Some people, or a sense of entitlement?

[SeaCat]

As I mentioned in another thread we had a Christmas Party in work today. A bunch of us brought food or drink in. We're talking the tables in the rbeak room were loaded with different foods. A veritable feast.

Members of the staff were in the breakroom feeding themselves and talking when the door was pushed open and a patient well known to many of us was standing there in her gown looking in. (The door is well and clearly marked with "Staff Only".

Well she looks in and sees all of the food and starts going off at the top of her lungs. We were having a party and she wasn't allowed in? How dare we not give her some of the food we had brought in. SHe deserved it because she was poor and a patient there.

Needless to say the patient was escorted yelling away from the door. She didn't understand why we didn't want her pawing through the food she felt she deserved.

As Rob would say, People.

Cat

 

[3113]

Maybe time to change her medications?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

CAT

If the pot luck was as good as it usually is, you shoulda let her get a belly full of salmonella...

 

[jomar]

Maybe time to change her medications?

Yeah. I was thinking maybe a psych consult.

 

[Just-Legal]

A sense of entitlement is guaranteed to make me want to knock your lights out.

Now Cat, how much of the food did you sneak out to patients you liked?

 

[SeaCat]

A sense of entitlement is guaranteed to make me want to knock your lights out.

Now Cat, how much of the food did you sneak out to patients you liked?

Actually none.

I actually don't like my patients, I don't allow myself to get close enough to.

Then again most of my patients are on very strict diets.

Cat

 

[SlickTony]

Can you blame her? You know what they say about hospital food...

 

[epiphany65]

I actually feel sorry for the lady and wonder what harm it would have been to have given her a few spoonfuls of food and sent her on her way. Even if she wasn't actually hungry perhaps the smell of real food appealed to her appetite. Something that can't be taught in nursing school is compassion, or maybe empathy. I can't help but wonder how much was left over after your meal and if any of it would have been missed were it given to this unfortunate person. Even so, I'm sure none of you were going home to bare cupboards while she was eating meals prepared in an institutional kitchen for dozens, rather than a private party. The poor don't "deserve" anything; they're not entitled to it, but those who can give out of their abundance are enriched by their sharing with others. I know what it's like to be poor and have to go to a food bank and I am grateful to those who, for whatever reason, are generous enough to help those of us in need or who ask. They don't place limits or restrictions on their giving, nor do they judge. They do it out of basic human decency or loving kindness. It's a shame that those of you could not have been so kind in this instance.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Can you blame her? You know what they say about hospital food...

The last hospital I was at has been commended by my family and other locals for their decent food, actually.

 

[SlickTony]

The last hospital I was at has been commended by my family and other locals for their decent food, actually.

yeah, I know, it varies. When I was at the hospital in Abadan, Iran back in the 70s they got the exact same food as they served in the (oil) company lunchroom, and it was pretty decent.

The last doctor visit I had before my daughter was born, the doctor decided that I was edging into pre-eclampsia or something and put me in the hosptal overnight. I was kept fasting with nothing but water with glucose in it to drink. And I had to be in the maternity ward, smelling the delicious food they brought in to all the other patients. Torture!

 

[champagne1982]

Actually none.

I actually don't like my patients, I don't allow myself to get close enough to.

Then again most of my patients are on very strict diets.

Cat

I'm sure there must have been a lounge or a break room further removed from the wards. If so, perhaps next year the party could be held in the administration area rather than near patient rooms. That way, duty staff who should be, could be absorbed with patient care, instead of being distracted by the obvious fun going on close by. In this instance it was their job to keep the people admitted there calm and relaxed rather than having a lady become upset from her obvious exclusion.

But, I've noticed by many of Cat's posts that the majority of the leadership at this health care centre are self-absorbed and incapable of the compassion that would have resulted in the considerate move of the party to a more suitable venue. Regardless, I hope everyone has a happy holiday and that even those who feel a wrongful sense of entitlement be blessed by the season's charity.

 

[glynndah]

I'm sure there must have been a lounge or a break room further removed from the wards. If so, perhaps next year the party could be held in the administration area rather than near patient rooms. That way, duty staff who should be, could be absorbed with patient care, instead of being distracted by the obvious fun going on close by. In this instance it was their job to keep the people admitted there calm and relaxed rather than having a lady become upset from her obvious exclusion.

But, I've noticed by many of Cat's posts that the majority of the leadership at this health care centre are self-absorbed and incapable of the compassion that would have resulted in the considerate move of the party to a more suitable venue. Regardless, I hope everyone has a happy holiday and that even those who feel a wrongful sense of entitlement be blessed by the season's charity.

The staff there deserves to have a party in a place clearly marked "Staff Only" without having uninvited people barging in. The party wasn't set up in the lobby or in the nurses' station. I'm sure there were staff members available to tend to any patient's needs.

 

[SeaCat]

Okay,

I have noticed some questioning of the situation under which the party was being held as wll as the situation of the patient.

The party was being held in our breakroom, which is clearly marked Staff Only. The break room is in an area between units and happens to be on the opposite side of our unit from this pateints room.

The staff was being rotated through the break room a few at a time so the floor was always staffed. (Even though it was my day off I took a turn on the Desk so the Unit Clerk could visit the party.)

AS for the patient.

A) She was what is called N.P.O. which means she can neither eat nor drink.

B) She is well known to us. WE have tried in the past to help her only to have her turn on us. SHe now expects us to do certain things for her. Minor little things like go out on our own time to buy her food and smokes with our money. Little things like allowing her friends to stay with her in her room as well as provide them with food and clothing. Slight things like allowing her to continue her chosen profesion in her Hospital Room. Her way of thanking us for not doing these is to call the state or attempt to file a lawsuit against the Hospital. Her way of showing us personally about her displeasure is to attempt to throw things like Feces and Urine on us.

As for our giving or gifting patients with food from our parties. That is against hospital policy because of the dietary needs of many of our patients. A good example of the reasoning behind this policy is this. If a patient that is not under my care, is on a Bland Diet due to medical needs, comes up and asks me for some of my food I do not know what their diet is. If I were to give this patient some of my personal food that is usually well seasoned with things like Garlic and Hot Peppers I run the risk of injuring the patient. Another example is the non compliant Diabetic getting their hands on something like a nice large piece of Birthday Cake. We run that risk every day and we have come up with rules to prevent it.

I know that some people feel that I personally and the rest of the staff on my unit are not empathic. Hell a lot of our patients would agree with you. (I was called the son of the Devil today by one of my patients.) Often this is true, when dealing with other staff members. Yet when dealing with our patients it is a long way from true. We go a long way out of our way to make their stays with us at least tolerable. (For some strange reason you just can't make a hospital stay enjoyable.)

Cat

 

[Guest]

I have no doubt you dealt with her fairly, Cat.

 

[champagne1982]

SeaCat,

I have never assumed that you didn't have empathy or sympathy. I have read your bloggish posts here on this forum about the supervisors and nurses you work with sometimes and through those, perhaps, I was colouring your workmates inside the lines I thought you'd drawn. My mistake.

Ms Glynndah,

I know that Sea Cat can defend this party and I'm glad he has. Please don't attack me. My reasoning is explained in the first paragraph of this post. Merry Solstice and Yule to you.

 

[slyc_willie]

Slight things like allowing her to continue her chosen profesion in her Hospital Room.

I'm wondering if that means what I think it means . . . .

As a veteran patient of several hospitals, I can tell you that I've seen nurses and orderlies get treated as less than the mud on any given boot. It seems to be a given amongst many who are ill/wounded/detoxing/whatever that since they are in such dire straits, they are entitled to be cruel, selfish, and vindictive. A hospital is really the one place where you can see people at their absolute selfish and their absolute patient. Anyone who chooses nursing is to be commended as highly as a police officer or firefighter as far as I'm concerned.

 

[SeaCat]

I'm wondering if that means what I think it means . . . .

As a veteran patient of several hospitals, I can tell you that I've seen nurses and orderlies get treated as less than the mud on any given boot. It seems to be a given amongst many who are ill/wounded/detoxing/whatever that since they are in such dire straits, they are entitled to be cruel, selfish, and vindictive. A hospital is really the one place where you can see people at their absolute selfish and their absolute patient. Anyone who chooses nursing is to be commended as highly as a police officer or firefighter as far as I'm concerned.

Yes it does mean what you think.

Cat

 

[slyc_willie]

Yes it does mean what you think.

Cat

In that case . . . .

Plot bunny!