Sunday, March 30, 2008

Sunday Slacker


I had planned on writing a new post for today, but I'm in a work run and didn't get home until pretty late. So here's a repeat of one of my very first efforts from last March. And this story has no relevance whatsoever to my day at work either. Really. Not one tiny little stinking bit.


I had a run-in with a surgeon at work recently that left me a little steamed. In a nutshell, I set equipment up for some sutures and didn’t do it exactly the way he wanted it done. Rather than just grab me and point it out, he went straight to my charge nurse, who told me. I made the change immediately, (as I had been standing there the whole time anyway asking him if he needed anything) and he started the procedure. All of this was done before he even touched the patient. When he was done he went to the ER doc and demanded an incident report since the tray was not set up to his specifications. The charge nurse, trying to keep a straight face, wrote it up and I then had to defend myself to management. Luckily, this was not difficult.


I’m completely over it by now, but it really stressed me out at the time. I’m new to this job and don’t want to make waves. This happened on the last day before several days off, so I had a lot of time to obsess about it. My boss was horrified that I had gotten myself so worked up over something like this, but that’s the kind of gal I am. I put the “A” in anal. And since my old job in a surgical intensive care unit obviously surrounded me with…surgeons, I knew that this could have gotten ugly. Happily for me it didn’t.


I don’t want to pick on just one type of doctor, but everyone knows that surgeons are at the top of the high-maintenance pile. Everyone who works in a hospital, goes to a hospital or watches a television show set in a hospital knows it anyway. Really, all you have to do is drive by a hospital to see that all the Hummers are parked outside of the OR. This is not just my opinion, either…


Q) How many doctors does it take to change a light bulb?
A) Three. One to write the order, one to do the consult and one to watch the nurse do it.


Q) How many surgeons does it take to change a light bulb?
A) One. They just hold the bulb and the whole world revolves around them.


See what I mean?


But, like I’ve said, I’m over it. I’m not the type to hold a grudge anyway. Especially against someone in a useful field like cosmetic plastic surgery. Now a trauma surgeon or a cardiac surgeon or even an all-around general surgeon – those people are indispensable, no argument from me. But plastics??


Q) How does a surgeon commit suicide?
A) They climb to the top of their ego and jump off.


Anyway, like I’ve said, I’m over it. I feel much better now. On the (mercifully) few occasions I see this guy at work I just remind myself of this well known medical fact…


The difference between god and a surgeon is that god doesn’t think he’s a surgeon.


But like I said, I’m over it.


Really.

19 comments:

ped crossing said...

I hope you have some restful days off coming up. And that anyone who is ruining your day becomes infested with the fleas of a thousand camels (or however that saying goes).

the mother of this lot said...

But you're over it, right?

And yesterday I posted the graphic to end all graphics....and you didn't come....(sob)

laurie said...

have you read the book "invasive procedures"? written by a friend of mine, actually--Mark Kramer, writer-in-residence at Harvard's Nieman Narrative Program.

it's exactly about this very topic. you'll nod your way through the whole thing.

Maggie May said...

Brilliant! That really was a good one.

Akelamalu said...

Are you sure you're really over it?? ;)

Surgeons are a bit like headteachers - full of themselves and up their own bums!

Kim said...

I love the jokes. Little pearls of wisdom that make you chuckle.

Rudee said...

Ain't it the truth sister? I try hard to get along with everyone. Where I work, it's the GI docs who tend to be a pain in the arse. No pun intended. Ok-maybe it was intended. The head of their department is a jackass and we all know apples don't fall far from the tree. All his subordinates are of the same mindset.

I'd like to see them all run the joint without us. Humph.

aims said...

I thought the medical profession was advancing into the 20th century and that the nurses didn't have to genuflect in front of the doctors anymore...now where did I hear that?

softinthehead said...

I can imagine how tough if must be to bite your tongue and not say " get over yourself", I know I would - I use to work for lawyers, a bit of that stuff goes on there too.

Cath said...

I am so glad you got over it! And I so know what you mean....

Susan said...

It's not just surgeons, I'm afraid. Anyone who thinks they are better than the rest of act this way. Very frustrating. In my profession we say, so that's what they learned when they got their PhD.

Career Guy said...

As a nurse,you know that surgeons are just glorified mechanics, plumbers and carpenters. My wife is a nurse, my sister is a nurse practitioner. Even after 20 plus years of experience, they still don't get no respect.

Devon said...

I just had to comment.... This was just too funny!! As a brand spanking new RN, I worked in SICU and just now got a cramp in my neck from nodding in the affirmative to your post!!

While going to school, I worked in a plastic surgery center... Don't ask why, I was the only female in the building who didn't have "any work done". Anyhow, one of the surgeons was more of a tempermental nutcase than the rest of them, which is saying a lot. This guy was doing a proceedure in a hospital and the nurses didn't know him there. So when he began banging his head against the wall repeatedly in frustration, one of the nurses thought he was choking on something and did the heimlech on him!!

Carolyn said...

Hey now. Watch it with the plastics. They're the only reason I don't look like a troll.

(Although thanks to nurses, the very sick week I spent in hospital after Csilla was born didn't totally suck.)

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Crazed Nitwit said...

Do you still run into alot of jerky doctors still?


asks the woman starting LPN school in Sept.

Jo Beaufoix said...

What a git. Hope he stubs his toe today.

Nervus Rex said...

LMAO! I'm too brain-fried from dealing with brilliant Residents all day to make a witty comment tonight, but I had to stop in and thank you for the laugh!

Sandy said...

Supercilious surgeons! A pox upon them - but not till they're through fixing whatever is wrong with whoever I love...lol.