One from the BF...

[Antisocial_Worker]

My boyfriend, the Nurse Formerly Known as Sturdy, currently the Rasta Nurse, is as you might expect, a nurse at a regional hospital. It's the hospital where all the little hospitals around the area send the patients they can't deal with. As such, he gets a lot of really good patients, and I get a lot of really good patient stories from him. Here's but one... expect others as they accumulate.

"Just in case we have to sue you..."

A woman was in the hospital being treated for a nasty wound. Her sister was keeping her company. My boyfriend entered the room and started to introduce himself --

Sister: Just so you know, our father is a malpractice attorney, and I'll be keeping a record of everything you say or do, just in case we have to sue you or the hospital. I'm also recording everything.

At this point, she took out a tape recorder -- locked and loaded -- switched it on, and held it out to make sure it got my boyfriend saying his name loud and clear.

My boyfriend reports that when confronted with such a situation, what you think and how you respond to the situation are entirely different animals.

What you think: "Bring it, chica."

What you say: "As is your right, ma'am. My name is Rasta Nurse and I'll be your nurse today. Let me explain everything I'll be doing..."

And so he did. But seriously? Seriously? Just in case we have to sue you or the hospital? Who thinks like that?

Don't answer that.

[Becks]

Don't answer that.

Ruin my fun. *pout*

Anyhoo...some people.

[Sheldonrs]

It was your BFs right to say he does not want to be recorded and they would have to turn the recorder off. It is illegal to record someone without their permission, unless it is done through law enforcement.

[wagegoth]

It was your BFs right to say he does not want to be recorded and they would have to turn the recorder off. It is illegal to record someone without their permission, unless it is done through law enforcement.

Unfortunately, I think that varies from state to state.

[BlaqueKatt]

Unfortunately, I think that varies from state to state.

yup and it just so happens that I have the list of laws by state.

I'll just leave them here...ya know, in case anyone needs them or anything...

[TheSHAD0W]

If it wasn't an emergency, your boyfriend wasn't obligated to treat her. I would've walked away.

[Antisocial_Worker]

As he explained it to me, people threatening to sue him personally, the hospital, the state, or any other private, professional, or government entity they can think of is so common that it no longer even fazes him. That's why he went along with it. It was easier than arguing. And besides, if he'd walked away, they would probably have tried to sue because of that.

[Rena_Muffin]

Wow. I think if someone pulled this on me, I'd have to walk out because I'd be laughing so hard.

[Geek King]

Anybody else remembering the scene in Kingdom Hospital when the lawyer was brought in?

[Draco]

As he explained it to me, people threatening to sue him personally, the hospital, the state, or any other private, professional, or government entity they can think of is so common that it no longer even fazes him. That's why he went along with it. It was easier than arguing. And besides, if he'd walked away, they would probably have tried to sue because of that.

Honestly, I think that'd be the point I'd start pulling out, "I'm sorry to hear that ma'am. As a result, I have to contact the hospital's legal department before I can continue."

[Sapphire Silk]

My boyfriend reports that when confronted with such a situation, what you think and how you respond to the situation are entirely different animals.

What you think: "Bring it, chica."

What you say: "As is your right, ma'am. My name is Rasta Nurse and I'll be your nurse today. Let me explain everything I'll be doing..."

And so he did. But seriously? Seriously? Just in case we have to sue you or the hospital? Who thinks like that?

Don't answer that.

BF handled it well. Kudos to him. But as I will explain, he doesn't necessarily have to put up with that kind of bs.

I've never had anyone try to record me. Most hospitals have policies against electronic recording devices, including tape recorders. In most places, sister would have been asked to either turn off her machine or leave.

I have, however, had many family members take notes. That I have no problem with. I even encourage it . . . if that's what it takes for them to feel comfortable, so be it. I'm confident enough in my care and my documentation. I've never had a supervisor confront me over a journal, and I've never been sued.

If it wasn't an emergency, your boyfriend wasn't obligated to treat her. I would've walked away.

Ah, not quite.

This patient, based on the story, sounds like they were in the ER. Anyone presenting at the Emergency Department is entitled to, by law, a medical screening exam and stabalization before discharge (EMTALA or the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act). This means they must be screened by a doctor or doctor's representative, and if an emergent problem is found, must be stabilized before discharge.

A nasty wound counts as a medical emergency, and must be given basic stablizing treatment (cleaning, dressing, possibly sutures or staples depending on the kind of wound) before discharge.

So BF did have to treat her . . . but he's not required to take abuse. The nurse can walk away until the patient is cooperative, so long as the problem is not immediately life threatening.

[Antisocial_Worker]

A new story from the boyfriend's annals of nursing!

Black nurses can't jump...

Rasta Nurse, who is extremely African American, reports that he's not sure if it's because it's sports season or what, but for some reason his patients are getting philosophical about the physical prowess of black athletes versus white athletes.

One older white lady had enjoyed a nice visit from her grandson and later pulled my boyfriend aside for a chat while he was checking her charts. Her grandson was lamenting that his high school basketball team likely wouldn't do well this year because it wasn't going to have any black players on it.

"Rasta Nurse," she said, "you know that we white people just aren't as good at sports as you blacks are, and he's so upset..."

Later, an old, fat white man was regaling the boyfriend with tales of his younger days and explained that when he was a young man it was rare to encounter any black players when local schools went up against one another, as it was just after the schools had been desegregated.

However, at this particular man's school, there was in fact one black player on the basketball team. One day, an incident occurred that caused the man to forevermore shun the N-word. The team was dividing up to do something or other, and the man was going to be captain of one of the mini-teams. He picked his fellow playmates with the following little rhyme: "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe, catch a N-word--"

It was at this point that the black player slugged the man. He woke up some hours later with the resolution to never again use the word.

"I prefer the term 'black,'" he reported to my boyfriend.

Rasta Nurse gave it a thought and concurred.

Sigh...

[Dragon_Dreamer]

He picked his fellow playmates with the following little rhyme: "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe, catch a N-word--"

It was at this point that the black player slugged the man. He woke up some hours later with the resolution to never again use the word.

Okay, that one makes me giggle.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Patients: the bad and the sad

Rasta Nurse is being run ragged tonight with a huge patient load. There are two lousy patients in particular though, and one who's just sad.

Patient A: 80-lb drug addict who keeps shrieking for opiates.

Patient B: Alcoholic who went on a binge and may literally end up having drunk himself to death this time. Doctors told the family that he might not make it. Family is screaming at Rasta Nurse for not fixing him. His body is shutting down and as part of this process, his scrotum is swollen to the size of a basketball.

Patient C: This is the sad one. Catatonic black man about the age of Rasta Nurse and I. He was hit by a car back in January and left where he landed for 8 hours. All he can do is blink and drool.

[Seshat]

Patient C ... oh the poor man. Is there any sign that he's conscious in there? Can he manage 'blink once for yes, twice for no' conversations?