Occasionally at work, there is a new Nursing Policy (or is that a new edict?), that seems so flippin' ridiculous. That means, any nurse that reads it over, stops, and emits a very loud, WTF? But then, when the boss says the cause of it was the "Joint Commission", we shake our collective heads and sigh. But after that, when the boss stumps that they wrote the flippin' edict, there's a distinctive head shake, eye squint and lip lift, and again, WTF-OMG!

The Joint Commission; band of brothers, or band of thieves? Who knows.

But, "National Patient Safety Goal 16", is something to do with making sure patients and families, have a method to "summon extra help". And so, at our hospital, this will be known forever as, the "Condition Help Policy". No, I'm not making this up.

Well actually, I did make up the poem you are about to read, in response to the latest flim-flam edict.

Condition Yelp

If you need urgent attention
Because you are concerned,
Your meatloaf was moldy
And the poached eggs were burned,
We now have a program
For help right away,
Condition Yelp is the answer
Any time night or day.

If there's a medical change
But we didn't notice,
Or you sent us a letter
But we ignored what you wrote us,
We now have a system
For hot buttered care,
Condition Yelp is always ready
Anytime, anywhere.

How do you do it?
Just listen and learn,
Dial "O" for the operator
And then wait your turn,
Because we are predicting
An onslaught of calls,
From every Tom, Dick and Harry
Out wandering the halls,
Complaining about the stupidest
Crap in the book;
Condition Yelp guarantees
The Charge Nurse will take a look.

I can hardly wait to be
A designated responder,
One more task to undertake
As the Charge-Nurse, over yonder,
Never knowing when the phone rings
If I have to leap into action,
It's a heavy responsiblity
This Condition Yelp distraction.

When the Satisfaction Surveys
Are tallied and scored,
It will all come up roses
So that we can afford,
To send the chief's on vacation
Or some high-end retreat,
While the minions of peons
Keep walking the beat.

Condition Yelp is the solution
To any problem that could be,
And the cost to the patient?
Hot damn! It's always free,
It's just a part of our
Hot, smoking package of care,
Dial "O", give a Yelp
And a Nurse, will be there!

Fibril_late;
11/02/09