I was called into the clinic room for the test by a nurse who was pregnant. I would say 7 mo- carrying well and healthy. She was non-descript, nice enough. And she proceeded to insert the needle for the TB test in my arm and say that they will read the results on Wednesday during my high-risk appointment. As we were finishing up she asked me how my pregnancy is going, is all good? Etc. etc. I just looked up at her from my seat and said ‘I presume you have not read my chart’. She said no she had not, (I am not surprised) I said ‘Yeah, that is what I thought, see you Wednesday.’ And I stood and walked out.
One more time UCLA does not get it right. One more time I am a number instead of a person. They can stick a needle in your arm and have no idea who you are, or what you are going through, or take the time to read a chart to know the person they will be sticking. Is it a lack of time? Or caring? Or both? How long does it take to read a current status on someone before you put a needle in their arm or ask them how their pregnancy is going without bothering to look at one thing written first? Why even bother to spend hours giving this kind of information and going through the stories and grief if nobody is paying attention to what is written down?
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UCLA is just the perfect example of too many cooks in the kitchen, nobody reading the instruction manual on how to take care of a delicate soufflé and they just keep opening the oven looking at it, and slamming the door shut again. Each time the soufflé drops a little more until it is just expelled of any courage to rise because of how many eyes and hands have been on it and looking at it but have no idea who has done it before them or what needs to be done next or know the story of their baking needs or time or gentle reassurance it will not fall. They could not see I was falling, much farther down than the bottom of an oven. And could not take the time to care to read my son who was ‘baking’ inside me was falling too.[/expand]
