I'm tuckered out and it isn't even Wednesday. My co-worker, the other screening and triage nurse has been unwell since last week. He was out partial days and an entire day last week and yesterday left as soon as I got to the office. Today he was out again entirely. I totally feel for the guy. We're exposed to so many bugs in our line of work it's no wonder we end up deathly ill once in awhile, rescued only by a Z-Pak or something stronger. The other downside to one of us being sick is that it only leaves one of us available at work.

 

Today I triaged 87 patients either via phone or in person. I feel like a bit of an assembly line worker. At one point before the lunch hour, there were six walk-ins at once - patients who have no appointment and just show up, expecting to be seen or given an appointment based on my judgement of their acuity. I didn't even bring them to my office. Just walked up to each and said something along the lines of "you stay", " you're fine, go home", etc. Some unhappy campers but hey, this isn't an emergency room and it's not an urgent care centre. Next time call first. I try to maintain a cheery disposition, but after the 20th description of probable gonorrhea and the unsafe sex that led to it - often in graphic detail - I get a little worn out. I could use a scotch.