Tweet
So I haven't posted in about 2 years (haven't really been on the site again till very recently).
BG: I work at a hospital as an imaging technician (so the person who takes xrays, and more recently MRI's).
Now for those of you who've never had an mri/seen an mri machine essentially the patient lies on a table and the table moves back into the machine which looks like a long tube (5ish feet long or so, open at both ends). However due to the nature of HOW we get images the width and height of the machine are fairly small. (roughly 2ft x 2 ft). and nothing changes or moves except the table. the area for patients being scanned doesn't change size etc. it's a plastic/ceramic machine not a stretchy piece of spandex. /BG
Me:
SP: sucky patient
M: Manager
I had a woman come in for an MRI who was rather large. This was her 2nd mri scan with us she had one done the past week when I hadn't been working.
so I run through what were scanning today, ask if she has any questions, etc. my usual 'pre-scan spiel' i do with every patient so they understand the procedure.
I get her into the scan room put her on the table and move the table into the mri. I had not yet started the test yet, and then this..
SP: I can feel the sides of the tunnel against my arms!
Me: Yes, the area is fairly cramped in there but it's only for a short while.
SP: The woman who did my test the other day didn't have me up so high, I couldn't feel the sides then.
Me: I assure you ALL the equipment is identical to what we were using last week. If you can feel the sides now you would have felt them on friday.
SP: repeat above
me: repeat above
This goes on a few more times.
SP: I can't do this if i can feel the walls I'm going to puke.
so I get her out of the MRI scanner now people freaking out, being claustrophobic and not wanting the test done, is pretty common (happens AT LEAST once/day).
and I inform her of her options which are A. go to her doctor and get some medication to relax her so she can get through the test here and rebook with us (we have a very short waiting list a few weeks tops). Or B. go to her doctor and ask for her test to be booked at Hospital Y which has a slightly larger MRI scanner so her arms would probably not touch the sides there. or C. cancel test altogether and don't rebook (generally not advised as there are reasons the dr's order these).
After I inform her of her choices.
SP: Well i'm seeing my dr in a few days so i'll talk to him then and see what he thinks.
Me: So you don't want our bookings department to rebook you with a new appointment?
SP: no i'll just talk to my dr.
So she's still going on as she's leaving about how her arms weren't touching on her previous test etc. etc. etc.
I tried to remain calm and professional through it all and I succeeded I feel. However I the last 5 or so times i repeated 'nothing has changed in a few days equipment is ALL the same' I may have had a bit of a impatient tone in my voice. As I think I said the same thing 10+ times.
So next day I go into work and am informed my manager wants to see me... Oh joy.
So I go into her office and before she even says what she asked me in for.
Me: This is about 'patient x' last night isn't it?
M: Yes, she called me this morning to complain about the girl (note: I am male and in no way look even a bit like a woman) who did her scan wrong last night, apparently you've ruined her life.
I inform my manager I went over our standard A/B/C choices when someone bails out of getting a scan done.
Manager was actually pretty cool as she is somewhat known for NOT backing her staff up but said she wasn't worried about my ability to perform my job and that in 5 years this is the only complaint she had about me (or about the mysterious 'girl' who was working
) and that on top of the mri the woman complained that the halls were dirty (they weren't housekeeping in our department is pretty vigilant) and that the colour of the walls was wrong (it's white... wtf?) And this is about the 6th time manager has heard from this paticular person. So basically I was called in just as a formality to show 'something was done about the incident' and that was it.
So it ended nicely at least. Except the patient is rebooked with us (without meds from her doctor to relax her) so HOPEFULLY i'm off the day she's back in.
BG: I work at a hospital as an imaging technician (so the person who takes xrays, and more recently MRI's).
Now for those of you who've never had an mri/seen an mri machine essentially the patient lies on a table and the table moves back into the machine which looks like a long tube (5ish feet long or so, open at both ends). However due to the nature of HOW we get images the width and height of the machine are fairly small. (roughly 2ft x 2 ft). and nothing changes or moves except the table. the area for patients being scanned doesn't change size etc. it's a plastic/ceramic machine not a stretchy piece of spandex. /BG
Me:
SP: sucky patient
M: Manager
I had a woman come in for an MRI who was rather large. This was her 2nd mri scan with us she had one done the past week when I hadn't been working.
so I run through what were scanning today, ask if she has any questions, etc. my usual 'pre-scan spiel' i do with every patient so they understand the procedure.
I get her into the scan room put her on the table and move the table into the mri. I had not yet started the test yet, and then this..
SP: I can feel the sides of the tunnel against my arms!
Me: Yes, the area is fairly cramped in there but it's only for a short while.
SP: The woman who did my test the other day didn't have me up so high, I couldn't feel the sides then.
Me: I assure you ALL the equipment is identical to what we were using last week. If you can feel the sides now you would have felt them on friday.
SP: repeat above
me: repeat above
This goes on a few more times.
SP: I can't do this if i can feel the walls I'm going to puke.
so I get her out of the MRI scanner now people freaking out, being claustrophobic and not wanting the test done, is pretty common (happens AT LEAST once/day).
and I inform her of her options which are A. go to her doctor and get some medication to relax her so she can get through the test here and rebook with us (we have a very short waiting list a few weeks tops). Or B. go to her doctor and ask for her test to be booked at Hospital Y which has a slightly larger MRI scanner so her arms would probably not touch the sides there. or C. cancel test altogether and don't rebook (generally not advised as there are reasons the dr's order these).
After I inform her of her choices.
SP: Well i'm seeing my dr in a few days so i'll talk to him then and see what he thinks.
Me: So you don't want our bookings department to rebook you with a new appointment?
SP: no i'll just talk to my dr.
So she's still going on as she's leaving about how her arms weren't touching on her previous test etc. etc. etc.
I tried to remain calm and professional through it all and I succeeded I feel. However I the last 5 or so times i repeated 'nothing has changed in a few days equipment is ALL the same' I may have had a bit of a impatient tone in my voice. As I think I said the same thing 10+ times.
So next day I go into work and am informed my manager wants to see me... Oh joy.
So I go into her office and before she even says what she asked me in for.
Me: This is about 'patient x' last night isn't it?
M: Yes, she called me this morning to complain about the girl (note: I am male and in no way look even a bit like a woman) who did her scan wrong last night, apparently you've ruined her life.
I inform my manager I went over our standard A/B/C choices when someone bails out of getting a scan done.
Manager was actually pretty cool as she is somewhat known for NOT backing her staff up but said she wasn't worried about my ability to perform my job and that in 5 years this is the only complaint she had about me (or about the mysterious 'girl' who was working
) and that on top of the mri the woman complained that the halls were dirty (they weren't housekeeping in our department is pretty vigilant) and that the colour of the walls was wrong (it's white... wtf?) And this is about the 6th time manager has heard from this paticular person. So basically I was called in just as a formality to show 'something was done about the incident' and that was it.So it ended nicely at least. Except the patient is rebooked with us (without meds from her doctor to relax her) so HOPEFULLY i'm off the day she's back in.
Comment