Code What??
As Estelle Geddy used to say in 'Golden Girls' "Picture it!!"
It's a Friday afternoon and I'm doing my volunteering at the reception desk in the One Day Surgery Waiting Room. Things are relatively normal [whatever that is] and I was finishing up putting patient's stickers on charts for Monday's roster. People check in for their procedure, and I occasionally get a phone call from the inside desk to bring someone to a room[either as a patient or a visitor to a patient.]
I am aware of the usual activity in the hallway and the occasional paging of someone over the loud speaker PA System.
Happy that I am not involved or responsible for anything important, I hear the announcement: "CODE GREY 2 WEST....CODE GREY 2 WEST".
I look at the paper attached to the desk that lists all of the codes and what they mean. There are about 12 codes for things like emergency carts, fire, child abduction, etc.
I look at the chart for Code Grey and it says: 'Security Issue'. I really don't think very much about it. A couple of minutes go by and I hear the same authoratative voice slowly say: "CODE SILVER 2 WEST...CODE SILVER 2 WEST".
Hmmm...what's a code silver I ask myself, and I look at the list...and it says:
"Hostage Situation"...WHAT??? HOSTAGE SITUATION?? REALLY???
My mind begins quickly trying to assess what the h*** is going on and how close am I on the first floor to 2nd floor west?...west...WEST??I have always been directionally challenged!!!
Before I had a chance to hyperventilate, and about 12 seconds later, the same authoratative voice said slowly: "This is a drill."
WH-H-EW!!Thank ya, Jesus!!
I go back to the nurses' station and say,"Did you hear that?"
"Oh yeah, we knew it was a drill. They've been practicing different situations all day. Didn't you see the SWAT Teams outside when you came in?"
Well, I did see a whole bunch of uniformed people to the right of the Emergency Room door when I came in at 11:00, but I really didn't give it a whole lot of thought. I always see ambulances, hospital security people, etc.
"Oh...o-okay...would you call...the operator...for a CODE BLUE 'cause I think I'm f-f-feeling a l-l-little light..headed!!!Whew!
All in a day's work...I mean volunteering.
It's a Friday afternoon and I'm doing my volunteering at the reception desk in the One Day Surgery Waiting Room. Things are relatively normal [whatever that is] and I was finishing up putting patient's stickers on charts for Monday's roster. People check in for their procedure, and I occasionally get a phone call from the inside desk to bring someone to a room[either as a patient or a visitor to a patient.]
I am aware of the usual activity in the hallway and the occasional paging of someone over the loud speaker PA System.
Happy that I am not involved or responsible for anything important, I hear the announcement: "CODE GREY 2 WEST....CODE GREY 2 WEST".
I look at the paper attached to the desk that lists all of the codes and what they mean. There are about 12 codes for things like emergency carts, fire, child abduction, etc.
I look at the chart for Code Grey and it says: 'Security Issue'. I really don't think very much about it. A couple of minutes go by and I hear the same authoratative voice slowly say: "CODE SILVER 2 WEST...CODE SILVER 2 WEST".
Hmmm...what's a code silver I ask myself, and I look at the list...and it says:
"Hostage Situation"...WHAT??? HOSTAGE SITUATION?? REALLY???
My mind begins quickly trying to assess what the h*** is going on and how close am I on the first floor to 2nd floor west?...west...WEST??I have always been directionally challenged!!!
Before I had a chance to hyperventilate, and about 12 seconds later, the same authoratative voice said slowly: "This is a drill."
WH-H-EW!!Thank ya, Jesus!!
I go back to the nurses' station and say,"Did you hear that?"
"Oh yeah, we knew it was a drill. They've been practicing different situations all day. Didn't you see the SWAT Teams outside when you came in?"
Well, I did see a whole bunch of uniformed people to the right of the Emergency Room door when I came in at 11:00, but I really didn't give it a whole lot of thought. I always see ambulances, hospital security people, etc.
"Oh...o-okay...would you call...the operator...for a CODE BLUE 'cause I think I'm f-f-feeling a l-l-little light..headed!!!Whew!
All in a day's work...I mean volunteering.
Labels: laughter, volunteering
posted by Mare at
7:51 PM
8 Comments:
Oh what a day you've had! You deserve to just go home and have a box of chocolates. When I was teaching, the code was for the intercom to say, "There's a volleyball tournament this afternoon for all teachers." We were supposed to then lock our doors and prepare out children. Well, I forgot and went out during the drill into the hallway and asked, "Uhhh... what's that about?" Sheesh...
By
Kay, At
July 11, 2008 at 10:28 PM
We too had a code for trouble. I think it was something about looking for a certain book. We were in a year-round school, with portable classrooms outside so all we could have done is lock the door and keep kids in, or run into the building. The fire and earthquake drills were disconcerting enough without the fear of hostage situations. Geeesh.
By
Jo, a retired teacher, At
July 11, 2008 at 10:44 PM
Mare..all you had to do was look out the window and see some SWAT guy repelling down the window...You must have missed the memo..I needed a laugh..thank you...
By
RamblingWoods2.com, At
July 11, 2008 at 11:28 PM
When I was teaching, we had all sorts of drills, but we didn't use codes. Lock down was just that, and we had some real ones. Fire drills and earthquake drills were regular and common. In fact when one day the earth started to shake and I called out "earthquake", we all got under our desks and hung on. No panic. As we were getting bounced around by the shivering earth below us, several children asked,"Is this real?"
It pays to practice.
By
Linda Reeder, At
July 12, 2008 at 1:39 AM
Hi Mare, could you come check my blog site? I just gave you an award.
By
Kay, At
July 12, 2008 at 1:50 PM
wow intense...don't think i'd last long volunteering at a hospital but my grandma was a pink lady forever. guess what I have a best friend whose name is Mary Anne and they call her Mare for short....
By
Great Grandma Lin, At
July 12, 2008 at 3:28 PM
ha ha ha ha ha... ahhhhh... ha ha ha.
Sometimes it pays to be informed... it would have been nice to know that there was going to be some "drill" work done that day. On the other hand, it's probably a good thing you didn't have all the codes committed to memory. It might have given you just enough more time to get some of that "hyperventilation" happening.
As it happens... things playing out exactly the way they did made for a great post!!
By
wispy willow, At
July 13, 2008 at 3:39 AM
Good words.
By
Anonymous, At
November 10, 2008 at 10:54 AM
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