Busyness

Look, I know you're really busy, sitting there with your iPad. That email is really taking up a lot of time and I understand that you've had a lot of patients tonight. It's that witching hour too, so I know you're kinda sleepy and 0430 isn't a good time for thought processes. That's probably why you wanted to discharge this dude right away. And believe me - I tried. I went in there all gung ho with my discharge papers and to-go pack of meds.

But when a patient, who happens to be of the right age...and with the right medical history...and is an extensive smoker...and hasn't seen a doc in six years happens to tell me that he is having new onset crushing chest pain with radiation to the left arm...I don't give a shit if you're fake busy and don't want to do any more work ups tonight. I'm going to ignore the grumbling I can hear under your breath regarding my seeming inability to be firm with a discharge. I don't care if you give me the evil eye when I smile and hand you the EKG. I really couldn't be bothered if you're annoyed that I made you get back up out of your chair to go see this patient again.

Because that EKG I handed you had some tig ol bitty tombstones on it, and that patient did not pass go and did not collect $200. He went straight to the cath lab.

And that is why I don't care what you think about me.