Assuming Responsibility

There are too many directions I could take this post, so I may babble a bit... I'll try to keep it tight and will just write again later/tomorrow when I have more time.

So here it goes. 15 minutes of writing. No editting. (Need to go to bed STAT).

This post was originally inspired by the doofus that was trying to send a violent patient from one area of the hospital to my ED (psychiatric ED). The patient was being extremely violent, and the staff responsible for him were 100% trained in what to do. But you know, some people will always try to go the easier route. When the person with the least amount of information came to my ED and asked the person with the least clinical training if the patient could be transferred over, my associate rightly consulted our 'rules, blah, blah, blah book' and was unsure. I was of course there and became involved right away. There are far too many opportunities here to insert my commentary, and details of the case as always will be 100% left out to ensure patient confidentiality, which is something I am a big stickler about. Long story short, I ensured that the patient was not transferred and gave recommendations of what to do to ensure the patient's and other's safety. Twenty minutes later, no joke, it is all over the security officer's walkie talkie that this patient became far more violent and, again I need to leave out details, there was something like a dozen officers on the scene to contain the situation. So, I, heatedly and obsurdly authoritarian-like ask, what in the hell gives people the right to NOT assume responsibility. I could go on, but I only have 5 minutes left. Apparently I type slower than I think, or I think too slow... not!

Then today I ask an attending to please put his final one-liner on a patient's electronic chart so that I could send the patient to his destination and the attending tells me he has never heard anything about the patient, that he has no knowledge of the case, and that he would need the case to be presented to him. Sure, okay, problem is this attending signed an involuntary commitment form for this same patient one hour before my shift began. So I showed him this very serious legal document with his signature and the patient's name on it and he STILL insisted that he didn't know anything about the case. And he adds 'you know, people bring me forms all the time that I just have to sign...'. Okay, fine, well this form just happens to be one of the absolute most important forms in the ED. It's as important as a DNR/DNI form. Because yes, for patients who are involuntarily committed it is most often due to a matter of life and death.

Well, I'm one minute over but would like to continue for a few...

There are other responsibilities I'd like to call on at this time.
As you know from the last post I am pregnant. I'm about 5 weeks right now and right now is when all of the baby's organs begin to develop. The nuchal cord is about to close if it has not already. The next 7 weeks are pretty intense for the baby's development. I read that right now, more than any other time in pregnancy, I've got to be really aware of what I expose the baby to. So, last night I decided to check out the ingredients of the whole wheat graham crackers which are individually wrapped and located in a bucket next to the water where I am currently working. Most nights I might eat one or two. Don't ask me why. Frustration, stress, tiredness, hunger, who knows. So, the ingredients include high fructose corn syrup, TBHQ, and some other three letter acronym for a preservative. I hate preservatives. So, no more graham crackers for me. Next week I'm back in my office where there is a huge jar of M&M's next to the water source at that location, NO NO NO NO NO!!!!! I keep telling myself to start making juice everyday again, flood the body with the love of a high-greens, non-processed balanced diet. It is my responsibility. Green love for the baby on the way. Last week I ate a ton of collard greens, brocolli, bell pepper, spinach, carrots with other food... this week I have been a little more lazy. I read today that mom's who eat hot dogs (barf) during pregnancy have babies with more brain issues- the article blamed it on the nitrites... more interesting research to do I suppose....

Other responsibilities to remind you of-
Practice daily maintenance on not just your body but also your mind. Check in with yourself. Give yourself a break by going easy on yourself when you need to. Talk things out with your loved ones. Let your loved ones know how much they mean to you. And if you cannot express it fully in words show them. I do believe actions speak louder than words. Smile often. Be joyous. Be limitless. You are an endless supply of love and wonder. Internalize what you learn as often as you can. What I mean by internalize is to simply acknowledge with great respect what it is that you felt/thought/learned and move on. Rest assured it will be stored away where you will be able to retrieve it; do not dwell on things.

Ah, it's that time, I need to sleep if I'm gonna go to CrossFit tonight before work. Two more night shifts then I'm back to a semi-normal schedule again for a few months :) Hope to have some wild dreams right now (I often do, I just don't remember them for more than about 10 minutes after I wake up...). GN!