You're doing it wrong!

[Palomita]

First story I post, so be nice

Ok so I work as a clerk and an aide in a hospital... basically pretty much all of it has to do with food preparation. Usually when working as an aide, I don't really have to deal with the nurses and patients as much upstairs, since my job consists of coming in for 5 seconds to drop off a tray or pick it up, etc.... but lately i've been filling in as clerk... and as such, I take phone calls from other clerks and nurses up the floors.

I always get various phone calls that wind up being very frustrating... Here are a few:

SN= sucky nurse
C= clerk
Me= well, me!

Me: Diet Office
SN: Hello, I went to check on my patient and saw that YOU sent him a diet that's all wrong!
Me: *internal groan* What's the room number?
SN: xxxx-x
Me: Ok.... from what I can see in the patient's card file, a clerk called about two hours ago and asked it to get changed to that diet.
SN: BUT I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO CHANGE IT, YOU DID IT WRONG, IT'S NOT MY PATIENT'S DIET THAT'S CHANGING!
Me: I'm sorry but the clerk called and said that room, I only wrote what I was asked.
SN: WELL CHANGE IT BACK AND SEND SOMETHING ACCEPTABLE!
Me: Sure thing. *click*

God I love it when they yell at me for their mistakes...

Another phone call (one I tend to get often):

C: Hi, can I get a gingerale for room xxxx-x please?
Me: *checks card file* Um, unfortunately the patient's on a liquid restriction so I can't send any extra liquid other than what he got on his tray.
C: Oh okay, thanks anyway. *click*

5 seconds later.... phone rings again

Me: Diet Office.
SN: Hi, the clerk just called you like 5 second ago about my patient in room xxxx-x wanting a gingerale?
Me: yes?
SN: Well why can't you send it?
Me: Because its not compatible with the diet.
SN: But my patient wants it!!
Me: I'm sorry, I'm simply not allowed to send it.
SN: But my patient wants iiiiiit.
Me: Look, if you want to take the liquid restriction off, take it up with the dietician. I'm not autorized to send up an extra gingerale and I'm not gonna lose my job over it either.
SN: *sigh* FINE. *click*

And that's just the nurses... some of the clerks can be really unnerving too... I've yet to get yelled at by a patient though *keeps fingers crossed*.

[Sliceanddice]

damnit you're scaring me.
Im in school to become a nurse.

But all the nurse i meet where uber strict about diet...

[AirHostess]

The hospital where I work is the strangest place ever, I can't say I'm fond of any of the staff except the car park attendant and some of the doctors I deal with are quite rude!

Haven't dealt with any patients.

[uknz76]

My best friend is a Doctor, she won't work full time in a hospital because of the bitchiness. And she makes more money as a GP.

[Palomita]

damnit you're scaring me.
Im in school to become a nurse.

But all the nurse i meet where uber strict about diet...

You'd think they would be... but I've found that a lot of the nurses that call me don't know what they're talking about, so it causes a lot of arguments.

I have other friends that are studying to become nurses; I keep telling them not to become anything like that!

[greensinestro]

I'm glad you hold your ground on things like this. I'm wondering though, how many other people in your position have actually caved in to patients that demand this stuff and somehow coerce the nurses to let them have what they're not allowed to have? How many deaths or at least serious complications have occured because of this?

[Boozy]

A good friend and former co-worker of mine once worked in a nursing home cafeteria.

She said she had to be really vigilant, because those little old ladies looking to scam a dessert they can't have can be pretty cunning.

[Gabrielle Proctor]

I read an article recently on the dangers of a hospital night shift.

Apparently, the only people who work night shift are the ones on the bottom of the hierarchy. Because the people above them get to pick their hours. If a patient is having a hard time, the nurses are scared to call the doctors at home out of fear of getting in trouble with the doctors. (A kid died of an allergic reaction to a medicine that made him bleed to death internally. The nurses were too scared to call his doctor.)

I was reminded of that story after princess Katie mentioned that the doctors are rude. I hate how people think, oh I'm a doctor so that entitles me to be able to treat you like crap...peon.

[ArenaBoy]

Last summer at the college music venue I got a guy who said he was a doctor and he was curious about being able to get out quickly because he was on call. The whole time he was rude to me about this whole thing and the only thing I wanted to say to him was "If you're on call then what the hell are you doing at concert?! Wouldn't it be better to wait at home just in case?"

[uknz76]

If you're on call then what the hell are you doing at concert?! Wouldn't it be better to wait at home just in case?

Doctors can (depending on locaton) get paid to be on call. So some put themselves on call every night, hoping they don't get called but still make money. Your guy didn't need to be rude about it though.

[Jinxy]

Doctors while having a decently (overall) hard job have to be the rudest people I have ever dealt with.
My mother has had Crohn's as long as I can remember and I finally had had it with getting no information even though I'd been cleaned to know and grabbed her last doctor by the arm as he was walking away form me and telling me details. I told him I knew he was busy but I would make sure that every single person I knew in the universe would know what a dick he was if he couldn't take 3 minutes and explain to me why she was in ICU.

He looked shocked and my smart-ass response to the look was "Did you forget you weren't god?" He laughed and actually apoligized. I almost fell over and so did the nurse standing next to me.

Jinxy who needs to get back to work but is having a good time

[Crazyredhead]

I have dealt with a lot of (alleged) doctors when I worked the warranty dept of a service provider. When I would disapprove a replacement phone they would start in saying "But I am a doctor..." Aaannndd? Or if you called them sir or maam they would get all offended and rude and tell me that they are a doctor, and that they didn't go to medical school for 6-8 years to be called sir or maam. Yes siiiiir!! (saaaalute) But yes, I do agree, Doctors are very rude and to full of themselves. Ot they ask you "Do you know what I am?" (ummm, an asshole???)

[AFpheonix]

A lot of the doctors I've talked to have been pretty cool. What's insane to me is that the ones who are most likely to be asses (well, besides cardiologists) are pediatricians. Scary that these guys are working on kids and get all pissy if you call in because THEY screwed up a script.

[Kogarashi]

I have dealt with a lot of (alleged) doctors when I worked the warranty dept of a service provider. When I would disapprove a replacement phone they would start in saying "But I am a doctor..." Aaannndd? Or if you called them sir or maam they would get all offended and rude and tell me that they are a doctor, and that they didn't go to medical school for 6-8 years to be called sir or maam. Yes siiiiir!! (saaaalute) But yes, I do agree, Doctors are very rude and to full of themselves. Ot they ask you "Do you know what I am?" (ummm, an asshole???)

::cheese-eating grin:: Hubby's going to school for 6 years to be called "Doctor." Of course, his will be a PhD, not an MD. He'll be the only doctor in his family who can't write prescriptions.

A lot of the doctors I've talked to have been pretty cool. What's insane to me is that the ones who are most likely to be asses (well, besides cardiologists) are pediatricians. Scary that these guys are working on kids and get all pissy if you call in because THEY screwed up a script.

Wow. I suddenly feel very lucky that the four pediatricians I've met so far have all been very nice people.

[bigjimaz]

damnit you're scaring me.
Im in school to become a nurse.

But all the nurse i meet where uber strict about diet...

You'll be fine, the training you get here will counteract any urge to be sucky.

And congrats for choosing a great profession.