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I have my own work to do, Doc

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  • I have my own work to do, Doc

    So, looking ahead on our outpatient schedule a few days I notice we have a pediatric patient. <hospital> doesn't really get many pediatric patients as most of them go to <children's hospital>. I haven't done one myself since I was a student at <children's hospital>, which was several years ago.

    Standard procedure is if we see anything weird, we call the radiologist. Lucky (not) for us, we usually have Dr Prick. I've talked about him before. Despite how difficult he is to work with, I will give him that he is very thorough and as such is actually a very good radiologist. It would just be nice if he wasn't so unpleasant to work with.

    Anywho, no sooner were the words "pediatric patient" out of my mouth when he interrupted me with "Children's Hospital. Period." Alrighty then, I'll call the ordering doc and get things switched. Whelp, doc's office calls back and Kid's Mom is adamant she is not taking her kid to <children's hospital>. Okidoki then. Lucky me gets to call Dr Prick back.

    New assignment then: call <children's hospital> for their dosing information and also get Kid's height, weight, and menstruation status from the other office. Then get in touch with a pediatric rad for Dr Prick to talk to. Done, done, and also done because I'm just that good. Called Dr Prick back with all the info, including the ped rad's name and was just about to give him the number when "I'll be sitting here waiting."

    Do what? Doc, lemme tell you what I've got on my plate today. Thing One and Thing Two decided to skip off to lunch together, which means my partner in crime is covering cardiology and I'm running two cameras and three scans. I don't have time to be your secretary. I get you're reading scans for, like, 5 modalities, but you keep calling us to see what we've got. My assumption is you're bored. The other rad is probably busy as well. But hey, I've got 30 seconds before my next patient so I'll call him and give him your number.

    And yunno the real insulting thing? Other Rad basically told Dr Prick the exact same thing I was told by the tech at <children's hospital>. He just wanted confirmation that we had correct information. Apparently we have to have the letters MD after our names before our information is valid. Not that they do those scans every day or anything.

    Oh, and he wanted me to pass along to my boss that he was "unhappy" about the situation. Well, doc, I don't like it either cuz I'm really not looking forward to the possibility of having to hold down an 11 year old. And the mom sounds like a real piece of work too. But I'm more "unhappy" about having to make all these phone calls when I have work to do. Taking care of patients who are actually here right now.
    I am no longer of capable of the emotion you humans call “compassion”. Though I can feign it in exchange for an hourly wage. (Gravekeeper)

  • #2
    Mom probably is a real piece of work, and has burned her bridges so badly at the children's hospital that she now thinks no one there is competent (all the while failing to see that the actual problem stares at her in the mirror every morning). Therefore you get the joy of her company while the children's hospital rejoices that they won't have to deal with the Wicked Bitch of the West anymore.

    Good luck. You're going to need it. Do give us an update!
    They say that God only gives us what we can handle. Apparently, God thinks I'm a bad ass.

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    • #3
      Well, it went about as well as it could have, but the parents (yes, both of them) are, um, crazy. I managed to have as little to do with the exam as possible for a few reasons. First off, I don't like treating kids because the parents have to be there. And I HATE dealing with parents. I'm also a bitter, jaded individual who doesn't tolerate hemming, hawing, waffling, or anything of the sort very well. Don't want to do this? I'm not going to fight with you.

      So, Kid had both parents with her and they were very definitely in freak out mode. Which in turn freaked out Kid. She was understandably nervous, but if her parents would have chilled the fark out, it would have made everyone's lives easier. I was gonna start Kid's IV, but I didn't see much in the way of decent veins, so I let one of my coworkers handle it since she used to work at a children's hospital. All the while Parents (but mostly Dad) badgered us with a gazillion questions about what the test was for, why we had to do it, is it even safe to do on kids (which, really do you think we'd be doing it if it weren't?), what if we don't do it, are you sure we have to, what if it's abnormal......yaddy yadda yadda. Then they wanted us to use that freezy spray stuff to numb her up for the stick but we don't have it because, hey, WE DON'T DO KIDS. I'm not entirely sure that stuff even does anything but scare the kids when it gets sprayed on them.

      Kid freaked out and started crying no less than twice that I saw. Once getting herself worked up before the stick and a second time during an infusion as part of the exam because she could feel the stuff going up her arm and it felt weird. And when it came time to pull the tape off and take the IV out....oi! Kid wanted me to go slow with the tape, which hurts more than just ripping it off--in a controlled way. Like a Band-Aid.

      We did manage to get the story of why they won't take Kid to <children's hospital>, although I take just about everything most patients say with a large grain of salt since the vast majority of them don't understand medicine at all. Apparently Kid got taken to the ER there for headaches and the first thing the staff did was start an IV and pump Kid full of anti-migraine meds. At some point CPS was involved. Which, I can't say I really know why, but when you're dealing with kids, I'm sure CPS is going to be involved at some point, even if it's just to make sure they don't need to step in for some reason or other. Little Johnny breaks his arm falling off the trampoline, CPS might ask a few questions to make sure Mom or Dad of the year didn't do it beating the kid. Anywho, that time Kid's problem turned out to be strep throat when all was said and done. According to the parents anyway. And now they won't go back.

      Our test was normal anyway, so there's that.


      And a note to anyone who may think I'm being overly harsh and not very compassionate: I work very hard to take the best care of my patients I know how. I also have a very low BS tolerance, which is something you have to develop in healthcare. Come at me swinging (verbally speaking anyway--which they did), and my empathy for you completely shuts down. You get professionalism, nothing more. And I know myself well enough to know when to remove myself from a situation before I say or do something that might get me fired. "Buck up Sissy Pants" is probably something that should stay in my brain and not make it out of my mouth.
      Last edited by jedimaster91; 06-23-2014, 11:19 PM.
      I am no longer of capable of the emotion you humans call “compassion”. Though I can feign it in exchange for an hourly wage. (Gravekeeper)

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      • #4
        The lights begin to dawn. Here's what really happened.

        Kid was having headaches and was constantly in the ER. Based on statements the parents made about the kids medical history, and their behavior, some staffer got the idea neglect or abuse might be an issue and called CPS. When you have a kid in the ER frequently, this can happen.

        Parents were offended by this. It doesn't matter if there really was abuse going on or not . . . even if there wasn't parents flipped and now don't go to "that" hospital.

        I had something similar happen to me once. A four year old girl bruised head to toe, in the ER for treatment of an injury. Had been in the ER multiple times. I called CPS.

        Dad flipped out. He screamed at me that his daughter had a rare blood disorder that caused the bruising. He demanded an apology. Given that he did even bother to TELL anyone about this part of kids medical history, I refused to apologize. There was a big stink, but I stuck to my guns: I had followed the law as a mandatory reporter.
        They say that God only gives us what we can handle. Apparently, God thinks I'm a bad ass.

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        • #5
          I feel you on the kids. We rarely get them inpatient at my hospital, but when we do it is on my floor. It always makes me wonder why the parents do not insist on transferring them to Children's hospital when they need to be admitted. Despite what management thinks, we are really not child friendly.

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