I guess it's just a week for ranting. Is it full moon?

You know - the older I get, the less tolerant I become.  Case in point - I was transcribing away when one of the ward clerks came bursting through the door wielding a piece of paper like she was going to beat me with it.

LOOK at this, she ranted.  It has THIS name on it, and the inmate number belongs to someone else.

And so I stopped what I was doing (it's always Dr. E on the machine when someone bursts in), took the piece of paper, pulled up the state network and looked at the diagnosis on the sheet and compared it to the online problem list.  Sure enough, it belonged not to the number, but to the name.  And he wasn't even housed at our unit.

No problem, I'll just send it back to where it came from, I told her.  Another Unit, the only other hospital unit in the state.  And so she picks up the paper, lays it down on the transcription desk where it does not belong, and walks out.

That ticks me off.  People walk into our office countless times a day, expect us to stop what we're doing to fix the copy machine, get them paper, help them fax something or...any day, I expect to be asked to give directions on how to flush the toilet.

Somewhere along the way, Health Information Management has become INFORMATION/SECRETARIAL SERVICE.  And I don't mind helping people, but we don't go to THEIR offices and disrupt their work day.

After the ward clerk stalked out like some nurse's error was my fault, I typed up a nice little landscape oriented bolded and 36 pt. font sign - TRANSCRIPTIONIST WORKING.  QUIET!  PLEASE!  and taped it to my door.

Sheesh.  I wonder if anyone will notice.

But that's only one instance of my intolerance.  Years ago, I would have kept my mouth shut and thought something like...well, she's just overworked.

NOT ANYMORE!  No more excuses for the thoughtless.  Just signs!  Signs, I tell you! Signs that say what I mean!

I can see them now:  THERE IS A PHONE BOOK AT YOUR WORK STATION.  or...COPY MACHINE PRINT SIDE UP, FAX MACHINE PRINT SIDE DOWN.  FAX MACHINES ARE DEDICATED LINES - DO NOT DIAL 9 FOR AN OUTSIDE ONE!  and...I MAY NOT LOOK LIKE I'M HAVING A HORMONE IMBALANCE/ SURGE, BUT TRUST AND BELIEVE  IT'S HAPPENING AS WE SPEAK!  and possibly, as a warning - PREMARIN AND LEXAPRO RENEWAL PENDING.

I'm kidding about that last one.  But you know, it might not be a bad idea to check into geting the scripts.

On the bright side...my position has been upgraded a pay grade.  Comes with a raise - oddly enough, it's the second one this year, and the new fiscal year is about to start.

I'm going shopping.

And now...y'all have a good week.

I feel much better now!