Thread by @gradydoctor

1/
I walked into the room on rounds one day and found my patient, a Grady elder, on the phone loudly talking to a loved one. My team and I approached the bed.

Him: *into phone* "Let me call you back, hear? I got my nurse here with me."

I gave brow a subtle raise.

2/

Him: *still on phone* "Nawww. The nurse that came when you was here. Yeah. The one with the little salt and pepper pixie hairdo." *smiles at me*

*listens to person on phone, looks puzzled and then covers mouthpiece with his hand*

Him: "Hold up. You my nurse or my doctor?"

3/
Me: "I'm your doctor, sir."
Him: "Oh HELL! I'm sorry. Why you ain't said nothing?"
Me: *chuckling* "I just did."

*hangs up phone and looks at me*

Him: “That ain’t funny.”
Me: *laughing* "My badge said I was a doctor, sir."
Him: *looking embarrassed*

4/
Him: "Oh Lord. I'm so sorry. I know that's a insult me calling you a nurse!"
Me: "I don't think being mistaken for a nurse is an insult, sir. You could mistake me for worse."

*silence*

Him: "Yeah but you worked hard to be a doctor."
Me: "Nurses work hard to be nurses, too."

5/
Him: "You missing my point."
Me: "No, I hear you. I guess if you didn't think I COULD be your doctor, that would be an insult."

*silence*

Him: "You know? When I was coming up I ain't never see no lady doctors. Let alone no black lady doctor." *sigh*

No lies told.

6/
Him: "But I want you to know you SHOLL could be my doctor!"

*laughter*

Me: "Times have changed a lot, sir. I just want you to know there's a bunch of lady doctors now, ok?"
Nurse: "And a bunch of MAN nurses."

We all swung our heads at the male nurse coming to flush his IV.

7/
Him: "Awww hell! You mean YOU my nurse? All this time I thought you was my doctor!"
Nurse: *gasps* "Uhh uhhh. Don't insult me like that!"

*collective laughter*

His nurse attached started the IV pump and passed the patient a plastic cup with pills.

Then we examined him.

8/
Sometimes it just doesn't have to be that heavy. And, you know? I have a lot of respect for our nurses. I was super glad in that instant that I didn't role model a response that would suggest that I didn't.

Because that wouldn't have been cool.

9/
And don't get me wrong--I get the implications of someone assuming a woman isn't the doctor. But I'd also had a good therapeutic alliance with my patient. I knew I'd get the chance to make my role clear to him.

Plus, it ended up being a good teachable moment for all of us.

10/
Teachable moments for me:

1. Remember that you're a role model.
2. Think about perspectives and life lenses.
3. Yay me doesn't mean boo you.

Teachable moments for my patient:

1. A lady can be your doctor.
2. A man can be your nurse.

And for all of us:

Choose kind.

11/
Later that afternoon, I stopped to use a hand sanitizer near his room and overheard this:

Him: *still on phone* "Mmmm hmmm. And my HEAD doctor over EVERYTHANG is a BLACK LADY doctor! SHOLL is! And she COOL as a FAN, too!"

I didn’t correct him that time, either.

Nope. 👊🏾😉

😬😬😬
Sorry so many typos today.
I blame the flu.

Thanks for reading and for the well wishes, y'all. Happy Monday.🤓👊🏾

P.S. I think I'm on the mend.