And if cold weren't enough...

Now we have snow too.  Thankfully, it's light, fluffy, and can be swept away easily with a broom.

I can't wait to go to work on a day like today. This is when I really wish I could telework. Somehow, I don't think we'll have too many people go AMA today.

Off to warm up the car and remove my own personal icicles.

More to come.

I'm waiting for this one to come to RehabLand

My ER nurse colleagues can tell you it's a common way to get out of the ER--go AMA when you don't hear what you want to hear, or when you hear you'll go to jail, or get a bill.

Now, instead of all those things, we have ebola showing up in ERs around the US, thanks to the marvels of modern transportation. 

Add them together and all you get is trouble.

That is all...stay tuned.

Great article about racism at work

“There’s something wrong,” Dr. Jain said, “when a person can go to work, be subject to intolerance or abuse and have it be ignored and accepted by colleagues as part of the job.” 

Well said, Dr. Jain, well said.

Been there, done that. If we, as healthcare providers, have to provide services to you 24/7, you'd better get some manners, or feel free to go AMA if you don't like our services.

Stay tuned...

Heard on the unit

In this first of the year installment, I didn't have to do much to hear some pretty interesting comments. Happily, there is no smellavision (yet) on the internet or some of these would be harder to bear.

"The first time I smelled Jack Daniel's (whiskey) I thought it was my grandmother's perfume." Picasso

Picasso's not his real name, but this guy is one of our regular artists in residence. No, he didn't get any big honors like our other guy who got to be a VIP late last year, but he's always got something new going on, like his secret pastel drawing in the sketch book.

He keeps making drawings for some of the nurses, so I guess I'm going to have to commission something from him to get one myself. This one about Picasso's Granny just happened to pop up as we were talking about French-Canadians. I guess Granny liked the taste of Jack to some old silly perfume!

"I like it up here at the penthouse level (waving his hand in front of his nose)." Mr. VIP

Somebody was emitting noxious odors in VIP's room, so to get away from it, he had someone raise up his bed about 4 feet off the floor, which is pretty far away from that nursing standard of a "locked and low bed."

"It's all in the technique, folks, all in the technique." Mr. AMA
Yes, Mr. AMA returned to us again to get healed up and promises not to leave AMA this time. (just like the last few times...) AMA's nurse and I tried to get him positioned right to go to x-ray and he bellyached until one of the nursing assistants reoriented his pillow, hence the quote. (The NA got it just right!)

"W., it's been nice knowing you. I'm leaving here for good. Dr. T. won't let me smoke. Screw him!" Ms. Cig
Ms. Cig did not agree to not smoking on our unit, so she asked for and got transportation back to her home. (Note: our boss does not let patients with pressure sores smoke.) She was so happy to get her carton of cigarettes back on her way out the door, that she disappeared and had a smoke before the ambulance came to pick her up. It didn't help that they were over an hour late!

It's back to the old grind tomorrow. Stay tuned!