2005-03-21 - 12:29 a.m.
Friday I drank more than I did Thursday. Two beers more. In four hours longer than Thursday.
So Friday, after I should have left work but hadn't since I hadn't carpooled and I wasn't interested in rushing right out into Friday evening first rain in a few days traffic, I transferred a call to a resident. It was convenient, he was coming to talk to my sister right before his friend or family member decided to call. I told him the call was for him, he headed to his room, I told her he'd be with her shortly, then made the transfer. His phone, unfortunately, was dead, so I took the portable phone from the nurse's station, transferred it to that phone, and let him use that one. Then, I let the charge nurse up front know what I'd done, and where the phone was.
"You can't do that. I mean, they can use the phone, but you have to tell me where it's going BEFORE you give it to anyone. This one time, a patient had the phone, and he hid it, and we didn't find it for weeks. Tell me before. You can't just give the phone to them, you don't have that power."
"So... fire me."
"...I don't have that power."
"Hahahaaa. So anyway, it's in his room, when line 1 closes, that probably means he's done with it."
I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I like this nurse, she's good at what she does, and she admits her flaws honestly and without excuses. Well, maybe not all of them, but who does? But the point is she's a good person, and good at what she does. But there's no fucking way I'm gonna tell a family member or friend of a resident to wait on hold while I try to track down a nurse. Any nurse. Chances are once you find one, she'll be busy, and not inclined to listen to your stories about who you're letting talk on the telephone.
I am, however, from now on thinking about telling this particular nurse every time someone is going to be using a portable phone. Even if it's not on her station. Just to fuck with her. That last sentance was to make sure everyone was on the same page. The sentance before that was mocking the sentance which preceeded it. The sentance prior to this was overkill, and really should have stopped there, and yet it continues.
