“Humour is mankind’s greatest blessing”
-Mark Twain
It’s a fact that when people are under stress they will sometimes use humour as a coping mechanism. I’ve seen it more times than I can count in emergency patients. It’s an understandable response to things to say the least.
I do have to admit that I sometimes think the jokes are not only a little strained, but totally inappropriate; but truthfully there are also times when some people manage to be dam funny despite what is happening to them.
Two of my favourites are as follows:
1)An elderly man with renal failure and chest pain at 0300 in the morning. When I asked if he was allergic to anything quietly responded “Not to worry she’s at home asleep right now”.
2)Another Elderly man who despite obvious abdominal pain in response to the under the circumstances asinine possibility of family violence question politely assured me that no one was trying to hurt him. But when I followed up with the equally asinine second question of “Do you feel safe right now” he sat up, looked quickly around and smiling said in response “I’m not sure, does my wife have my wallet”? Oblivious to what he was actually saying I assured him his wallet was safe with his clothing he again smiled and said “Well I guess as long as she hasn’t got it, I’m fine”.
One can only hope that when it’s their time to be a patient on a stretcher they can manage a decent joke or two not to mention still find the strength and patience to gently explain it to the dumb ass nurse (i.e. me) who didn't get it the first time.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Blood Bath Begins!
“Overkill means pouring another pail of gasoline on a fire that’s already burning nicely”
-Author unknown
Well at long last the layoffs have begun at my hospital. It was inevitable of course with the forming of the new Alberta health monopoly; sorry super board something had to give.
At present the middle management of nursing administration has been the target and over the last couple of weeks with what I’m sure was little to no planning or thought they have been purging the ranks of nursing management with a Teutonic overkill that would do any hoard of invading barbarians proud.
Normally I would be rejoicing that some of the deadwood that seem to so often hold nursing management positions is being shown the door, but this time I’m not. Sadly in their zeal to make a new and improved management structure the powers that be have also managed to get rid of some highly effective management teams as well. Ultimately I think in the long run this re organization is going to prove to be highly detrimental to the system as a whole.
The most fascinating thing I’ve heard is that there appears to be a little extra screw you added in for those who have lost their present jobs. Seems some folks that are deemed valuable enough are being offered the chance to apply for other jobs within the super board. The catch is though that you’re not told what the pay will be for your new job (assuming you get it). So effectively you accept a position and could actually face a pay cut. Talk about making a decision in the dark. One has to wonder what circle of hell the human resources manager who dreamed that little scheme up came from.
Of course given that crap flows down it’s just a matter of time before the front line staff gets the shaft as well. Already the head of the super board has declared that there are too many acute care nurses here in Alberta.
I must say though he is an impressive individual. With barely 3 months on the job he’s single handedly solved a problem that has vexed everyone else for years. Then again it seems his idea of problem solving is closing his eyes and clicking his heals together three times and screaming “there is too many acute care nurses for all to hear”. Who knows, it might actually work! After all what one man says a thousand fools will repeat as true. Personally it makes me wonder how many reporters there are in Alberta and even if it isn’t a thousand you can bet they’ll begin parroting the cry soon enough.
Predictably people are a tad stressed and some of the flights of fancy I have heard regarding possible layoffs have been nothing short of impressive.
Take for instance one colleague who pointed out to me that if they did lose their job in the near future it could be the best thing that ever happened to them. They went on to say that if they were suddenly sans employment there was a very real possibility they would have to declare bankruptcy as they would run out of money quite quickly. They then went on to speculate that free of debt they could actually tear up their nursing license and really start over again as they would have nothing to lose anyway.
Creative thinking in the face of crisis to say the least!
I for one hope I don’t have to find out. I’ll keep you all posted either way.
-Author unknown
Well at long last the layoffs have begun at my hospital. It was inevitable of course with the forming of the new Alberta health monopoly; sorry super board something had to give.
At present the middle management of nursing administration has been the target and over the last couple of weeks with what I’m sure was little to no planning or thought they have been purging the ranks of nursing management with a Teutonic overkill that would do any hoard of invading barbarians proud.
Normally I would be rejoicing that some of the deadwood that seem to so often hold nursing management positions is being shown the door, but this time I’m not. Sadly in their zeal to make a new and improved management structure the powers that be have also managed to get rid of some highly effective management teams as well. Ultimately I think in the long run this re organization is going to prove to be highly detrimental to the system as a whole.
The most fascinating thing I’ve heard is that there appears to be a little extra screw you added in for those who have lost their present jobs. Seems some folks that are deemed valuable enough are being offered the chance to apply for other jobs within the super board. The catch is though that you’re not told what the pay will be for your new job (assuming you get it). So effectively you accept a position and could actually face a pay cut. Talk about making a decision in the dark. One has to wonder what circle of hell the human resources manager who dreamed that little scheme up came from.
Of course given that crap flows down it’s just a matter of time before the front line staff gets the shaft as well. Already the head of the super board has declared that there are too many acute care nurses here in Alberta.
I must say though he is an impressive individual. With barely 3 months on the job he’s single handedly solved a problem that has vexed everyone else for years. Then again it seems his idea of problem solving is closing his eyes and clicking his heals together three times and screaming “there is too many acute care nurses for all to hear”. Who knows, it might actually work! After all what one man says a thousand fools will repeat as true. Personally it makes me wonder how many reporters there are in Alberta and even if it isn’t a thousand you can bet they’ll begin parroting the cry soon enough.
Predictably people are a tad stressed and some of the flights of fancy I have heard regarding possible layoffs have been nothing short of impressive.
Take for instance one colleague who pointed out to me that if they did lose their job in the near future it could be the best thing that ever happened to them. They went on to say that if they were suddenly sans employment there was a very real possibility they would have to declare bankruptcy as they would run out of money quite quickly. They then went on to speculate that free of debt they could actually tear up their nursing license and really start over again as they would have nothing to lose anyway.
Creative thinking in the face of crisis to say the least!
I for one hope I don’t have to find out. I’ll keep you all posted either way.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
The end of a not so great debate!
“If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well”
-Proverb
One of the great long running debates within the local medical scene is that of fee for service versus salary. A good rule of thumb when you hear this conversation starting between a doctor and well anyone is to do your best and run screaming from the room because no matter how you stack it there is no way that conversation is ending politely.
Like most issues this one has its supporters and detractors and unlike some people I have personally made an effort not to form an opinion simply because even if I did who would care anyway? It’s not as if this is an issue I can even participate in even if I wanted to.
But a while back I caught in a conversation which turned to this subject and before I knew it I was trapped and being asked to render an opinion. I answered based on what I did know and understood about the issue (at least at that moment) and I mentioned that I thought the salary option seemed the best option. Wrong answer of course! Immediately the rebuttal came and it seemed to imply that to adopt a salary system would mean that there would be less motivation for doctors to see patients because they would make the same amount of money no matter how many or how few patients they saw.
While I wanted to be polite the attitude under lying the statement really honked me off and I made the mistake of snapping back with: “oh I don’t know how about some concept of professional ethics and standards in this regard or what about just plain good old personal pride at doing a good job?”
Needless to say that went over like a lead balloon and as I intoned in the first paragraph the conversation ended abruptly and badly.
The bottom line here for me is that as salaried health care professional myself the reality is that if anyone ever caught me selectively doing work based on how heavy patient x versus patient y was that I would be hauled up on the carpet so fast it would make everyone’s head spin. Why wouldn’t exactly the same apply to the Doc’s? Even more why didn’t the person in question even consider that fact? The answer I suspect is for the same reason as is the case with so many other things that the rules for the rest of us seem not to be applied to Doctors almost as if they should be above such petty considerations.
Well fu@K that noise!
No matter how much I like or dislike my job I strive to always do it to the best of my ability! I may not like what I do, but I do it well every time! As I am fond of telling people it is easy to do something you love well, try doing something you hate well! A philosophy that seems to be sadly lacking in a group of people that should know better not to mention should be held to a high standard to start with!
-Proverb
One of the great long running debates within the local medical scene is that of fee for service versus salary. A good rule of thumb when you hear this conversation starting between a doctor and well anyone is to do your best and run screaming from the room because no matter how you stack it there is no way that conversation is ending politely.
Like most issues this one has its supporters and detractors and unlike some people I have personally made an effort not to form an opinion simply because even if I did who would care anyway? It’s not as if this is an issue I can even participate in even if I wanted to.
But a while back I caught in a conversation which turned to this subject and before I knew it I was trapped and being asked to render an opinion. I answered based on what I did know and understood about the issue (at least at that moment) and I mentioned that I thought the salary option seemed the best option. Wrong answer of course! Immediately the rebuttal came and it seemed to imply that to adopt a salary system would mean that there would be less motivation for doctors to see patients because they would make the same amount of money no matter how many or how few patients they saw.
While I wanted to be polite the attitude under lying the statement really honked me off and I made the mistake of snapping back with: “oh I don’t know how about some concept of professional ethics and standards in this regard or what about just plain good old personal pride at doing a good job?”
Needless to say that went over like a lead balloon and as I intoned in the first paragraph the conversation ended abruptly and badly.
The bottom line here for me is that as salaried health care professional myself the reality is that if anyone ever caught me selectively doing work based on how heavy patient x versus patient y was that I would be hauled up on the carpet so fast it would make everyone’s head spin. Why wouldn’t exactly the same apply to the Doc’s? Even more why didn’t the person in question even consider that fact? The answer I suspect is for the same reason as is the case with so many other things that the rules for the rest of us seem not to be applied to Doctors almost as if they should be above such petty considerations.
Well fu@K that noise!
No matter how much I like or dislike my job I strive to always do it to the best of my ability! I may not like what I do, but I do it well every time! As I am fond of telling people it is easy to do something you love well, try doing something you hate well! A philosophy that seems to be sadly lacking in a group of people that should know better not to mention should be held to a high standard to start with!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
On the road!
Sorry all no post this week, I'm down in Boston giving a lecture on spiritual versus psychiatric crisis.
I'll be back next week.
I'll be back next week.
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