Urine output

Can I complain for a bit?

Some days I really dislike my job. (And to be clear, the job I am referring to is my job as a nurse.)

Today was one of those days. Though, as far as bad days go, I've had much, much worse.

But something struck me today. It was just after 1 pm when I received a phone call from a doctor. I was actually in the middle of something. I was trying to get a patient of mine discharged. Up until this point I had hardly sat down. I had charted on only one of my patients, and that was because I was in her room waiting on someone to help me.

This doctor was calling to alert me that he was planning on bringing some orders by in the near future. So that I could keep my eyes peeled for these new orders. That was nice of him, I do appreciate those calls. Then he stated he noticed that no urine output had been charted on the patient. And I stated, "oh, yes I haven't charted it yet, but we emptied 1,400cc." (I should add that the patient was admitted on the Urology service.) I stated that I would chart it a little later. The doctor started to chew me out and say that I needed to chart it now. And did I realize that this patient was a Urology patient and these values are important. As I said before I had been in a patient room, trying to get him discharged. When I got this call, I had stepped out of the room. But unfortunately by this point I was raising my voice.

I told that doctor I was sorry, but hadn't had a minute to chart it yet. And that he would have to wait just like everyone else. I was furious.

The nerve of him. I had told him the value, wasn't that enough? He was implying that I needed to stop what I was doing at that very moment, and chart a value that he now knew. What would me charting it that second change? Nothing. He was on a power trip. And I was not in the mood.

I do not know what ideal world he lives in where I am able to chart everything I do right as I do it. I wish I could, but my patients require my services a bit too much these days. He was implying that I simply did not care about the patient's urine output. And this is not true. I hadn't fully remembered that I needed to chart it. (But I had made a note of it, and knew that when I was able to sit down to chart, that I would remember to do so.) Had the value been critical, I would have called the doctor immediately to let him know. But it wasn't. The patient  had perfect urine output.

I wish that doctor had followed me around today, to see how very busy I was. My legs, as I type this are sore and tired from being used for nearly 8 hours straight. I cleaned up urine and linen about 10 times during my 8-hour shift. Because right as we were finished cleaning her, she would empty her bladder again.

So, I'm sorry Doctor. I hadn't charted that value for your patient. I was busy with ensuring that an elderly lady's bottom did not sit in a pool of urine. I was busy trying to get a cancer patient discharged to his warm, cozy bed at home. To his dogs that were desperate for him to return to them. And I was busy soothing and calming your patient down when he didn't know where he was. All of these things are a bit more important when it really comes down to it.

If you were the one in that hospital bed, you would think so too.