So, I'm a smart ass! in QUOTIDIEN
- Feb. 22, 2014, 12:04 p.m.
- |
- Public
Let me preface this by apologizing to my nurse friends or any nurse who is respectful and can make inquiries without condescension. The following nurse is a very poor example, IMO, of those such as yourselves.
I am. And it seems that the older I get, the less tolerance I have for fools. Now - before I share what brought this on, I believe we should pass a law that requires new converts and new nurses to take a vow of silence for at least one year while their fervor falls in balance with reason.
Purple Urine Bag Syndrome= UTI and potential kidney infection. So much bacterial overgrowth that urine stains tubing and bag purple! Proper course of action: You get a clean urine sample to the doctor ASAP.
In order to get a clean sample, I wash my hands, glove up, iodine area around stoma (hole that leads direct into bladder), remove old catheter, and throw away all contaminated materials, un-glove. I re-wash my hands, re-iodine area around stoma, insert new catheter, and allow fresh urine to drip into sterilized collection cup, which took about 30 minutes. There is no other way to get a clean sample from a bed-ridden patient.
I get to the doc's office with this sample. Receptionist calls out Nurse Never-Seen-Before, saying, 'this is the PUBS sample I told you was coming in.'
This nurse is so new, she squeaks. And I'd been to the office often enough to know she was a fresh hire.
'Yeah', she says 'never heard of it before.' Then to me, she says, 'What tchu got, there', pointing her chin towards what could only be the urine sample I brought in.
'Clean catch urine sample.'
'Uh-huh. From the collection bag.' She was contempt personified in facial expression and posture.
It was a bitchy swipe on her part, and as I stated, I no longer have the patience for fools.
'No. I said it was a clean catch sample. This means, I cleaned the stoma, then cleaned with iodine....etc. It really wouldn't make sense to take a sample from a dirty collection bag.'
She then takes on a conspiratorial tone, and while rolling her eyes she throws her own profession under the bus, 'You would be surprised at how many nurses don't know that.'
I offered up a demure smile while slipping on my gloves,and said 'Well, you see, dear...I'm not a nurse.'
Pintador ⋅ February 22, 2014
I already knew you were underpaid, but when I see some of the details of your care giving, I am even more convinced. I didn't know your duties were quite this...up close n' personal. If I were D, I'd be convincing my husband to pay whatever you need to stay. Who would want to change horses in the middle of this stream??
Silent Echo/Quiet Storm ⋅ February 22, 2014
oh, my goodness! yeah, they should take a vow of silence for at least a year. take care,
GypsyWynd ⋅ February 22, 2014
Zing!
NorthernSeeker ⋅ February 23, 2014
She is lucky she had you for a patient and not somebody more unforegiving.
MJ's Page NorthernSeeker ⋅ February 23, 2014
I was never her patient.
NorthernSeeker MJ's Page ⋅ February 23, 2014
I tried to understand what you were saying here, and obviously I misjudged! Sorry.
MJ's Page NorthernSeeker ⋅ February 23, 2014
It's okay. I'm a patient advocate. I was dropping off a sample for my patient.
The nurse was rude, and I was at the end of my patience.
memelou ⋅ February 24, 2014
I think its pretty funny. I'm pretty sure I learned how to get sample on one of my first day of class. Some older nurses get this God complex like if you haven't been a nurse for 30+ years, you can't possibly know what you are doing. We have to have conferences on nurse to nurse bullying.