The Call

The man called asking about his dad. I took the call from the hostess. He hadn't talked to a nurse in about a week. My first question is usually tell me what you know, so I know how to fill in the blanks. He couldn't understand why dad wasn't getting better. It's a safe bet in my unit to discuss heart failure and fluid in the lungs. I educated, read the pet scan results, went through the mans history (and in a unit aren't they all the same??), looked up CT results. I explained about the surgery on Monday (lung biopsy). He still wasn't getting it why dad isn't any better. I'm finally going "look, he's 83 years old, the parts wear out!" "No he's not, he's 72." I'm sure of this one, after all, I can read, "He's 83, right here on the chart." Then I reinterate about the family meeting and how Jim Bob, Sue Bob and his mom were talking with the doctors when he goes, "Who's Jim Bob?" Duh, I say, "Your brother!" Thinking how bad is this connection (in my defense, the phone had been breaking up). "No, my brother is Mark Bob!" Sadly, 47 minutes and 30 seconds into this call I ask, "Who is your family?" It's the Symthe family, I had been telling him about the Smuth family......

You must understand, I had been tired, hungry, and the last part of the talk a little exasperated. My staff is now rolling on the floor as I tell one of them that this call is actually for them...... Could they please talk to the man who surely (and maybe rightfully) thinks I'm an idiot. Needless to say the HIPPA police will probably take me away when I go back......