Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Faux pas



Monday, I started the third phase of my orientation. I spent the day and will finish up my week following a nurse who initiates hospice within the hospital. Patients are evaluated by her and equipment is then ordered to be in the home by the time the patient gets there. It'll be up to the dayshift nurse or myself to do the start of care in the home.

This particular hospital is the only one within our fairly large system that I had not been to see in the past. It's huge. If I'd worn a pedometer, I think it would confirm that I'd walked at least 10 miles going from one unit to the next and back again. Tomorrow, I'll have to find my way to a classroom at 8 AM for a team meeting. I'm doubting my ability to get there on my own without a guide.

I saw quite a few people I know from within the system. Several were from the roving gang of dialysis nurses that hospital hop and a couple were former colleagues. It's a very small world, you never really know when you'll bump into to someone from a past job. Sometimes, I could kick myself in the ass for being bad at recall of names and faces and I find this flaw to be embarrassing. I'm really bad at it. So bad, that it was noon by the time I realized I'd been orienting for four hours with a woman I knew from my days in the urology practice. I really felt sort of foolish when she said she was wondering if I'd recognized her since she knew me. Well damn, if she remembered me, why didn't she say so? I'm completely perplexed.

So now, here I am wondering if in some way, I'd hurt her feelings in the past. Or maybe she was hurt I hadn't recognized her immediately. People, especially women, can be so sensitive about such things. Why are we so emotional about things like this? I didn't work with her daily and really only knew her by telephone conversations and brief visits. It's not like we worked in the same office day in and day out. In consultation with MBF, who has a better memory and also worked with this woman, I've been assured that I never would have had the sort of interaction with her that could have caused any sort of hard feelings. I'm left with the only possible explanation that she was offended by my lack of total recall. Oh well, if that's the case, she needs to take a number because there are probably a boatload of people miffed at me for this slight.


4 comments:

danielle said...

1. what a great idea for the afghan!!!!!!!

2. B&Bs are great - especially if you like meeting people from all over the place. We prefer them to motels now...

3. I have a definite name recall problem. It is so bad that I can forget the name of the person I am talking to - even if I have worked with them for years! I would be worried about dementia or something, but I have always had this issue....I think my brain is like skipping rocks...you never know exactly where and how many times it will land in different spots!

Rudee said...

Thanks Danielle. I'm going to look up some B&Bs for next week. I think there is one at a winery near my destination.

I'm glad I'm not the only one with poor name recall.

willowtree said...

That's bullshit! If she knew you she should have said hello!

I never forget a face, unfortunately I never remember a name either.

Rudee said...

I agree WT.