Annoyed? YES!

I am a merciful person. I really truly am. I have a fair amount of patience. I am VERY understanding. I'm even pretty darn nice if I do say so myself. Last night all of these wonderful virtues I have bestowed upon myself were put to the test by a dear sweet pregnant lady.

So around 3:00 am I got a patient who thought maybe her water broke. OK, no problem. I checked her for that and the test was negative. I checked her cervix and she was not dilated. She was having an occasional contraction. So I call the doctor the get orders and of course they were to have her walk and then check her again. Done. I put her back on the monitor and she is contracting about every 2-3 minutes but not really feeling them. I decide she may just be dehydrated so I give her a TON of water to drink. She asks should she call her parents who live 5 hrs away to come. I say "I don't think you are in labor, but as long as you are contracting you will be here in the hospital". Not the answer she wanted, but the best I could do.

So a few minutes later she calls me into her room saying she just felt more fluid come out. I check and see and feel nothing on her towel. Hmmmm, maybe get up and pee?

Five minutes later again she calls and says she's really hurting could she have something for pain? Again I call the doctor for orders and get them. I start her IV and then she decides no, she doesn't want pain meds afterall. UGH!!!! By this time my shift is ending and don't forget that I have another patient who is on meds that require 15 minute checks so I'm just a tad busy at this point. AGAIN she calls out wanting her nurse again. Could I please check her again because she really needs to know if she is in labor or not. I explain to her that sometimes labor is not that obvious, that if her water is indeed broken I can't keep checking her because she could get an infection, and the doctor will come to talk to her around 7. OK, well then can I get an ultrasound or something? I really need to know if I'm gonna have this baby today!

OK, listen. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE IN LABOR! MY GUESS IS NO, BUT YOU ARE CONTRACTING. YOUR WATER IS NOT BROKEN. IF YOU ARE IN PAIN I CAN GIVE YOU SOME MEDICINE. THE DOCTOR WILL BE HERE AT 7, mkay?

Oh, okay, so about that ultrasound, and my parents are 5 hours away, and I think my pain is getting worse, and I think I may pee myself, and my goal in life is to convince my nurse I am in labor when I am not, and........

Amy