My assistant manager asked me this week about the no-lunch days I have been having lately. Hello, it is November. I assured her when I had time I made every effort to go to lunch. It just hardly ever happens.
She urged me to go to lunch then. It was 1545.
I agreed.
And then four of the 6 ORs, three of which had to follow cases, indicated the current case was done.
And the phone started ringing.
And decisions had to be made about 1700 when we drop from 6 rooms to 3.
And it became clear that we would be at 4.
And then the conversations with the surgeon that we were delaying had to be had.
And he pouted.
She said, what about using the call nurse to come give you lunch.
Okay, I said. I’m not going to do that.
- that’s a horrible use of the call nurse
- After my 30 minute lunch, the department would be on the hook for the 1.5 hour call back guarantee.
- It is not fair to call them in just to give me a lunch.
She frowned at me and then conceded my points.
And I grabbed my glove box and went to the first room that called out for turnover.
And I turned them over.
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 