Lately I finding myself doing something to clients... just because I can. It's a small thing but when I do it, I laugh to myself at how petty I am being and how... juvenile... which is probably why I laugh about it anyway.
I purposely keep my stethoscope in my ears longer than usual, specifically when the client insists on talking to me while I am ausculting the chest. It seems that putting something into my ears is code for "talk as much as you can NOW!" I guess that they think I can hear both the heart and their voice because I have those ear pieces in my ears? I have no idea.
So now I keep them in until the client finally stops talking, take them out and say, "Oh, I'm sorry, what did you just say? I couldn't hear because I had the stethoscope in my ears so I could hear your dog's heart beat." Even if I could hear them. I just lie.
I know, it's a little thing, but a little thing that makes me... giggle. :)
Mine do that too. And the stethoscope is a dinky part of the neuro exam. After a silent exam I put it on, and they immediately start talking.
ReplyDeleteIt's like a compulsion - the minute you put those ear pieces in that people feel the need to give you the second half of the pet's history. I have tried closing my eyes, head down, not responding for a good minute, all of which seems to make them want to talk even more. Usually I have to give them the 'just a sec' one finger gesture (not that one), to get them to stop their verbal diarrhea so I can actually hear something.
ReplyDeleteI too enjoy the ' I'm sorry, what did you say?', but fewer and fewer people seem to realize what they were doing and look slightly embarrassed.
Hahah! I thought I was the only person who did that.
ReplyDeleteI like when the patient decided to talk on their cell while I'm trying to auscultate their lungs.
I'm hard of hearing. Clients WATCH me remove my hearing aids, put the stethoscope buds in, and then they start talking.
ReplyDeletelol, I've always done it, starting after the very first PE I did fourth year of vet school.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm a nurse and I do that to the visitors who insist on yammering at me while I assess my patient. Actually, now I just send all visitors out of the room. And if my patient starts talking while I'm listening to his/her chest, I give an exaggerated flinch, pull my earpieces out and explain that it hurts my ears when they talk.
ReplyDeleteGuess in that way, I have a slight advantage over vets.