Nurses... we're our own worst enemy

"Hey doc, could you prescribe me some fluids please" I asked, the bag of intravenous fluids already in my hands. "What's up with this one?" asked Dr Munro. "Twenty year old male, intoxicated, conscious, obnoxious" I replied. Dr Munro began to write up a bag of IV fluids for my patient.

"What do you think you're doing?" protested Sue. Unfortunately I hadn't noticed her presence and she had taken another opportunity to go on the offensive. Sue was the nurse in charge of the 'Major' injury department of the emergency room. It didn't matter to her that I was in the 'Minor' injuries department. I thought that I wouldn't have to see her this shift, but she seemed to be stalking me. I shrugged my shoulders, "Just being organised" I replied calmly.

Dr Munro was startled as Sue grabbed the chart from under his nose. "The doctor hasn't even seen your patient yet, give him a chance to do some work. Your patient will have to wait to be seen" Sue said. "Ah, I realise Dr Munro is busy, that's why I'm making things a bit easier for him. It'll be at least another hour, probably two, until he sees my patient, and if I get him sobered up and cleaned up now, then he'll be ready to go home instead of having to wait another hour or two" I explained. I wasn't trying to justify my acitons to Sue, I was trying to make an effort to be polite. I might as well have held my tongue.

"That is not how we do things here" Sue began. I cut her off, "Well maybe you want to tell Dr Munro that, he was happy to do it. In fact this is the way we've been working all night. Perhaps you should ask him if I'm making his job harder" I glanced at Dr Munro who was trying to shrink into his seat. Sue's mouth opened, about to spout out another protest, but I cut her off again "Sue, you saw how busy we were at the start of the shift, no beds free and an overflowing waiting room, and Dr Munro and I have cleared the place out. Just what is your problem Sue?" I realised a little too late that my voice had risen by an octave or two. Sue's face turned red and she stormed out of my department back to her own.

I started the fluids on my patient and had him discharged in two hours. There was no 'Thank you" from Sue, but Dr Munro promised to buy me a round or two for saving his ass that night.