1/
Grady Wards
Them: "Hey Dr. M. You busy?"
Me: "Not at the moment. What's up?"
Them: "Wondering if you could weigh in on rash on our new patient. It's on her backside. Kind of looks like yeast but I'm not sure."
Me: *listening*
Them: *pointing at door* "She's in bed 2."
Grady Wards
Them: "Hey Dr. M. You busy?"
Me: "Not at the moment. What's up?"
Them: "Wondering if you could weigh in on rash on our new patient. It's on her backside. Kind of looks like yeast but I'm not sure."
Me: *listening*
Them: *pointing at door* "She's in bed 2."
2/
Me: "Okey dokey."
Them: "I need to run and see someone with chest pain. Can you let me know if I should call derm after you look?"
Me: "Yup."
I watched the resident disappear down the corridor as I stopped to open the chart in the EMR.
Ooooh. A Grady elder.
Yay.
Me: "Okey dokey."
Them: "I need to run and see someone with chest pain. Can you let me know if I should call derm after you look?"
Me: "Yup."
I watched the resident disappear down the corridor as I stopped to open the chart in the EMR.
Ooooh. A Grady elder.
Yay.
3/
I approached bed 2 and noticed that the curtain was pulled all the way closed.
Me: *knocking on wall* "Hellooooo. . . "
When I came around the pink divider, this Grady elder was in the middle of being given a sponge bath by one of our nurse assistants.
And was not pleased.
I approached bed 2 and noticed that the curtain was pulled all the way closed.
Me: *knocking on wall* "Hellooooo. . . "
When I came around the pink divider, this Grady elder was in the middle of being given a sponge bath by one of our nurse assistants.
And was not pleased.
4/
Her: "Dammit! What is you doing with that cold ass water?"
Nurse: "I'm washing you up.."
Her: "You so heavy-handed! And why this water so cold? I bet not get pneumonia from this!"
Nurse: "This water is pretty warm but I can warm it some more."
Her: "Naw. Just hurry up!"
Her: "Dammit! What is you doing with that cold ass water?"
Nurse: "I'm washing you up.."
Her: "You so heavy-handed! And why this water so cold? I bet not get pneumonia from this!"
Nurse: "This water is pretty warm but I can warm it some more."
Her: "Naw. Just hurry up!"
5/
I debated whether I would ask to take a peek at her now while she was already mad and already exposed, or just wait until later.
But I was there.
And her skin was there.
It shouldn't be that big a deal. Should it?
I debated whether I would ask to take a peek at her now while she was already mad and already exposed, or just wait until later.
But I was there.
And her skin was there.
It shouldn't be that big a deal. Should it?
6/
I convinced myself that a quick glance wouldn't hurt.
Me: "Hey there. My name is Dr. Manning. I'm one of the senior doctors helping to take care of you. Would you be okay with me quickly looking at this rash on your backside? We want to get you feeling better."
I convinced myself that a quick glance wouldn't hurt.
Me: "Hey there. My name is Dr. Manning. I'm one of the senior doctors helping to take care of you. Would you be okay with me quickly looking at this rash on your backside? We want to get you feeling better."
7/
She gazed up at me from her compromised position.
Her: "Do it look like a good time to you, Miss Manning? I mean, tell me. Do it?"
Eek.
Me: "Uhhhh, well. . .I was hoping to take a look while you already had your skin uncovered. I can be quick. Would that be alright?"
She gazed up at me from her compromised position.
Her: "Do it look like a good time to you, Miss Manning? I mean, tell me. Do it?"
Eek.
Me: "Uhhhh, well. . .I was hoping to take a look while you already had your skin uncovered. I can be quick. Would that be alright?"
8/
Her: "Well, tell me if THIS alright: How 'bout I walk in a room while yo' entire ass from the top clear down to the bottom is hanging out the back of a sheet covered with cold bubbles--and then ask YOU is it a good time for a stranger to 'take a look.'"
She sucked her teeth.
Her: "Well, tell me if THIS alright: How 'bout I walk in a room while yo' entire ass from the top clear down to the bottom is hanging out the back of a sheet covered with cold bubbles--and then ask YOU is it a good time for a stranger to 'take a look.'"
She sucked her teeth.
9/
Her nurse froze and I felt my face getting hot.
Her: "Yeah. I ain't thank so. Don't try to make it seem like you conveniencing me. It ain't nothin' convenient about having somebody stepping in to look across yo' whole behind no matter how quick they say they gon' do it."
Her nurse froze and I felt my face getting hot.
Her: "Yeah. I ain't thank so. Don't try to make it seem like you conveniencing me. It ain't nothin' convenient about having somebody stepping in to look across yo' whole behind no matter how quick they say they gon' do it."
10/
Her: "Alright then Miss . . . "
Nurse: "It's Dr. Manning."
Her: "Well DOCTOR Manning, you get on back to whatever you was doing before you came in here bothering me and trying to take a 'quick peek' cross my behind."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Her: "Alright then Miss . . . "
Nurse: "It's Dr. Manning."
Her: "Well DOCTOR Manning, you get on back to whatever you was doing before you came in here bothering me and trying to take a 'quick peek' cross my behind."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
11/
Me: "I. . .I am so sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
Her: "Y'all get busy and lose all your home training."
Whew.
Her: "And I know you know better. I can jest tell from looking at ya that somebody taught you better'n that."
The nurse covered her up and looked down.
Me: "I. . .I am so sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
Her: "Y'all get busy and lose all your home training."
Whew.
Her: "And I know you know better. I can jest tell from looking at ya that somebody taught you better'n that."
The nurse covered her up and looked down.
12/
Me: *tiny voice* "Yes ma'am."
Her: "You just remember--I don't want nobody doing nothing to me that they wouldn't want for their own mama or their damn self!"
I nodded.
Me: "I'm sorry."
Her: "We alright. Jest come on back later. And remember your home training, hear?"
Me: *tiny voice* "Yes ma'am."
Her: "You just remember--I don't want nobody doing nothing to me that they wouldn't want for their own mama or their damn self!"
I nodded.
Me: "I'm sorry."
Her: "We alright. Jest come on back later. And remember your home training, hear?"
13/
And so I did.
That was several years ago but I think of that moment often. She was right. I did know better. It wasn't an emergency. It was just convenient.
For me. Not her.
I'm glad she called me out. It was like failing a real-life OSCE. With immediate feedback.
And so I did.
That was several years ago but I think of that moment often. She was right. I did know better. It wasn't an emergency. It was just convenient.
For me. Not her.
I'm glad she called me out. It was like failing a real-life OSCE. With immediate feedback.
14/
A reminder and a charge to do what we learned in kindergarten. Imagine that.
We got on well after that. And even laughed about it.
Which was good.
Yup.
Oh, and that rash cleared up with 2 days of fungal cream. So that was good, too.
Yeah.
💛
#humanismalways
#growth
A reminder and a charge to do what we learned in kindergarten. Imagine that.
We got on well after that. And even laughed about it.
Which was good.
Yup.
Oh, and that rash cleared up with 2 days of fungal cream. So that was good, too.
Yeah.
💛
#humanismalways
#growth
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