I'm ready for Christmas

[SeaCat]

I admit to being somewhat of a Pack Rat. Hell I'll even admit to being a world class Dumpster Diver.

Medical people have this nasty habit. we like to drape out Stethescopes around our necks. We don't do this to look good but rather to keep them out of our way until we need them. Unfortunately this has a nasty side effect. The oil from our skin permeats the tubing and stiffens it. Stiffens it in fact until it ends up cracking. Most Nurses and M.D.s then toss the offending stethescope into the trash and orders a new one.

Every time a Nurse or an M.D. did this on my unit over the past couple of years I dug the damaged 'scope out of the trash and brought it home. I would bring the 'scopes home, cut away the tubing and clean up the head before putting it in a drawer. Over time I gathered a nice collection of high end stethescope bells. Six of these were Littman Cardio II's. twenty five of them were Littman Classic II's.

Last week I looked around the Internet and found a place that carries stethescope tubing. I sent them an E-Mail about buying in higher numbers than one set and got a nice discount. I placed my order. The bill came to a bit over $100.00. Yesterday 31 sets of tubing were delivered. This morning I started putting the 'scopes together. Within a fairly short period of time I was done. 31 stethescopes lay on my table. OKay so what now? I already had ideas.

I grabbed the schedule from work and started making up labels. We have a total of 28 Staff Members on my unit. I set three of the Classic II's to the side and started labeling 'scopes.

One of the Cardio's had my name on it. The rest went to my favorite R.N.'s on the unit. (Hey they are mine, I can give them to whomever I want damn it.) Everyone else got a nice new Classic II.

For right now the 'scopes are all hanging by their ear pieces from a bar in the bedroom. I'll collect small boxes and package them up for the staff on my unit for Christmas. Hell I even have some extras. (My wife already has a 'scope and doesn't want another one.)

The fun part will be the reactions of the people I'm giving the 'scopes to. I'm sure I won't be disapointed at the drama.

Oh I'll be carrying my nice shiny Cardio II in work this weekend.

Cat

 

[glynndah]

Very cool, Cat!

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Someone will insert the ear plugs in their ass and sue you.

 

[sadangel]

If I were a nurse on your unit I would pray I was one of the favored one's. That is a great Christmas gift! I like that you recycled the stethoscope bells. Very cool.

 

[SeaCat]

Someone will insert the ear plugs in their ass and sue you.

As long as they don't insert the bell and ask me what I hear.

Cat

 

[SeaCat]

If I were a nurse on your unit I would pray I was one of the favored one's. That is a great Christmas gift! I like that you recycled the stethoscope bells. Very cool.

The sad thing is it wasn't hard to figure out who to give the five Cardio II's to. (I even have one left over, sigh.)

As for recycling the bells, well I can't see throwing out the important parts of somewhat expensive equipment that most of us use.

What's going to piss me off is the fact that most of the Aides will receive their 'scopes then hang them up and never use them.

The saddest thing on my unit is we are running with so few staff members we routinely do vital signs with the machines because they are easier. We can hook the machine to the patient and set it to run while we do other things. It saves us time. This has been okayed by the hospital because it allows us to process through more patients in any given time.

Unfortunately because of this few of the staff still do manual vital signs. (I'm the only Aide that does.) So much is missed by letting the machines do the work, so much that can be picked up by doing manuals.

Cat