Random worries

1. Try asking your doctor this, "If I were your son/daughter, would you still give me that course of antibiotics?" I bet the answer will be no. I've done it many times.

2. Why am I really at the doctor? What exactly are your expectations and are they realistic.

3. If I spend 4 hours or 24hrs in the waiting room at my local emergency department, can I handle the fact that I don't need any treatment. The doctor probably only gave you a bandage for your non swollen, non deformed, non bruised, sprained ankle that you can walk on fine, because he wanted to make you feel that something had been done.

4. Can I cope with the pain? A sprained ankle will hurt, especially the next day. I used to walk it off, I know this is the opposite of the correct treatment for a sprained ankle, but growing up this is what I thought you did. Guess what, it worked. I walked off the pain and was soon running around again.

5. Know what a bruise looks like. This may save you a trip to the doctor.

This may sound a bit harsh, but I've seen a patient who came to me because he wondered what the lumps were on his face. He had two pimples on his chin. I also had a patient who had a bruise to his thigh. He was fine, but said he'd never had a bruise before, he was 18yrs old.

I don't know what is happening to the world when people grow up without living, but it's pretty damn frightening.

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Help

What happens if:

1. You're working in a foreign country
2. You don't speak the native language of that country
3. You're responsible for the welfare of children
4. There is only one native speaking psychiatrist you can refer kids to locally
5. You have serious concerns about the safety of a particular psychiatrist
6. You've notified your boss, management and CEO of your place of employment
7. No one has responded to your documented concern

What do you do?

I'm not going into any detail about what exactly I'm concerned about, but no one is bothering to listen. What can I do?

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Ruined

"Can you tell me what the email says?" I asked Matleena, the translator.

"Let's just forget about it" said Matleena, "It's over with now. It's not worth it". This was the second time she had refused and this of course only made me more curious. "Can you at least give me a rough idea?" I begged.

Matleena sighed and looked around to make sure no one could overhear. "Well, I've never, ever, read anything like it" she began. "It was utter, total filth, directed at you. It was poison".

This was a letter from an extremely wealthy Russian parent. Their daughter had complained that her medical treatment was inadequate. She claimed we had refused to let her see a doctor. She had a mild sore throat, no fever, no redness, no pus, and had only began during the night. When we had phoned the doctor he had said he couldn't see her until the next day.

I don't feel stupid calling the doctor for a problem such as this. The doctor and I have had many conversations lamenting the horrid, obnoxious behaviour of the kids we look after.

It only takes one email, or one phone conversation with a parent to understand where some of these kids get their problems from.

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I've changed

I haven't worked in a ward in years. These days it's the exciting stuff, you know, the emergency room or ski nurse or something else exciting that I do.

The other day I caught up with and old friend, from when I did work in a ward. I love the fact I don't have to wash patients anymore. And as a male nurse, I'm really relieved I don't have to wash female patients anymore.

As I get older I'm becoming old fashioned. I would just feel uncomfortable showering a female patient on my own these days.

I know what arguments you are going to say, and here's my reply.

1. I'm a professional and it's part of my job - Well, if I can't continue to help others and do good just because I'm not into showering little old ladies, well nursing isn't the caring profession I thought it was.

2. What if it's an emergency - Get real, "that patient needs a shower...stat".

3. It's not fair on your colleagues - You're probably right. But lets face it, men generally do accept being showered by a woman much easier than a woman being showered by a man. It's a fact.

4. If I want to keep my job, you have to do it - Fortunately I've moved away from the ward and will probably never come back, so it won't be an issue. If I was broke and needed a ward job, of course I would relent and shower as many women as would have me.

I'm sure there are plenty of nurses out there who will absolutely think I'm a bad nurse, maybe even a bad person. All I will say again to these people is "I thought nursing was a caring profession. Isn't the job stressful enough without turning on each other". We all have our likes and dislikes, and generally we all work through them, but surely there's some room for some give and take.

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Killing in the name of the Law

'An Air New Zealand flight attendant sacked after being dobbed in by police for drink-driving has lost her case in the employment court for compensation.'

The above insert was posted in the NZ newspapers. The women was on her way to work and had she not be pulled over, she would have turned up to work well over the zero tolerance alcohol policy. Fair enough.

Saturday night in the emergency room and a very drunk women managed to drive into the parking lot and stagger to the front desk. After abusing the staff she was eventually treated for a minor injury. We physically stopped her from driving, but she eventually got away and to her car.

We called the police to say a drunk patient was driving in her car.

After being arrested and charged with driving with excess alcohol, she laid a complaint against the hosipital for breaking confidentiality by phoning the police.

The complaint was upheld and the nurse who phoned the police ended up in court. After a couple of months of worry and stress, the nurse was able to work again. Thank goodness they didn't take her nursing license away.

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Too bad if you want sex

"Wow the nurse is here. I wonder what that means?" Greg said mischieviously as he walked into the classroom. "You're late Greg, hurry up and sit down, this lesson will be of particular importance to you" I gently chided. The rest of the class broke into laughter. Greg had a pretty new girlfriend and always made sure everyone else knew, both staff and students.

"Is this a sex talk sir?" piped up Jane from the back of the class. The rest of the class erupted."Sex talk" "Great, sex" "I know it all" "If you need some advice sir, don't be too shy to ask"

"Settle down kids, I've got some shiny new books for you to look at. Greg, come up here and help hand them out." The school had ordered one hundred books dedicated to teaching students about "Life Skills" and I had been asked to talk about sex, and contraception.

After brainstorming ways to be safe, we turned to our new books, the chapter titled "Sexual Health and Disease." The kids began to read. I quickly scanned the first page, not finding what I was expecting to see. I scanned the second and third page and I regretted not checking out the new books beforehand.

The kids began to laugh. The book did not mention 'Condoms' once. It didn't talk about any actual contraceptive devices. It talked about 'Healthy relationships, abstinence, and friends who don't put pressure on you'

It did talk about HIV, and told them to 'take up a hobby'

I'm requesting the school send the books back.
I've also heard a rumor that the USA has passed laws restricting what sex education books can say.
I want to know if this is true.
I will bring a book home from work and give you the name, authors and publisher.

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