Emergency Situation: The Me-Me-Me Society
I’m trying to remain calm, but I just finished my ER shift and I need to vent. Earlier, as I was driving to the Employee Parking Lot, a very Pregnant Woman was walking in the crosswalk talking on her cell. A man in the car to the left of me barreled through the crosswalk. He didn’t seem to notice or care about the Preggy Pedestrian. And the Mama-to-Be was so engrossed in the conversation, she wasn’t thinking about protecting her baby. The weirdest part was that no one seemed to notice — not the Driver, not the Pedestrian, only ME.
Am I in the Twilight Zone?
So just as I’m exclaiming “Whaaaa?” I drive into the parking structure that’s completely packed. I search every level and finally find one measly spot. But it’s not a trouble-free-spot because on one side a car is parked in an intruding slant over the double line and on the other side the neighboring car has been pushed so far over by the car next to it, it’s squishing over my other boundary line as well. Why aren’t there any boundaries in human behavior? Why is everyone pushing everyone else over the edge?
What’s Happened to “Do Unto Others…?”
In the Waiting Room, the new Triage Nurse (Melanie from Memphis) tells me she was robbed by a Patient earlier in the morning. Apparently Melanie was Triaging a female patient (who had some guy with her) and when they asked for an icepack, Mel stepped away. When she got back with the icepack they were long gone (along with Mel’s wallet).
Sadly Melanie hadn’t realized she’s “not in Kansas anymore” (I mean Memphis). No one told her in L.A. when patients come to the ER to get help, they help themselves to other things too (like Melanie’s gift cards and Christmas cash and her new California drivers’ license.) Ugh. And… to make worse, worser she’s not allowed to report it to the police because of HIPPA (which protects Patient Confidentiality).
Doesn’t anyone think about anyone else anymore?
I know I’m sounding negative (sorry, Mom) because of course some people do think of others. And they really stand out — trust me. At the end of my shift, as I ran to catch the elevator to the parking level, a nice old man held the door open for me and asked me —
“What floor?”
Awwwww GOOD MANNERS… so rare! I thanked him for being a Gentleman and realized after I got off that he’s from another generation that will be soon dying out.
We can’t let CONSIDERATION die. Nooooo! Let’s all save CONSIDERATION from becoming EXTINCT!
It’ll be a good New Year’s Resolution!
Let’s make it a Thoughtful 2013!
2 responses to “Emergency Situation: The Me-Me-Me Society”
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That’s crap. HIPPA doesn’t apply when a criminal investigation is underway. If it’s the hospital preventing the charges being filed, they are breaking the law.
But totally understanding your need to vent. Wish I could vent about my nursing job, but being that my online venting would be discoverable in court, I choose not to…
I’m not quite sure what the situation is because Mel said HIPPA applies to the patient, but not to the guy with her, so she’s trying to see what she can do about going after him. And of course it’s difficult to prove that they actually took the wallet. Mel’s credit card was used immediately afterwards and Mel’s trying to see if the store has it on tape. But in small crimes like wallet-stealing people rarely get caught. Re: venting about the hospital — I do it verrrry carefully. Names, dates and details are tweaked to protect everyone (including me). Thanks for commenting and thanks for being a Nurse. I think Nurses work harder than anyone at the hospital!