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."

[General E. Speaking, RN, RN]

"Dear doctor, the sensitivity report in the chart cleary states that the patient's infection is resistant to Cefepime and Levaquin, please advise why you have not d/c's these antbiotics."

"Dear doctor, we are not your personal office staff or answering service, please do not call the med-surg desk from YOUR office and ask us to page a doc to you. If you want a physician paged- do it yourself or ask your staff to do it."

"Dear doctor, I am not a waitress but if you are going to get coffee, I like mine with cream and a little sugar."

"Dear doctor, please come and round on your patient's instead of keeping the poor nurse on the phone for 20 minutes reviewing everything that has happened over the past 23 hours."

"Dear doctor, please do not tell the family that you will be in at 0800 when you know good and well that since the hospital has opened you have never once rounded that early."

just a few off the top of my head...

[DusktilDawn]

Dear charge nurse,

I'd appreciate it if you would not pull a recliner up to the nurses station and prop your feet up with a pillow and a blanket all night long. Its extremely unprofessional. Just because you are not required to take a patient doesn't excuse you from working. How about asking your coworkers if they need any help, because I'm drowning over here. Thanks for nothing.

-Me

Don't blame you for being ticked here. Thanks to people like that I get to do Charge and have a full patient load and not necessarily the easy patients. Being Charge is just more work and responsiblity where I'm at.

[Annor]

Dear Doc,

The very least you can do...is say a BIG THANKYOU to me.....for discovering you and your doc friend ,were going to excise a melanoma leison at the WRONG LOCATION ON THIS PT'S BODY!!! Her face...when it should have been her right trapezus...

You did blamed everybody else for making the mistake ,except yourself and your buddy doctor , ....you even blamed the pt, for bringing in the wrong pathology report.....

You know very well...she had the RIGHT path report with her.....YOU AND YOUR DOC FRIEND GOT IT MIXED UP...I corrected the error, when I was preparing the chart for her surgery.....:redlight:

The pt. thanked me ....the office staff from our office thanked me...your friend's office staff thanked me...even your doc friend got on the phone and thanked me.....but NOT YOU!!!!

How about it...I saved your ass........I did my job well, and YOU KNOW IT!

just give me a THANKYOU.....Shame on you!!

And while I am at it.....a raise would be nice too!

Your Nurse:angryfire