Decisions

Tonight was my first unsupervised bit-o-shift out in that tragic wasteland known as Triage. Hot mess, let me tell you. This kiddo comes in looking all bleh and crappy and feverish and, dare I say it, lethargic. I chart the required stuff, the tech gets a round of vitals, and I send the kid back to a room nursing a 104 temp. The big-workup PA on that morning takes issue with the fact that I used the word "lethargic" in my triage note, because "if you use the word lethargic then I have to do a septic workup and admit the kid."

No, asshole, you don't. I wrote that the kid looked lethargic because the kid looked lethargic. End of story. YOU don't have to do squat. If your assessment shows the kid looking fine, then all's well and good. But when this kid came to the door, he looked lethargic and that's what I'm gonna write.

I'll refrain from mentioning that you are notorious in the department for doing a big huge workup on every single patient, so regardless of what I write down you're going to order everything anyway.

I'll also refrain from nitpicking your treatment decision for the previous patient I triaged. Youngish girl, had a headache x2 days. Neglected to tell me that her headache started approximately 3 hours after getting a new weave. You discharged this headache with a fourpack of vicodin to go and a scrip for TWENTY MORE VICODIN. Twenty four fucking vicodin for a tight weave.

Do you really want to question my decision making skills? Really?