A doctor's apology.....

14 Yeah I know right....Hope all of you have recovered from fainting at reading my title!! I swear I have a very bad week, one of those weeks in which you make some mistakes and you feel like you are dumb as a brick. Some examples...how about we are busy as crap and I need help putting in a foley due to patient's legs rigid. Guess who volunteers to help me, my boss, he is awesome and you would think he has been a nurse for 40 years, will help you whenever needed, never gets frazzled and never makes you feel stupid. That being said let me resume the humiliation that is mine:

I start doing Foley, already nervous because this is my boss, want to do everything perfect to show him what a super duper EMT I am...lol. We get patient positioned and I am sterile and already started, pt starts kicking up foot, what is my knee jerk reaction to reach over with my dirty hand and yes it was dirty to catch her leg from knocking off my supplies and I proceed to hit my boss right across the cheek on accident.....Think about this, there is no greeting card that covers this.

2nd had a code where a patient was getting a pacemaker IN the ER. Cardiologist happened to be right in ER and the patient was his patient apparently. I kid you not in this itty bitty room you have about 15 people in there, some helping cardiologist, some helping ER doc, RT, Lab, X-Ray, you get the picture, as well as the family which we never allow but I think the cardiologist said it was OK, I was bagging with on hand while RT put tape to secure tube and in addition, throwing the sharps away of the ER doc that could not reach sharps box and either the others were sterile with cardio, pushing drugs and other jobs. Not the best set up but we all were doing what we could. Mind you I was already off work in the ER with my sister. Called to help with this code as there was another across the hall, not enough people for both, etc. So the doc is lying the things the doc wants put in sharps on top of sheet on patient, I throw things away one by one as the doc lays them out. The doc is putting in a ART line and bear with me as I am a EMT not a nurse yet, well when doc lays down a guide line thingy (don't know tech term) I throw away in sharps, doc starts wigging out screaming at me. I was so embarrased but not in the mood, so I said IT'S GONE, IT'S MY FAULT, MOVE ON, WHAT CAN I GET YOU RIGHT NOW. I spent the rest of code being really upset. After my sis gets discharged I am walking out back entrance and he sees me, he calls me over and grabs my hand and starts, well, um, I just wanna say, um, I really appreciate you in a code, um you are always right there to help me, so, um, well I am sorry for yelling at you. I about fell out. I have no problem with this doc, the doc is are competant and good at what they do and is usually very nice. I have a feeling in my gut had I been passive about the whole thing they would HAVE NEVER said that. I swear it came from his toenails but heck I will take it.

Why is when you are meek, there is no I'm sorry, when you are assertive, then they respect you?? I don't know, wondering if you all had a week where you did some screw ups, but seemed they were all in concentrated timeframe and any stories of apologies that dropped your jaw. BTW, my boss was present in 2nd as well Last edit by PinkRocksLikeMe on Oct 29, '11 : Reason: Spelling
I am not familiar with your doc but from past experience I know people will typically do what you allow them to do, be it a Dr., spouse, or your child. If you are a doormat you will be stepped on.

I liked your response. You took responsibility and pointed out ...you didn't have time to sit around and chat about it while your pt coded....I sure hope more Dr's are like this. it is HUGE for him to offer you an apology and a compliment...all in the same.

I love this: "IT'S GONE, IT'S MY FAULT, MOVE ON, WHAT CAN I GET YOU RIGHT NOW."

Quote from cpl_dvldogI am not familiar with your doc but from past experience I know people will typically do what you allow them to do, be it a Dr., spouse, or your child. If you are a doormat you will be stepped on.

Quote from PinkRocksLikeMe...so I said IT'S GONE, IT'S MY FAULT, MOVE ON, WHAT CAN I GET YOU RIGHT NOW.

WOW..You did a GREAT job....thousands of kudos to you!!!! You were assertive but not nasty....and said exactly the right thing at the right time....

"so I said IT'S GONE, IT'S MY FAULT, MOVE ON, WHAT CAN I GET YOU RIGHT NOW..."Beautiful. A metaphor for all relationships