Aspirin(g) To Be A Better Doctor
BAD BEHAVIOR, USA, VET | RIGHT | SEPTEMBER 2, 2009
(My husband works for the out-of-hours service, and drives and assists the doctors with their house calls. I’m a veterinary nurse and as we work in the same area we often see the same people. At two am, the phone rings.)
Me: “Uh, hello?”
Husband: “Hi, my love. It’s just me. The doctor has a question for you about some meds. Do you mind talking to him?”
Me: “No problem, put him on.”
Doctor: “Hi, we’re at a patient’s house now. She’s worried because she accidentally took her cat’s medication. The thing is, she’s decanted the tablets into a tub and has lost the label. Can you tell me what they are?”
Me: “Well, give me a description of the tablets, I’ll see if I can recognise the med code.”
Doctor: “The pills are round, white, and have A-S-P-I-R-I-N stamped on them.”
Me: “Seriously? Are you kidding me?”
(This clearly sets the doctor off, as he goes off on the following tirade
Doctor: “No! You said you would help! What’s your problem, for f*** sake?! I have a patient that may be poisoned and you’re being a b****! It’s my JOB on the line here; do you understand that? MY JOB! I don’t know why I listened to that b**** driver. What would you know, anyway? You are just some idiot nurse for f***ing animals! Nobody would give a s**t what you say, you ignorant cow!”
Me: “It’s an aspirin… spelled A-S-P-I-R-I-N.”
Doctor: *prolonged silence* “I guess I should say sorry now, right?”