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Nurse Stories, Part Twenty: More Than Just Co-Workers...(By Louisiana M. Sandusky, R.N.) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Rated "G" by the Author.
Louisiana sees her nurses as more than just her co-workers.
I am in charge of over three dozen nurses here at Nashville Memorial Hospital, and I couldn't have asked for a better group of individuals.
Some have been around longer than I have been a fixture at NMH, but some have been here only after since I came on; and each is as varied as the jobs that they do. Most are dedicated, willing, and able to perform the tasks at hand, and they have proven themselves iworthy and courageous in many trying circumstances. They are all ages, all colors, all racial backgrounds, and each one has a story to tell.
Some of the nurses I have had the pleasure in working with include Bill Crutchfield (he works in the E.R. primarily, and he specializes in Pediatric Emergency Medicine), Barbara Rossovich (she works in the Oncology, or cancer, floor), Genevieve M. Voisin (she is my co-worker; she and I spend the most time together, and she was the original charge nurse before I came onto the scene), Roberto M. Sormiento (he is the charge nurse of the Burn ward, and he is among the best ones in the business), Evelyn Sjosted (she is fairly new, but she is a transfer from Vandy--Vanderbilt Hospital--, and she works in the ICU), and Gloria M. Trainor (another E.R. nurse; she works alongside with Bill Crutchfield). There are countless other nurses here, but these particular individuals have performed above and beyond the call of duty, and they have made this hospital run smoothly and efficiently.
I have very little problem with my nurses, but they know that I have certain quirks and habits that they have had to learn to get used to. For example, the Cuss Jar. The Cuss Jar is self-explanatory. Seeing that I am a Christian, I frown very much on curse or coarse language, and if I happen to catch them saying an offending word, they put money into the jar. Certain words are more expensive than others, and if I catch my nurses saying this certain word, then they have to fork over money and put it into the Cuss Jar. The F word is, for example, $5.00, while the biggie..the G.D. word--costs my nurses a pretty $20.00. They are always getting mad at me whenever I ask for money because they know that I am so strict about it, but in the end, everyone benefits because the monies collected for all the curse words goes towards my buying them pizza and our having a pizza bash every month.
Another quirk I have is that they be very thorough on their charts. They have to be as accurate as possible, and I tell them that there is no room for error, none whatsoever. Too many times grevious errors are made, and a patient's life is put into danger, and we could get sued; and I don't want that happening, so this is why I am such a stickler about detail regarding my patients and my nurses.
My nurses also know that if they screw up, I WILL reprimand them. I just don't do it in front of patients or other nurses. I reprimand them in private, like in my office, and I have the "three-strikes-you're-out" policy. The first time they mess up, they get a talking to. The second time, they get a write up. As for the third time, they get fired. It may seem harsh, but it is an effective tool in getting my nurses to perform up to my standards; and they know that I don't mess around. They kiddingly call me the "TaskMaster" or "Napoleon" because even though I AM small in stature, I DO have a temper, and it has been known to show itself a time or two when things go wrong.
Despite the problems that often rise up, I couldn't ask for a better group of nurses. They have stayed with me since I have come onto the scene, and they all do their jobs exceedingly well. I am proud of each and every one of my nurses, and I am indeed blessed in having them in my hospital.
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A wicked Cajun Fairy named Robes Pierre entered the impenetrable Magical doll land of Sha Bebe. Queen Faustina, the ruler of the doll land, thought she had destroyed him, but he's back! Will the doll land survive his evil ways?
Let this coming of age story of a boy named Bean take you back to a simple time. Set in a small southern town in the 1960's, encircled by a river and gleaming white cotton fields.
I am in charge of over three dozen nurses here at Nashville Memorial Hospital, and I couldn't have asked for a better group of individuals.
