I Am Totally Responsible For All Deaths In The ICU.

[BlackIronCrown]

It's been a while since I personally had one to post. My current shift is uber-quiet and mostly administrative in nature. However, once in a blue moon, an actual SC calls in.

For those who do not recall, I ride herd over a bunch of techs for after-hours service for copiers, printers, faxes, etc. I also take after-hours tech support calls.
Come about 2300 hours yesterday I get a call coming in from the outside....

Me: <intro greeting>

SC: This is <Duty Nurse> from Petaluma Valley Hospital. I am VERY upset! I placed a call earlier this evening and a technician still hasn't come out!

Me: I'm sorry about that, ma'am, let me see what's going on. What's the work order number or serial number for the machine?

SC: <blah>

*I bring up the order and it's just a request for regular service for a multi-function copier in a certain CA hospital. The fax portion has blown on the copier. No AH service has been requested - that's been noted, at least. Our techs only work from 0800-1700 local time. Anything after that is after hours. If you want AH service it either is a) included on your contract after paying a hefty amount or b) involves an onsite charge if you haven't contracted it.*

Me: All right, ma'am. I have the order here and I see it was sent out to the technician. It's scheduled for normal service tomorrow morning; did you request AH service?

SC: Well no, why should I request it? This machine is in the ICU of the hospital! We work 24 hours so I would expect to be serviced 24 hours!

Me: Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way, ma'am. Our technicians only work from 0800 to 1700 local time; AH service is only automatic if you have a service contract for it.

SC: Well, so we're a hospital! Why aren't they out there?

Me: Because your hospital did not opt for AH service. Only normal service is listed on this contract.

SC: ...
SC: Well, this is the main fax machine for the ICU. We receive faxes all night from doctors for the patients there. Their lives depend on this machine. It's broken, so we need service NOW.

Me: All right, ma'am. That's not a problem, we can place a call for AH service for this machine. Since AH service is not included on your contract, there will be an additional charge for service. We'll just need the name and phone number of a person who will authorize payment directly.

SC: You'll have to bill us.

Me: Unfortunately, ma'am, the technician will not come out before speaking with a person over the phone who can authorize payment and can sign off on the order.

SC: Well I'm calling from home! I'm not going back out there!

Me: Ok, then someone onsite will need to g

SC: Are you STUPID? Accounting and all the office people have gone home for the day! Why can't they just bill us?

Me: We no longer just bill for AH service due to numerous difficulties we have had securing payment.

SC: This is BAD SERVICE. Your incompetence on gettign a technician out will cost the patients in the ICU to DIE!



*Now, all this time, I've been pacing the entire floor. I usually do this on calls of length late at night because we have wireless headsets. It allows us to actually go to a machine in question and lead a client through. Me, it just provides exercise. At this, I stop dead in my tracks, stunned to disbelief.*

Me: ...
Me: *very stentorian* Ma'am, are you trying to blackmail me with the lives of your patients?

SC: ...
SC: *rapidly* No, no I'm not, but this is bad service and I am going to be complaining about this because this is unacceptable we should have 24 hour service and we just signed a huge service contract with you and I will be complaining about this to your manager.

Me: Well ma'am, my manager's name is <blah> and he's in M-F, 0800-1700 EST at this number. However, if you wish to complain about the terms of your contract, you will want to call the Service Manager for your area at <blah>; his name is <blah>.

SC: *grumpy* Well, fine. What is the charge for AH service?

Me: It is a minimum of 4 hours at $300.00/hour.

SC: *shrieking* THAT'S $1200.00!!!

Me: Yes, ma'am, that is correct.

SC: This is HORRIBLE SERVICE! WE ARE NOT PAYING THAT! I am going to have to unplug my personal fax machine and TAKE IT DOWN THERE and that's YOUR FAULT. Those prices are RIDICULOUS!

*bang, call drops*

So, I notated the call for the poor tech going out in the morning. I notified my manager that there might be a screamer coming his way. I don't think anything will come of it - I have the authority to say what I said.

So, lessons learned:
1) Folks, if faxes are that critical for you, have a backup machine available. Borrow it from another ward if necessary.
2) Plunk for AH service. It's costly, but effective.
3) If you have relatives that died in the Petaluma Valley Hospital ICU, it's all my fault.

[JLRodgers]

And to think.... all they had to do was hook up another fax, or (phone system pending) redirect the fax number to another fax in another room and just check it every so often. Or for that matter just buy a new cheap fax for the night.

[Evil Queen]

I'll keep that in mind but to be honest, I hate most my relatives so I'd more then likely send you flowers and a fruit basket.

[zzapp the witch]

The emboldened sentence was 6 shades of awesome!

[dispatch]

As if I didn't get nervous enough in doctor's offices, now apparently a charge nurse can't hatch up a plan B for when a piece of office equiptment breaks??? What do they do when a lightbulb burns out, flail their arms around until maintnence shows up to fix it?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Oh, wow, that's so sad. Someone wanted to charge a hospital crazy expensive fees or else they'd let their patients die.

Oh, wait....

[hecubus]

SC: Well no, why should I request it? This machine is in the ICU of the hospital! We work 24 hours so I would expect to be serviced 24 hours!
.......

Me: Ok, then someone onsite will need to g

SC: Are you STUPID? Accounting and all the office people have gone home for the day! Why can't they just bill us?

And right here is where the smartass in me would have said, "Well, gee, if the ICU is open 24 hours, than I would expect your accounting and office people to be there 24 hours, too."

Probably followed immediately by my firing.

[Cyphr]

And right here is where the smartass in me would have said, "Well, gee, if the ICU is open 24 hours, than I would expect your accounting and office people to be there 24 hours, too."

Probably followed immediately by my firing.

It would have gotten the Idea across

man what a total moron you should have totally waived the fee so her patients wouldn't die and by "receive faxes all night" she really meant we occasionally get a medical record from another hospital or doctors office

[marasbaras]

I'd like to see what that bitch would say if someone asked the hospital to waive a fee because it was too expensive.

[bainsidhe]

WE ARE NOT PAYING THAT! I am going to have to unplug my personal fax machine and TAKE IT DOWN THERE and that's YOUR FAULT.

Well then, problem solved If it wouldn't result in your firing, you could've said that what she was really upset about was going back to work, not the lives of her patients.

[Meegz]

I do really want to know what kind of hospital would complain over a $1200 fee to fix a machine that will OMG KILL EVERYONE.

Otherwise, shes being dramatic, which by reading some other threads from people in the same sort of field, seems to be the problem with some nurses and such

$1200? yeah Id let people die because that is just TOO MUCH MONEY!

[XXDarrienX]

Cost of Repair for a Fax - $1200 or the multitude of lawsuits filed against the hospital due to deaths from incompetent staff. The nurse is a bunch of Fail

[Chazzie]

Me: ...
Me: *very stentorian* Ma'am, are you trying to blackmail me with the lives of your patients?

I could NOT have come up with a better response than you did. I freakin' applaud you for that line.

[Kaylyn]

As if I didn't get nervous enough in doctor's offices, now apparently a charge nurse can't hatch up a plan B for when a piece of office equiptment breaks??? What do they do when a lightbulb burns out, flail their arms around until maintnence shows up to fix it?

I'm picturing a Sim, looking up at the sky waiting for the Sim God to drop the item they need in front of them...

[South Texan]

Once again, someone proves that just because someone has a specialized degree and holds a position of some authority, it does not mean the person has common sense.

The Petaluma Valley Hospital is located at 400 North McDowell Boulevard in Petaluma, California. There is a Wal-Mart located just about nine miles away at 4625 Redwood Drive in Rohnert Park. Wal-Marts sell inexpensive fax machines (under $100) that can hold up to being used for one evening. I doubt seriously that there are constant faxes being sent into an ICU at night. Was there anything preventing someone from the hospital taking forty-five minutes to go to the store and get one for this “emergency” if the fax machine was that vital? It would not take much to get authorization for such an expense if this truly was to prevent patients from dying.

Gee. It will cost a minimum of $1,200 to get the machine repaired tonight or about $95 to buy a temporary replacement until the machine can be fixed in the morning under the contract. I wonder which one the administration would prefer…