Random thoughts
Sometimes Things Don’t Look Good
As I sat in the waiting area of the lab, I overheard a conversation between the registration nurse and a patient who spoke little English:
Nurse: Fill in the date!
Patient: Today?
Nurse: I don’t know when you took the sample. If you did it today, fill in today’s date! Also, fill in your name and address!
The patient looked confused, he shook his head and spread his hands, at a loss. 😕
The nurse raised her voice and pointed to the waiting area, almost poking her finger in the patient’s face.
So many people are still waiting! I do not have time for you now!
The patient turned and left silently.
If I were that patient, I would feel bad.
On the other hand, I can understand the nurse, who probably has thousands of reasons to justify herself.
The lab opens at 6:30am and closes at 6:00pm. She works long hours, and there is an endless stream of patients who come for various examinations. She is under a lot of pressure.
