June 13, 2006

Free Books!! & (Late Entry added)

If I am your nurse at the nursing home where I work, you can have a free book! Obviously, I’m not allowed to “sell” my books to my patients, but the word has spread like wildfire that I’m a published author and patients are asking to see or get the book, “Dusty Angels”. This afternoon, I went over to the nursing home and gave out five free autographed books to my patients who are going to be discharged before I return on Friday night.

It was quite a ‘high’ for me! It was an experience unlike anything I’ve done. Autographing, “It was a joy to be your nurse” and giving them a hug with the book.

I made sure to stop by the unit coordinator’s office to show her the book and explain that I’m not collecting a penny from the patients. Mark my word, someone will still pull me aside and find fault, but not today!

Arriving home, Jim met me at the door with some bad news. His boss (or should I say, the WIFE of his boss) had called and chewed him up one side and down the other because he brought a narcotic back to the pharmacy from his run last night. Jim didn’t know it was a narcotic – nor could he have known it was a narcotic! The nurses are supposed to know that and send them back in a sealed bag with a control number on it!

How can people be so hardhearted and cruel? She really told him off and didn't let him explain anything!


Jim just called to tell me that when he got to the pharmacy tonight for his nightly pick-up, she was still ‘running her mouth”. Actually, his boss (her husband) wasn’t that upset. He just said the narcotics have to be watched “coming and going”.

I was afraid she’d fire him on the spot tonight and I was already looking in the newspaper for Courier jobs!

I rode with Jim Saturday night and saw that he does a really great job! He was instructing the agency nurses where to sign and put their initials and was patient when they kept passing meds and wouldn’t stop to sign in the meds. (We waited almost 45 minutes for one nurse!) He is careful and polite. I was proud of him!

Well that’s news from Lake Woe-Is-Me and Jim still has a job.


(Late Entry) (Nurses do a "Late Entry" when we have to add something to a nurses note after our shift is over.)

When Jim got to the nursing home tonight he expected another scolding for accidently taking that package of narcotic pills back to the pharmacy last night.

Instead, he got an apology!!!!!

The (male) nurse who accidently returned the narcs, told Jim he tried to catch him last night as he left. He realized HE had made the mistake!!!!! He then wrote a report for the Director of Nurses, and today the DON informed the pharmacy of the nurse's error and promised extra inservices to all the nurses at the nursing home.

Tonight they thanked Jim for returning the narcotics (and not stealing them....) because it could have caused the nurse to lose his license if the narcotics had been lost.

Happy birthday to Sandy on Thursday!!!

Take Care on the Journey,

~Linda

1 comment:

Katy said...

What a relief, Jim! I love it when people discover their mistakes and take accountability for them, especially when it's someone with less power who takes the brunt. Keep on being polite with good customer service, Jim. :)
~Katy