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Miscommunication...
Nov. 23rd, 2007 02:59 amI thought I was on call starting tomorrow, as a colleague had asked me to swap with him. He was going to be out of town for the weekend. I apparently misunderstood. It was starting today, Thanksgiving day and not the day after. In retrospect, it did seem a bit odd that he wanted the Friday after Thanksgiving, but so be it, I thought. Wrong. It was both days he needed. Turns out I was not the only one confused. Even the answering service thought the switch was for tomorrow.
So, while I was trying to get desserts made this morning for the holiday (my husband and I were spending Thanksgiving with our godchildren and family), a mid-afternoon dinner where 20 were expected, I was fielding phone calls and trying to figure out how I was to deal with a patient that needed admission in the ER. At the time, I had two things baking in the oven, another simmering on the stove and 2 other items cooling on the railing of the deck outside the kitchen.
I literally begged the hospitalist to admit the patient. It was not an easy sell, but what else was I to do? I'd promised to get these desserts made.
The hospitalist service is an interesting group. Some are warm and affable, while others somewhat reserved and distant. My understanding is they're well paid. However, the particular man on for that group today was less than enthused about doing this admit. I asked if he would just admit the patient, and I'd pick the man up tomorrow, or even later today, just so I could finish preparing the food for the holiday. I'd skip the meal if I had to, but I needed 3-4 hours to finish making the food I'd promised. I explained the confusion with the the call schedule. To boot, the patient needing admission was one belonging to the man who'd swapped call and he also works as one of the hospitalists several times a month. I was told yes, albeit rather coldly, he would admit the man, but their service would keep the patient thru the hospitalization. He also made it clear, if there were any other admits I was on my own.
I should not have been surprised. The winter before last, I was on call during one rather heavy rainstorm. I was called to the ER, only to find our road blocked by a fallen tree in one direction and a land slide in the other. I literally had no way of getting out, short of getting a chainsaw and attacking the tree myself. At 1AM. In the rain. And I don't own a chain saw. That night the hospitalist was unwilling to step in (not the same hospitalist who was on today). She dug her heels in and said no. What the hell was I supposed to do? I finally said, "I'm sorry, but perhaps you didn't understand me. I cannot get there. There is a landslide that closed the road in one direction and a downed tree in the other. Short of walking down the mountainside and hitchhiking 25 miles, I have no way of getting there." At that point she relented, but only after saying if I could not get there in the next 3 hours she would then admit that patient.
Dinner tonight was a joy. The food good, the company better. This was the first Thanksgiving since the kid's grandmother died. Her presence was very much missed, but her husband seems to be coping with the change in his life and life does carry on. The children as always, are rambunctious, but then how else are a 2, 4 and 6 year old supposed to be?
At least X-mas, I'm off and will not be called away.
So, while I was trying to get desserts made this morning for the holiday (my husband and I were spending Thanksgiving with our godchildren and family), a mid-afternoon dinner where 20 were expected, I was fielding phone calls and trying to figure out how I was to deal with a patient that needed admission in the ER. At the time, I had two things baking in the oven, another simmering on the stove and 2 other items cooling on the railing of the deck outside the kitchen.
I literally begged the hospitalist to admit the patient. It was not an easy sell, but what else was I to do? I'd promised to get these desserts made.
The hospitalist service is an interesting group. Some are warm and affable, while others somewhat reserved and distant. My understanding is they're well paid. However, the particular man on for that group today was less than enthused about doing this admit. I asked if he would just admit the patient, and I'd pick the man up tomorrow, or even later today, just so I could finish preparing the food for the holiday. I'd skip the meal if I had to, but I needed 3-4 hours to finish making the food I'd promised. I explained the confusion with the the call schedule. To boot, the patient needing admission was one belonging to the man who'd swapped call and he also works as one of the hospitalists several times a month. I was told yes, albeit rather coldly, he would admit the man, but their service would keep the patient thru the hospitalization. He also made it clear, if there were any other admits I was on my own.
I should not have been surprised. The winter before last, I was on call during one rather heavy rainstorm. I was called to the ER, only to find our road blocked by a fallen tree in one direction and a land slide in the other. I literally had no way of getting out, short of getting a chainsaw and attacking the tree myself. At 1AM. In the rain. And I don't own a chain saw. That night the hospitalist was unwilling to step in (not the same hospitalist who was on today). She dug her heels in and said no. What the hell was I supposed to do? I finally said, "I'm sorry, but perhaps you didn't understand me. I cannot get there. There is a landslide that closed the road in one direction and a downed tree in the other. Short of walking down the mountainside and hitchhiking 25 miles, I have no way of getting there." At that point she relented, but only after saying if I could not get there in the next 3 hours she would then admit that patient.
Dinner tonight was a joy. The food good, the company better. This was the first Thanksgiving since the kid's grandmother died. Her presence was very much missed, but her husband seems to be coping with the change in his life and life does carry on. The children as always, are rambunctious, but then how else are a 2, 4 and 6 year old supposed to be?
At least X-mas, I'm off and will not be called away.
