Speaking of work, well, eff! It is getting close to wound care moving on from my roommates to the nether regions of the bowels of the burn unit. It is bitter sweet. On one hand, I am pretty much screwed for help. On the other hand, the percentage of crazy, smelly, derelict patients just shifted in a very positive way. So, I guess I can call it a wash.
We had our meeting with the big fish after work today. It was remarkable on two accounts: 1. they clearly know we exist and 2. They just as clearly have a very limited understanding of what we do as a department and, most specifically, what I do in the outpatient world. Some things of particular note:
- CB (the head nurse cheese) thought that we maybe shouldn't have IV carts. Our IV carts hold all number of things that we might need throughout the day. They are not in any way able to be replaced with, say, a fanny pack or even an overlarge backpack. However, they could be kept on units vs. us pushing them from unit to unit all over the hospital, so that could theoretically work. Also, we just ordered 10 more, at over $1300/ea. So, there is that too.
- CB brought up how we should maybe not see patients from outside docs without full hospital rights. This is, approximately, 50-60% of the business at ALL our clinics and it is our policy to do so. She was not aware that we saw such patients. This is now a 'top of agenda' item that they will be looking into.
- I brought up the fact that my 2nd nurse would be no more and that, in order to justify help, I needed more patients.........patients I can't see if I don't have help. A circular argument that I have been spinning within since I started really. The 'initial' resolution was to contact the resource pool for CNA help. However, when tried yesterday, we were rebuffed because the resource pool CNA would have been in overtime. So, instead, I had a charge RN who is likely making more than $40/hr as my second nurse (or probably about $12-$15 more than the CNA with overtime factored in). I was told to log the number of patients we could not see because of this. Patients from MD offices that I am sure will be happy to know that, though I cannot see their patient, I will be happy to write that fact down whilst they send said patient and future ones elsewhere. I will now go back to beating my head against the wall so I can better explain my massive headache.
On the one HUGE plus side, somehow I got (unsure as to why other than a calendar year passed) a 3.75% raise.
Minus, late meeting today, early meeting to talk about Medicare benefits and coding issues with said patient tomorrow! Jealous much?
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