Thursday, June 30, 2011

Dear Universe

Due to my recent cheekiness, I'm aware that you felt the need to give me a comeuppance. I fully deserved this because after 27 years in my profession, I should know better than to mention QUIET nights and how good I've had it for days on end.

I particularly enjoyed the 10 minute verbal harangue by Dr. Rottenbastard last night. Now he was a special treat, and I have to say, I've not been screamed at by a doctor in years. Most of those old school docs, the ones who like to verbally abuse nurses, are long gone--replaced by a breed of docs, who, for the most part, are cordial and treat us in a collaborative manner. Not Dr. R. According to him, and I shityounot, he's going to have my license for peddling drugs. I prefer to think of what I was doing as my job: Patient advocate.


The night went downhill from there and this morning is no better. Every single time I drive to the outskirts of the metropolitan Detroit area--way out--I question why I felt I needed to buy a home in such a busy area. I could be living in the country where the only sounds one hears in the morning are made by the wildlife.


The wildlife here is drowned out by annoying car alarms, trucks, saws, jackhammers, those irritating backup signals on big trucks and the cacophony of workers who are digging up the driveway across the street, or hammering on the house rehab next door.


Not only am I a nurse on the edge now, I'm a sleep deprived and cranky one.

Universe? This picture is for you.


Take that!

Sincerely,

Nurse Rudee

17 comments:

Jane said...

This break cannot come soon enough

The Bug said...

Oh man - I'm sorry! I like your response though - you have moxie!

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

d#1 says so many doctors can't control a patients pain, it's a specialty and hospice knows what they are doing. bastard-o.

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxo

Celia said...

We've got some of those DR. R's around here too. The fuddy duddys that call me "operator". Operator has a name DR. R!!

Kota said...

As a family member of a number of palliative care patients I say thank god for the palliative nurses and many of the Dr need a clue when dealing with pain.

As a patient with chronic pain I wish that some of my medical team could walk a day or two in my shoes so they can so they can see what we endure. I love my nurses who advocate for me when I need help. You were doing your job so Dr Rottenbastard can go jump.

Brenda said...

Thank God you don't have to work with that man or around him on a daily basis. I hope you got your voice heard through his rant. I was reading and expecting your final photo to be well...more angry. LOL

Stephanie V said...

Oh, dear. Wes poke too soon or too loud. Get some earplugs and go back to sleep.

NCmountainwoman said...

Yeah, sometimes it's just like that.

As a home care nurse, I was very fortunate in dealing with another Dr. Rottenbastard. My husband is an internist and we happened to be at a social function the weekend after my exchange with Dr. Rottenbastard. My husband introduced us and I was delighted to proclaim, "Oh, we talked on the phone about (patient) last Thursday. It's such a PLEASURE to meet you in person." The look on his face was (as they say) priceless. He fumbled all over the place trying (unsuccessfully) to explain away his rudeness.

Alice said...

I've begun to wonder if Nurses even know what Patient Advocacy is. Certainly No One at the Rehab. my father is at. ("Well maybe YOU should call the Doctor." How can I if I don't know you're NOT cathing HE who has MAJOR urinary retention, because YOU never called the MD for an order after the latest Hospitalization?! Now he is vomitting.)
Of course I advocated for a patient and did FEAR for my license.
-Saved Child (thriving)
-Mother thankful
-Doctor very relieved
(saved her butt)
-Work Admin. backed me up
-State Health brought me up on charges and found me guilty of neglect? there by sending me before the Nursing Board.
-The NB, (2 MDs, 2 RNs, 2 LPNs, and 2 laymen), were horrified, and appoligized to me that they would Have to give me a "written reprimand."
The child was not only alive, but came off the ventilator a month later, which she had been on for 5 years.
I would do it again.

Sorry, so much for just a comment . . .

Gail said...

May your vacation come quickly.

Mimi said...

Rudee, I'm sorry that in this day and age a doctor would behave like that. Actually, I'm sorry that anyone would behave like that.
Hope you've a quiet night tonight, and then is that the last one before your hols?

Ruth said...

Look forward to your break - its soon.

Nurses all advocate untill they get worn out by all the responses like Dr Rottenbastard's and the system - often by the time Docs wake up and consider Pallitive care it is too little too late.From the nurse who has recently been worn right out by it all.

I also have great concerns for the young nurses coming through - because if i can't cope with the situation anymore and I did consider myself farily resilinet what are we doing to them. When I started nursing patients were treated much more genlty and there were less heroic measure to try and save them - now every one is to be saved without consideration of the cost to the patients well being and the famliy stress - let alone the financial cost to the health care system and family - more often totally futile as they suffer more and then die.

I just love NCmountainwomen's tale made me smile.

Unknown said...

You're a great nurse. The help you gave me while Duane was sick, was really appreciated. It helped me to advocate for him. Sorry the universe is being ugly.

Just catching up. The shawl is lovely. I hope you get to work on it during your break.

Devon said...

I work as a homehealth RN and one particularly bad time hung up the phone on a crazy Dr. Rottenbastard! I won't take abuse!
You are right that most of those, "I am Gods gift to Medicine" Doctors are retired and they are mostly reasonable and collaborative these days! Thank God!
I hope you get some needed quiet rest soon!

Unknown said...

I've taken to lighting the Our Lady of Guadelupe candle I bought at Kroger's for $1.99. Guadie Girl is very patient with me and all my tales of woe.
My advice to you??? Watch yourself some Weeds and/or Breaking Bad to visit with some of your peeps. "Drug Peddler" indeed. Hope he and his family never have to learn this lesson.

Jane said...

Sorry the universe won't cut you some slack right now. Roll on that break!!

sandy said...

wow, i feel for you - and all that noise. and here I am moving from a placed filled with solitude and silence into probably one of the many neighborhoods where houses are close to each other and who knows what are neighbors will be like. I must be nuts. But at least I'll have money in my nuttiness, ha!