audreysmagic

This. It's my understanding that the employees fired were not at all involved in the individual's care. They were literally just peeking. I work on a small unit in which we work as a team as well. I would absolutely get familiar with the charts of the patients on our unit - or even go back through past visits that relate to their current one when I have time. Especially because our unit has a longer expected length of stay than most. But that doesn't give me any license to look up, for example, a patient I once knew at another facility to see if she'd had visits - I'm not involved in her care anymore.

There can be a lot of information on the name screen, too, at least in EPIC.

This has been all over the news in Chicago...realistically, Northwestern can probably absorb losing the 50 employees (they weren't solely nurses) pretty quickly - it's a huge facility. I work at a nearby hospital now and we got a global email with the news link too from our privacy team, reminding everyone that curiosity doesn't cut it when it comes to peeking. Getting a quick familiarity with name and diagnosis of your co-worker's patients when you cover their lunch? Totally fine, and a good idea. You would be involved in their care. "I heard so-and-so might be on the telemetry unit?" Nope.

What can I say? I cope with humor. ?

It has been a weird few weeks here at my current hospital, which I have decided is probably an affiliate of @Davey Do's Wrongway Medical Center...but this last week or so takes the cake. (Maybe it's because they know I'm leaving, and have decided to make this transition easier for me.) Last Thursday: There I am, minding my own business in an impromptu treatment team meeting in the staff lounge, when the coffee maker sparks, catching everyone's attention. As soon as I can call for someone to unplug it, the entire cord erupts in sparks and a small, quickly extinguished flame. To her credit, our doctor dives right in, no hesitation, as I paused to look for something non-metal to pull the cord away from the wall. Thankfully, we did not fry one of my favorite docs. Upon examination, I found some genius had taped the cord of the coffee maker when it began to fray. Due to TOS, I can't quote what our Plant Ops guy had to say when he found out. The good news: I did save the pot of coffee that had just been brewed. Last Friday: Only one of our elevators goes to the top floor, which is only administrative offices. So I got off at another floor (which is currently closed to patients for renovation) to transfer to the appropriate elevator. As I wait for my elevator...CODE RED. Honestly, my first thought was "I threw that dang coffee maker out!" When they announced the location, I had to frown, because that wing technically doesn't exist. It's the lobby. Also, I'm literally the only person on this floor, so I dutifully call my floor's headcount to the front desk and stand by for further instructions, near an exit. The good news: It was a short in the alarm system. No fire. Last night: At home, as I'm going to sleep, I see a white flash of light out of the corner of my eye. Residual trauma of the coffee maker incident flares up and I immediately get up and inspect every outlet on that side of the room, plus the (currently unplugged) fan. As it happens again, I realize it was headlights from outside reflecting off the wall due to the angle of my bedroom window. The takeaway lesson: Plant Ops isn't kidding when they want to check your electrical appliances for approval. Don't be the person who either fries my favorite doctor or burns the hospital down with your ancient coffeemaker.

And here I thought being stressed was just a common side effect of nursing. ?

I'm not laughing - I'd be sitting on the couch next to you watching it!

So, yours truly is of an age where the original Power Rangers was her must-see TV in her preteen years. And because I've been stressed and needing a bit of 90's nostalgia, I've been re-watching the series...it's cheerfully mindless entertainment, if nothing else. Though, clearly, Preteen Me did not have the same standards regarding production quality in television entertainment. When looking at reviews from other adults doing the same thing of the latest episode, I saw the following still image, and I had to laugh at how familiar this feels to Adult Me: From left to right: My padawan nurse when things fail to go as expected at work vs. me when things fail to go as expected at work.

If someone can't be a good example, they might become a horrible warning.

And: Go on to your BSN right away, kid. Don't think that year or two gap will cure your academic fatigue, because you'll jump right in to working full-time and eventually two years will become 13. (I did go back to school, and am now proudly working on my MSN, but I could have been further along in my career by now if I'd done it sooner).

Eventually, there will be a day when you will fail to be surprised by a patient's antics. Impressed, perhaps, but not surprised.

Funny enough, I was in Albuquerque this weekend...I must've taken a right on the way back, because I ended up in Reality...

Thanks, guys! I went away for the weekend and my current job welcomed me back with a burst pipe issue... ? So this made me smile for sure when I logged back in!

Thanks! I'm really excited. I've been longing to get back to working with small people...

I love the trend of adult coloring books. I have one specifically for nurses...it's a little sassy (ie, "The 'H' out front doesn't stand for hotel!"), but it sure helps with the stress relief!