You're fired! and other frustrating suck

[Sapphire Silk]

A couple of quick stories:

You're fired!

This is a Sighting. A couple of semesters ago we hired a nurse I know who works on the unit where I always take my students for clinic. She is an excellent nurse, and student friendly. She still works full time on that unit. We bumped into each other this afternoon, and she told me this gem about a patient's daughter who "fired" her as the patient's caregiver.

So the nurse goes into the room of this patient. She is dying. The daughter lives with her, and sleeps with the patient in the bed . . . apparently this is a 10 year old habit. The nurse comes into the room, smiling, pleasant, introduces herself and explains she'll be the caregiver for the day.

The daughter gets up, pushes this nurse in the shoulder and says, "What's the potassium level today!"

Nurse, flabbergasted, hasn't looked at the morning labs yet. She's just gotten report and is checking in on her patients before she gets to the nitty gritty. When she tries to explain that the doctor will be in to explain test results, and she's not supposed to discuss them with the patient (both true statements), the daughter SHOVES Nurse and tells her "You're fired! Get out!"



You know, I can get family being upset with the nursing staff . . . when they actually do something to be upset about. But to physically assault them?

Oh. Hell. No.

Risk management was called. Nurse washed her hands of it. I think I would have filed a written report and complaint.

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But I reserved it!

This is some suck from tonight. I administered a very important exam to my nursing class this evening. The students MUST pass it in order to graduate. It's a long exam: 3 hours.

On the floor of our building that houses my department, we have a computer lab: 24 seats with computer stations. This lab is attached to my course every Tuesday evening.

Cue 2 1/2 hrs into the exam. Some kid not in our program just waltzes into the room, looks confused, "I must be in the wrong room," and leaves.

A few minutes later, he is back. One of my students saw him approaching the door because her station faced it (my back was to the door) and said something to me, so I intercepted him in the hall. He was looking for his class.

Me: well, I'm in here testing, so I'm going to have to ask you not to come in again.
Student: OK. This is [Building name], right?
Me: Yes, but we have a scheduled class in this classroom. I don't know anything about where your class is supposed to meet.

We get down to the end of the 3rd hour, and the instructor waltzes in and says, in a not so quiet voice, "I have a reservation for this room."

I still have 5 students testing, though they were very close to being done.

Me: There must be some mistake. I have this room until [insert time 40 minutes from now].

Instructor: I had it reserved for [now]

Me: well, we're testing in here, and this lab is attached to my course in Datatel every Tuesday. We'll be done shortly.

Instructor: Well, we're testing tonight too.

Me: I can't help that.

Instructor: well, I need to get started; I want to come in and get set up while your students finishup.

Me: [OH HELL NO! ] OK, let's take this outside.

We leave the room. She makes a beeline for the Nursing Office where my Program Coordinator (the Chair's 2nd in command) is in her office, instead of talking to me.

Sup calms her down, but Instructor is very upset.

Me: Look, I'm sorry there's been some crossed wires. But I can't have the distraction of students coming in when my students are trying to finish a very important exam.

Instructor: well, we have a midterm tonight

Me: They have to pass this exam to graduate. In any case, they shouldn't have given you a reservation for the room.

Well, long and short of it is we were both wrong. My class time ended 20 minutes before Instructor arrived; I should have put in a reservation to keep the room an hour longer than usual. The confusion was because in past semesters, our class time for Lab is usually an hour longer than it is now (why I don't know).

But I found out from PC that Instructor was in an hour early, when it was definitely still MY classroom. Instructor went on a tirade in front of students and staff in the hall and got so loud that PC had to intervene. She contacted the person who does room reservations and determined Instructor had screwed up her time.

You know, fuck ups with room reservations happen. There's no need to lose your shit over it in front of students . . . and most definately NOT to pick a fight with me in FRONT OF STUDENTS WHO ARE STILL FUCKING TESTING!!!!

Thank GOD all 5 of the students affected passed the exam. If one had failed, she'd have a grievable issue to appeal her grade.

I'm so fucking pissed

[kaherbert]

When my Mom was ill, we had to request that one nurse not be on night duty in her room. He was a great nurse. He also had a German accent. During the day Mom loved having conversations with him. She was also an immigrant. At night, when the sundowners hit she became paranoid. With his accent, in her confused mind he was a the the enemy that cost my grandfather, WWII vet, his arm and eye. I had to stop mom from attacking him the first night. Sis worked for the same hospital system, so she made sure that the bosses knew it was it was because of my Mom's confused mind and that he was an excellent nurse.

[Gilhelmi]

When my Mom was ill, we had to request that one nurse not be on night duty in her room. He was a great nurse. He also had a German accent. During the day Mom loved having conversations with him. She was also an immigrant. At night, when the sundowners hit she became paranoid. With his accent, in her confused mind he was a the the enemy that cost my grandfather, WWII vet, his arm and eye. I had to stop mom from attacking him the first night. Sis worked for the same hospital system, so she made sure that the bosses knew it was it was because of my Mom's confused mind and that he was an excellent nurse.

Back when I worked at a nursing home, we had a resident who was a Holocaust survivor. On the particularly bad days, she thought we were trying to wipe out the Jewish people and poison her, so she refused to eat. Fortunately, those days were rare.

[Sapphire Silk]

When my Mom was ill, we had to request that one nurse not be on night duty in her room. He was a great nurse. He also had a German accent. During the day Mom loved having conversations with him. She was also an immigrant. At night, when the sundowners hit she became paranoid. With his accent, in her confused mind he was a the the enemy that cost my grandfather, WWII vet, his arm and eye. I had to stop mom from attacking him the first night. Sis worked for the same hospital system, so she made sure that the bosses knew it was it was because of my Mom's confused mind and that he was an excellent nurse.

That's reasonable, and in the best interests of patient care. And you made it clear it was nothing personal or professional . . . we get that, and I'm sure the nurse was not offended.

[Seshat]

Thank you for telling us the story. My mother-in-law was in Poland during WWII, and is Jewish.

ATM, she's fully competent mentally. But if she develops age-related mental problems, I'll now know to alert her care staff of the potential for confusions of that sort.


So again: thank you. You may have just saved my m-i-l and some innocent caring staff a problem.

[Gilhelmi]

Thank you for telling us the story. My mother-in-law was in Poland during WWII, and is Jewish.

ATM, she's fully competent mentally. But if she develops age-related mental problems, I'll now know to alert her care staff of the potential for confusions of that sort.


So again: thank you. You may have just saved my m-i-l and some innocent caring staff a problem.

Age related dementia is never the same from person to person though. Sometimes it is not completely horrible (still sad though).

I know one lady who regressed only back to her time as a Missionary in Ecuador. Every morning she addressed me in Spanish, and was surprised I only knew English. Every time she tried to pay/tip us, we told her "the mission took care of it" (which was true, she was still receiving support from a local church). She even knew every Old Hymn by heart. It was an honor to serve her, and I cried when she went home to the Lord.

Still, it was sad to see her in that state, and it was hard to work with her at times (anyone would get upset in that stage of confusion).

[AccountingDrone]

My mom is at the stage where she sits and snoozes in her comfy chair. The staff get her up and dressed and whatnot in the morning, and at appropriate times of day her meals and medications. I am very glad she isn't one that turned obnoxious.

[Seshat]

Every time she tried to pay/tip us, we told her "the mission took care of it".

That is so sweet. Of both her and you-(plural).


And yes, I know M-I-L may not develop a dementia that reverts her to memories of Poland. She may not develop dementia at all. But if she does develop age-related mental issues, I'll be able to make sure the leaders of her care team are aware of the potential problem.
Being able to give that warning is what I'm thanking you for.

[Shyla]

I am told I made a nurse refuse to treat me. I made her cry. I was completely out of my mind that day from a serious illness. I don't remember anything of how I treated her. I didn't do it on purpose. I tried hassling the next nurse and she just said Oh stop it and offered me pain meds.

I would never push a nurse or hit her. That is awful.

[AccountingDrone]

I am told I made a nurse refuse to treat me. I made her cry. I was completely out of my mind that day from a serious illness. I don't remember anything of how I treated her. I didn't do it on purpose. I tried hassling the next nurse and she just said Oh stop it and offered me pain meds.

I would never push a nurse or hit her. That is awful.

It is scary when you are out of it from meds or fever - I had pneumonia and apparently was hallucinating something drastic and it took my husband, our roommate John, our roomie Brockett and a visiting friend Kenny to hold me down until the meds brought the fever down and I passed out. My dad taught me the digested close personal combat techniques that kept him alive slogging from Normandy through the Ruhr Pocket. I have also been told I fight dirty.

[fireheart]

It is scary when you are out of it from meds or fever - I had pneumonia and apparently was hallucinating something drastic and it took my husband, our roommate John, our roomie Brockett and a visiting friend Kenny to hold me down until the meds brought the fever down and I passed out. My dad taught me the digested close personal combat techniques that kept him alive slogging from Normandy through the Ruhr Pocket. I have also been told I fight dirty.

Apparently I was talking in my sleep when I had been on panadol with codeine. I went back to my boyfriends place to rest (also my dad had my car) and fell asleep. When I woke up, apparently I'd been talking in my sleep

[Jarlaxle]

My wife took me to the hospital when my fever hit 103...I had been watching (sorta) one of the Back to the Future movies before she did. I don't remember anything, but apparently, I was calling everyone either "Biff" or "Marty".

[AccountingDrone]

My wife took me to the hospital when my fever hit 103...I had been watching (sorta) one of the Back to the Future movies before she did. I don't remember anything, but apparently, I was calling everyone either "Biff" or "Marty".

Well, that is different from Hun or Sweetie I suppose

[Seshat]

I refused to drink one time when I was dreadfully sick. There were little men in my lemonade and I didn't want to drink them.
Yeah. Weird. I was really out of it.

[Sapphire Silk]

I am told I made a nurse refuse to treat me. I made her cry. I was completely out of my mind that day from a serious illness. I don't remember anything of how I treated her. I didn't do it on purpose. I tried hassling the next nurse and she just said Oh stop it and offered me pain meds.

I would never push a nurse or hit her. That is awful.

I can deal with that kind of thing from a patient. Sick patients sometimes do things they'd never do when they were feeling good. The only patient I ever "fired" was a patient who filed a false complaint against me (another nurse said what it was claimed I said, and what that nurse said wasn't even inappropriate or false). I never took care of that patient again; if the charge would try to assign her to me I'd tell him "you know I don't take care of X."

They'd go and reassign the patient. One nurse tried to complain about that, but the charge would say "nah. Those two are oil and fire, we don't need the legal liability."