a plesant tone or regard me as a proffessional?

PS ....not to mention how it must make the patient feel--no dignity, no respect, no privacy....no consideration..... Geeeeeeeeezz Leweeeeze.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Dear previous shift nurse,

Please stop trying to give me (and our patient) heart failure. You can't need Code practice that badly.

KCL boluses MUST BE RUN ON A PUMP.

However, hospital policy is that PRBCs do NOT run on a pump.

Mmmmm-Kay?

Lovin' every minute of it,

~AngieO~

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

"Allergy to epinephrine--alleric reaction: makes HR speed up"

(Far as i know, that's normal)

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Specializes in Medical.
"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."

That Dr K is a freakin' miracle worker! I can not tell you how many of my patients would head over to the US for a doctor who could grow their legs back :chuckle

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
That Dr K is a freakin' miracle worker! I can not tell you how many of my patients would head over to the US for a doctor who could grow their legs back :chuckle

:lol2:

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Love your name and your response. Thanks for the laughs.

:lol2:
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Specializes in Utilization Management.

You're quite welcome Shelly. Don't worry, I have a wealth of material.

"Dear Patient,

Please don't insult my intelligence when you call me to your room to tell me that your IV bag un-spiked itself and soaked the floor while you innocently slept.

Or that you're not sure how the NG tube came out. Or that an IV catheter, still taped a dozen ways to your arm, mysteriously 'fell out' right after you c/o that you didn't need an IV any more.

It didn't 'just happen.' By the size of the pool of blood and the number of rolls of toilet paper you wasted trying to dab your arm with, if it 'just happened,' you' either have the lowest platelet level or the highest INR in 5 counties. In which case we'd still have to start a new IV to give you the antidote.

Lucky for you, I had nothing better to do anyhow."

:stone

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Dear nursing staff:

In order for you to be treated with kindness and respect, it is advisable to treat others that way. You cannot scream and curse your way to respect.

Sorry, am acting nurse manager today and have been screamed at once to many times today.

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