Lowered expectations

In general, I believe people have unrealistic expectations when they are admitted to the hospital. They expect to be given around the clock care, but also expect to be allowed to sleep a full 8 hours each night. They want their nurses to bring them their medications exactly as they are timed at home, with absolutely no consideration to the fact that their nurse is also caring for several other patients.

One expectation I dealt with this week, is when physicians are suppose to see their patients. Many of the patients on my unit are seen by hospitalists. These are the docs that work for the hospital. These guys and gals work really hard and usually start seeing their patients around 7:30am. Now if you’re a pretty healthy person, say a 40-something year old female with cellulitis of your hand, then you’re probably not going to be seen first. You see, there’s this thing call “triaging”. This is where the physician places their patients in order of how urgent they need to be seen. That 78 year old lady in the ICU on a vent is probably going to fall somewhere near the top of the list. Your spider bite...well, let’s just say you’re not a real priority for your doctor today. They will get to you eventually, and if you need something they are only a phone call away. However, don’t expect to see them much before noon.

This concept is poorly understood by many patients and family members. They are living in a world colored by the many episodes of General Hospital and St. Elsewhere that they’ve watched. This is a world where physicians make “morning rounds” and see their patients several times throughout the day.

This world doesn’t exist.

Your doctor will see you as soon as they can. It’s not that they don’t care about you, there are just sicker people that need to be seen first. If you or your loved one were really sick, wouldn’t you want them to be seen first?

So please don’t complain to me when your doctor didn’t come to see you until (gasp!) 12:30pm! Did you have everything you needed? Were you in any pain? No? Good.

So take your vicodin and shut the hell up.