Timeless truth

You can observe a lot by just watching. ~ Yogi Berra

We got an e-mail recently saying the Hotel (and Washington and Madison) was becoming a "smoke free campus".

Supposedly, there was a campaign (not run by our crack public affairs officials) about this big news. I found out about it in a meeting earlier this month, and the nurse executive said, "This shouldn't be the first time you are hearing about this."

Sadly, it was. While I don't smoke myself, it does make things challenging for our patients that do.

Miraculously, someone got Ye Old (stress on old and clueless) Public Affairs person(s) to post this information for patients on our website and social media. It starts January 1.

The grumblings are loud and rowdy at the Hotel because our patients did not get a designated smoking area, nor did our employees. The nearest one is in the building next door, which is a long walk.

The best quote on social media, however, was truth.

"The last time I checked, no one could smoke inside Washington or Madison, so how is it that you weren't a 'smoke free campus' already?'

I'll just keep watching...stay tuned.

I needed a laugh

Dr. K, one of our specialists who works with us in the SU, was part of a profile article on our program for the local paper. All the PR Hotel staff approved, said all the appropriate PR incantations and they came out to take a photo of us seeing a patient. Patient signed release (and a couple of autographs for his neighbor on the unit who egged him on, out of earshot, of course.)

When I told Dr. K. a few minutes before he came into the room, he says, "Darn it. I should have worn a tie today."

"Why wear a tie?" I said, "You never wear that or your white coat anyway. No one would know who you are."

Mondays are fun...

The boss is away so the mice will play.

The Slug and company were at it again with their two hour lunches. If only someone cared.

One of our scatterbrained former educator nurses (we have three, so let's call him/her Scatty) griped and complained about his/her assignment. Since Mom/Dad, the nurse manager, was gone to a conference today, Scatty had no one to complain to and get the assignment changed. So what happened?

Scatty sat around when he/she could have been working. Scatty couldn't possibly get his/her patient up right away. Nope, Scatty didn't even try until NurseMom ('cause she is like everyone's mom) and I went to him/her and said we'd help. The Slug can't stand Scatty, so he/she sent minions in to find out if Scatty 'helped' get the patient out of bed. I really wanted to tell minion to tell the Slug to bugger off, but in my best customer service voice, I said, "Scatty sure did!"

For our gratitude, Scatty left the campus, practiced some retail therapy, then went to lunch. It would have been nice if Scatty would have remembered to tell someone, perhaps even the charge? Nah...not when the boss is gone!

NurseMom went to a meeting so I covered some of her stuff for our charge. My people did not want to go to bed, so they rolled around and visited with relatives.

We had some NFL types roaming around with the customary PR toadies in tow. Some interesting dilemmas...how do you get a linebacker in one of our isolation gowns? They were nice though, and the patients had fun with it all, toadies or no.

Finally, I did my stuff, got my goodies and went on my merry way. More to come...