Post-it 11/14/21- are we doing the 2 step?

The post-it reads ‘are we doing the 2 step.’

This one requires explanation.

My father was in intensive care in California recently.

And the ENTIRE experience made me appreciate what families have been going through in the last 18 months.

To get into the hospital your temperature had to be taken.

Answer the reason for the visit today.

And then you had to present your covid vaccination card at the desk.

Wait for them to ring up to the floor to inform them of a visitor.

Give up your driver’s license.

Wait for approval of the floor.

Wait for the visitor sticker to be printed.

Wait for the sibling or mother who was visiting ahead of you to come down.

Get your visitor badge that they would place on you.

Get your driver’s license and covid card back.

And then be allowed to the elevator.

At the correct floor you had to present your badge and yourself to the security outside of the elevator.

To be told to go down to the hallway T and turn left.

Pick up the phone.

Speak to whoever picked up the phone.

And then be granted entrance.

See your dad.

But don’t visit too long.

He gets tired easily.

And there is someone else waiting for you to come down so they could go up.

But the 2 step on the post-it refers to their frankly inconsistent visiting rules.

On day A- 2 people could go up.

On day B part 1-1 person could go up.

On day B part 2- a second person got to go up.

To be challenged by the charge nurse as to why there were 2 visitors.

Um, your desk okayed it.

On day B part 3-1 person could go up.

All the parts on Day B happened in a thirty minute time frame.

The rest of the family, and there were 4 sometime 6 sometimes 7 of us.

Had to wait on the corner.

Or in the car at the parking garage that we had to pay for.

On any given day of the 4 days I was there the answer was never the same twice.

Of all the family I was the one best equipped to understand the stress that the nurses are under.

And I had a hard time with it sometimes.

If I, someone who has been working nearly every day for the past 18 months, couldn’t get it, then a family member who is also under immense stress would no chance of understanding the inconsistent rules and harsh tone that some of the nurses/security guards/management/doctors took with us.

And when informed that I am a nurse, my mom is a nurse, and my sister is a doctor you could almost see their eyes rolling.

Yeah, sure you are honey.