Just had a funny little story or two I wanted to share from work. In case I haven't mentioned it before, I work for the supply department at the hospital. (I'm fully aware that I'm one of the little guys)There is the back room where most everything is stored in bulk. There is one or two people that work back there stacking boxes and filling empty spaces as things come off of the loading dock at the hospital. So we listen to music in the back and are forever breaking down boxes and chatting as we do it. ( I've been saving lots of these boxes because my parents and my lil brother are moving in April) Well this coworker of mine and I have strange conversations about music and life and jokes and all sorts of random things. Well my roommate and I had stopped by to pick up some extra boxes one day and so she got to meet the back room workers. (this is my cute lil peruvian roommate) Just a polite hello and then back to work. Fast-forward to the next day at work....I was telling him about some of my friends and what we did at our last activity. (The coworkers are always asking me if I have any good stories) And he asked about my friend, and I said, oh she is my roommate. He asked if she was Indian or something. I said no she is Peruvian. And we talked about how she is fluent in Spanish. I am pretty sure she lived a few years in Peru for real before she and her family ended up in the states. He thought it was cool she is bilingual and then I was like, well yeah, my other roommate is almost bilingual. My other roommate spend a year and a half in the Dominican Republic and a lil time in Mexico and Guatemala. SO yeah they speak Spanish to each other sometimes and I'm almost completely clueless...BUT I LOVE IT! He was then in super amazement that I have such strange friends. He was like, "you know some different kind of people. WHERE DO YOU MEET THEM?! Do you go to DIVERSITY CONFERENCES??" hahaha I about lost it! We had a good laugh and I told him I meet most everyone I know at church. Then we talked about how interesting it is that christians are so diverse...and that there are even some whale hunting Eskimos that are christian. *don't ask me why he brought up that* hehe
That very same day I was having lunch with my friend up in the ER supply room. I was telling her about when I worked for Americorps in a family literacy program downtown....and I trailed off because she interrupted me by laughing. I just wanted to tell her that I ran into someone when I was at the mall. But I guess it seems that every time I bring up a different job I've had she is amazed that I keep such a straight face or something. I have told her about a few random odd things I have done in the last 10 yrs I guess. She said, "one of these days you are going to start your story off by saying, 'one time when I was rolling cigars in Cuba, or picking bananas in Guatemala' and act like that is totally normal". :) I love her. I guess I failed to see the humor & how unique some of the stuff I have done really is. I think I have told her about one too many of my trips and other experiences. Anyway. My work friends think I'm something else I guess.
My favorite part about that last story was the "diversity conferences" comment. Both of these coworkers gave me the same kind of...what the heck...comments in one day. Made me laugh a little and I wanted to share. Those are happy times...when I talk about things unrelated to work while working.
Then other days....ugh.... I can get super annoyed at work. I have to go in and out of supply/med rooms. PCT's, RN's, cleaning people, RT's...basically all kinds of hospital personnel go in and out of these rooms. We are all now color coded in our scrubs, so you can get a general idea of what someones job is by the color of their scrubs. My simple job is it fill the cart and make sure things are where they need to go when I bring them in. I'm not sure who all touches the supplies when I leave but basically SOOO many times a day people complain that they cant find this or that. or we NEVER have what we need and yadda yadda yadda. Some days nurses will talk under their breath and say stuff like....they never put stuff where it goes anyway...and they never bring this or that. "THEY" FOLKS...would be me &/or my coworkers in general. Please don't make comments like that in an angry tone when I'm standing right there.... as if I can't hear you?? really.... Matter of fact. I can hear you. I may not know what you do, but that doesn't mean you really know what I do either. We both have a different agenda and if we could treat each other a little bit better BOTH of our days would go more smoothly. (can I just wear a sign that says that?) So some days people act like I don't exist. AND then other days....for one example.... Someone was looking for some tubing. Well, I offered to help. Which one are you looking for? Oh, um, yeah, that doesn't sound familiar. Basically, I may not know all the function for these different packages of tubing for different machines, but I recognize names at this point. (9 months later, I'm still learning) So I said, I don't believe that's one that is regularly kept on your cart. then the response was "WELL IT BETTER BE! THIS IS FOR...^%#%@***" she might as well have said that. Whatever that is, because. She acted like I even knew what THAT meant. sha. So in one minute/breath to one person I don't exist or don't know anything, and then the next, I'm supposed to know and care what this specific tubing is and how important it is for her to have it on their cart at all times. hmmm, go figure. Can't win. Funny thing is...I am pretty sure I knew most doctors would have a thing about being hotshots, or wanting to be recognized for all their achievements and hard work they have put in over the course of their life...and whatever. Basically....Its good to know that there are people who are educated and can take care of us with the things they have learned, but when coupled with a super bad attitude or a holier than thou attitude, I could care less what you know. Common courtesy and decency to other people are higher on my list as someone to be respected.
2 comments:
Beth,
Hope you don't mind an old lady making a comment on your bad day at work. I've been around it for so long (35 years!)that I wanted to offer my opinion (especially since I'm on your side.)
It used to be that it was mostly doctors with the god or messiah complexes. That has changed over the years. Many, many nurses not only have it, but feel the need to demean others, even the families of their patients.
I personally have always been glad that we each have our jobs at the hospital and each job performs an essential task. I'm certainly glad there is someone there to stock supplies, cook the food and clean up after all the slobs. I really am grateful to everyone who does their job. What these nurses don't realize is that without everyone else at the hospital, they'd be there alone to do it all themselves. And believe me, they wouldn't know the first thing about it.
Since my specialty is laboratory medicine, I kind of figure I know more than they do about it. Some nurses are great and appreciate what you do and pick your brain for what their patient needs. Others find it beneath them and go on their own, pitifully lacking knowledge. You would laugh at what some of them have done and said. I've seen them put patients in danger because they refuse to listen to anyone but themselves.
It's kind of like what we're warned about in the scriptures - relying solely on our own knowledge. It's a warning to be heeded.
Sorry for such a long reply. I just want you to hold your head up, put in your honest day's work and go home knowing that the hospital is home to some who might be categorized as a Babylonian people.
If I hadn't been in health care for so long, I wouldn't have had the guts to stand up to some of the nurses my Mom had when she was dying. Their neglect and disdain was tragic. Luckily, we had one of the good ones on the day she died.
Your job is important. You are important. Offer your help if they need it and smile when they mutter. They hate it when they can't ruin your day!
Ah, honey, I feel you. I've worked at a hospital for the last 4 years, and I have seen it all. It's just like anywhere else you can work -- a few bad eggs can really ruin your day. Hospitals are a really tough environment, though, because what everyone does is so DIVERSE. You'd think we'd all know where each other is coming from, but everyone only knows and understands their little piece of the puzzle.
At my hospital a few years back they started a "Walk A Mile" program. Everyone had to spend an hour in another department. It was great. Nurses who were so fed up with the medical records department taking so long to fetch charts that they spent an hour up there to find out what the deal was -- and discovered that the department is horribly overworked, underpaid and doing the very best they can. Plus they discovered that the nurses themselves are part of the problem when they aren't complete with the charts -- medical records clerks have to take the time to check every line and fix it all, which takes forever. Another example was that the lab technicians could spend time on the floor and see why it is that when a MedSurg nurse calls in a huff, it's not just because she's a brat but because of all the demands put on her. Sure, she could be nicer, but at least the lab tech could see why she's so stressed. It was a great program, and I think it helped a lot.
One of my dear friends was the materials clerk. Now he's in medical school. And you know what? I would love to work in the hospital he ends up in. He was treated like crap by so many people because of his "status," but he treated everyone with great respect. He'll do the same as a physician.
Ever need to rant about working in a hospital, give me a call. Trust me, I know. Ben worked in maintenance and medical records, I worked in IT and now in Foundation. And he's headed to a career in nursing. So yeah, we get it. ;-) LOVE YOU!
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