S02.E09: The Island

[Whimsy]

Quote

When an inmate comes in with an entirely preventable illness, Max, Sharpe and Iggy head directly to the source -- Rikers Island. Bloom struggles with her recovery. Reynolds gets news that could change his life.

Original airdate 11/19/19

[ams1001]

I don't think you can just, like, show up to Rikers and say "hey I'm a doctor, I wanna treat your inmates."

Doesn't Max have work to do at the hospital he supposedly runs? Why are all these high-level doctors able to just leave at a moment's notice all the time?

Edited November 20, 2019 by ams1001

[preeya]

54 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I don't think you can just, like, show up to Rikers and say "hey I'm a doctor, I wanna treat your inmates."

Doesn't Max have work to do at the hospital he supposedly runs? Why are all these high-level doctors able to just leave at a moment's notice all the time?

He cleared it with "The Mayor" who doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground.

Edited November 20, 2019 by preeya

[ams1001]

So Iggy's gonna fix this one inmate today?

[rhys]

Ack. Next episode looks good with all the convicts doing their thing. Too bad we have to wait til next year! Crikey. These docs get a long vacation.

Bugs me when Iggy says ' preventative.' Urg. He should know better.

What happened with him & Martin & kid #5?

[LittleIggy]

So what happened to Bloom’s pill? JJ Feild is so hot. His character should be with Helen! Poor Vijay! Guy can’t catch a break. BTW, what is a meal train? 

[izabella]

11 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

So what happened to Bloom’s pill?

I think she took it and forgot.  She was high when she was talking with Zach, and wasn't in pain at the time.  But they left it highly ambiguous, so that's just a guess.

[Superpole2000]

3 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I don't think you can just, like, show up to Rikers and say "hey I'm a doctor, I wanna treat your inmates."

Nor would anyone want to. It's not like going through airport security. My guess is that the time of these medical professionals is far too expensive to spend it going through the unpleasant entry and exit process from Rikers. Furthermore, they were interacting far too freely with the inmates in this episode and it all felt very fake. That fight would have brought out guards in riot gear, and not even superhero Max would have joined in.

Edited November 20, 2019 by Superpole2000

[Madding crowd]

Bloom’s pain should be controlled by her doctor and the nursing staff-since when does a patient get to designate who controls her medication after surgery. After you are released, fine. If something happened to her it would be on the hospital. I think her therapist guy took the pill. No one should have to suffer in extreme pain to prove a point. Then again if you are truly in pain you don’t feel high after taking pain medicine. 

The Rikers thing was ridiculous. I could see them getting permission to open a once a week clinic and to donate things like tampons, but no way are they wandering around the entire facility, visiting people in solitary or bringing in prisoners families ( I know that was in the hospital).

[nixgirl28]

So the one patient with an "overdose" claimed she was in danger since she turned state's witness. Were the other inmates trying to escape to go after her, or to just escape prison? I know one was in for tss, what were the other inmates in the hospital for? Was it all a ruse, I didn't understand that part. But it's not like most of this show is believable anyway.

[jabRI]

And Bloom should find something to do to take her mind off the pain, take up knitting, learn a new language, watch every Bond movie in order...

[Haute Messe]

5 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

Bloom’s pain should be controlled by her doctor and the nursing staff-since when does a patient get to designate who controls her medication after surgery. After you are released, fine. If something happened to her it would be on the hospital. I think her therapist guy took the pill. No one should have to suffer in extreme pain to prove a point. Then again if you are truly in pain you don’t feel high after taking pain medicine.

Agree, but I don't think she trusted her medical staff to understand addiction and control her medication. My thought was that the therapist took it as well, and was going to give it to her after an hour. But - did he take it away and take it himself?

[AnnA]

Well that was a really bad episode.  The only good thing was that we may finally be free of the ghost wife.  She's so forgettable that I don't even remember her name.  

[ams1001]

18 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

 BTW, what is a meal train? 

A group of people set up a rotation to provide meals for a friend/family member (or whoever) who needs some help (new baby, recovering from illness/surgery, etc.).

There's also a crowdsourcing platform for it. You can invite people to participate, set up a schedule, list the person's likes/dislikes/allergies...   https://www.mealtrain.com/

14 minutes ago, AnnA said:

Well that was a really bad episode.  The only good thing was that we may finally be free of the ghost wife.  She's so forgettable that I don't even remember her name.  

It's Georgia, but I only know that from reading comments here. 😛 

[cam3150]

19 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

 JJ Feild is so hot. His character should be with Helen! 

So, so hot. Every time I see him I briefly think it’s Tom Hiddleston (who I don’t think is hot). His character would be great with Helen!  I think he took the pill which would make me sad. I hate addiction storylines so hopefully we’re not headed there with either character. 

Goodbye, Georgia (hopefully). We hardly knew you. 

[apn85]

23 hours ago, izabella said:

I think she took it and forgot.  She was high when she was talking with Zach, and wasn't in pain at the time.  But they left it highly ambiguous, so that's just a guess.

I don't know. I did read the actor had to leave midway through the season to work on another project he was committed to and so Bloom's storyline had to be rewritten to fit his departure. I could see this being the way they get him out of the picture. 

This ep was just eh for me. I was expecting a bit more. I dunno why, I guess being the fall finale? 

Yes, Georgia is GONE. I read an interview with the main show guy (his name leaves me) and he said it was the end of her. He also said that Max would be moving forward no matter if people felt he should or wanted him to or whatever. So, make of that what you will. 🤷‍♀️

Edited November 21, 2019 by apn85

[Dowel Jones]

On 11/19/2019 at 7:08 PM, ams1001 said:

Why are all these high-level doctors able to just leave at a moment's notice all the time?

On 11/19/2019 at 7:27 PM, preeya said:

He cleared it with "The Mayor" who doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground.

Is the Mayor's name Gene Roddenberry?  Because this is a basic Star Trek move, every week.

The first thought I had after Max diagnoses the "crazy" prisoner is that she read up on the symptoms, and, being a master manipulator, has figured out how to play him to the hilt.  I also have this sneaky feeling that Dr. Castro is premature in her diagnosis, and she knows it.

They're dropping characters right and left.  PT guy is gone, lunch lady is gone, Helen is gone.  I don't know if the actors are actually leaving, but they're sure setting things up for major changes.

[bros402]

That was an odd episode.

Max's oncologist going "oh don't hear hoofbeats and assume zebras!!!" is just like.... what?! The guy has thyroid cancer and he is experiencing symptoms. Yes, people with cancer will feel off and assume it is the cancer - but the man is going through treatment and feels a symptom, talks to you, and you just brush off his concerns? That is a bad doctor.

The prison plot felt a bit disjointed - in particular, the one prisoner going state's witness.

Also, why weren't the prisoners brought into the prison ward that is built into the hospital that we have been shown multiple times throughout the series? You know, so something like what I bet is gonna happen next episode doesn't happen?

[txhorns79]

8 hours ago, bros402 said:

Also, why weren't the prisoners brought into the prison ward that is built into the hospital that we have been shown multiple times throughout the series? You know, so something like what I bet is gonna happen next episode doesn't happen?

I wondered that as well.  I suppose the best answer is: "Contrivance."

On 11/20/2019 at 6:34 AM, Madding crowd said:

The Rikers thing was ridiculous. I could see them getting permission to open a once a week clinic and to donate things like tampons, but no way are they wandering around the entire facility, visiting people in solitary or bringing in prisoners families ( I know that was in the hospital).

A thousand times this.  Part of me wanted one of the family members Vijay secretly brought to visit the patient to produce a weapon and hold everyone hostage in some kind of botched attempt to free the woman.  At least then he would have learned that the prison has regulations about who might be contacted and when, when a prisoner goes to the hospital for a reason.  They aren't just being mean for the sake of being mean. 

[alexvillage]

The episode was very bad. The Rikers thing makes no sense at all. Lawyers have a hard time seeing their clients in that place, it is so full of bad apples, I am not sure there is one good apple left, torture is rampant and now they seem to be setting up a situation where the inmates are the bad ones? And then doctors just run around telling guards to open solitary cells? Yeah, right. 

I said before that the show points out the problems with our so-called healthcare system but gives us impossible, fantasy-like solutions. Not they are playing the Dick Wolf card, where the justice system works for all, and people who are jailed for things like failing to pay their way out are automatically criminals.

I don't think Bloom took the medication. I think the doctor guy took it because they are setting the whole thing up to be about a controlling asshole and make Bloom question herself, creating another dramatic storyline.

[apn85]

14 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

They're dropping characters right and left.  PT guy is gone, lunch lady is gone, Helen is gone.  I don't know if the actors are actually leaving, but they're sure setting things up for major changes.

I don't think Helen is leaving. I think she was just demoted to staff physician but I don't think her character will actually exit. 

[driver18]

On 11/20/2019 at 1:04 AM, izabella said:

I think she took it and forgot.  She was high when she was talking with Zach, and wasn't in pain at the time.  But they left it highly ambiguous, so that's just a guess.

She was high from the morphine drip. The pill was for when she came down from the morphine.

I was disappointed as this was the fall finale. They are generally a bit more OOH! AHH!

But, hey, at least Georgia is FINALLY gone!

Edited November 21, 2019 by driver18

[bros402]

Another thing:
Why would the hospital board demote Sharpe for charges they got dropped - so no bad PR for the hospital!

What will lead to bad PR? A celebrity oncologist suddenly no longer chairing the oncology department. She could leave for whatever this universe's equivalent of MSK is and probably get a decent position there (I bet it would be higher paying, at least).

Stripping her of her deputy medical director position makes sense - but what they should've done with oncology chair was be like "Okay, you are staying as co-director of oncology purely as a figurehead so we don't get the bad PR. You have to run all department-level decisions by Dr. Rudewoman, who has absolute veto power."

[Whimsy]

On 11/21/2019 at 2:46 AM, bros402 said:

Max's oncologist going "oh don't hear hoofbeats and assume zebras!!!" is just like.... what?! The guy has thyroid cancer and he is experiencing symptoms. Yes, people with cancer will feel off and assume it is the cancer - but the man is going through treatment and feels a symptom, talks to you, and you just brush off his concerns? That is a bad doctor.
 

She didn't just dismiss his concerns.  She showed Max some scans I am presuming they took off-screen and said that he was in remission.  

22 hours ago, alexvillage said:

I don't think Bloom took the medication. I think the doctor guy took it because they are setting the whole thing up to be about a controlling asshole and make Bloom question herself, creating another dramatic storyline.

I don't think she took it either.  I was totally rooting for those two crazy kids to make it until that happened.  And, reading that someone said the actor was leaving for another role just makes it clear that he's gaslighting her.  Makes me sad as I really enjoy seeing JJ Field on my tv screen.  

[Dowel Jones]

8 hours ago, bros402 said:

What will lead to bad PR? A celebrity oncologist suddenly no longer chairing the oncology department.

Yeah, there goes all the fundraising she has done for the hospital.

[SunnyBeBe]

Well, I skipped another episode.  I tried, but, starting out in the prison.....just couldn't go there.  I visited my state's major prison once.  It was daunting.  We (law students) had to sign a waiver that if we were taken hostage, they would NOT negotiate our release with the prisoner!  I can't believe I did that.  It was scary and I wouldn't do it again.  I had no faith this storyline would make any sense, and based on what I've read here, it didn't. 

I do like this show for some reason.  I just wish the writing would improve. 

Edited November 22, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[bros402]

16 hours ago, Whimsy said:

She didn't just dismiss his concerns.  She showed Max some scans I am presuming they took off-screen and said that he was in remission.  

I don't think she took it either.  I was totally rooting for those two crazy kids to make it until that happened.  And, reading that someone said the actor was leaving for another role just makes it clear that he's gaslighting her.  Makes me sad as I really enjoy seeing JJ Field on my tv screen.  

She took a scan - but she was belittling him for his concerns while giving him the scan - which is just like "wtf doc"

15 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Yeah, there goes all the fundraising she has done for the hospital.

Exactly!

13 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Well, I skipped another episode.  I tried, but, starting out in the prison.....just couldn't go there.  I visited my state's major prison once.  It was daunting.  We (law students) had to sign a waiver that if we were taken hostage, they would NOT negotiate our release with the prisoner!  I can't believe I did that.  It was scary and I wouldn't do it again.  I had no faith this storyline would make any sense, and based on what I've read here, it didn't. 

I do like this show for some reason.  I just wish the writing would improve. 

It's the perfect show to hate watch. It flips between hate watch and popcorn show week by week.

[Johnny Dollar]

The lead character should introduce himself as “Hi. I’m Max Goodwin. Medical Director and incredibly bad judge of character.”

Great planning on the part of the inmates to get themselves admitted at just the right time so that they would end up in beds right next to each other, and just as the jailhouse snitch would be coming in with an overdose. And wouldn’t the snitch have been put into some kind of protective custody to prevent someone from trying to kill her?

Since Helen got into trouble for going the extra mile that Max expects his doctors to do for their patients, he needs to threaten to resign if she is not reinstated. Otherwise the other four doctors on staff should call him out on his BS. 

Reynolds fiancée can move to SF at any time as far as I’m concerned. I’ve never seen such a hot couple be so boring together. 

Edited November 23, 2019 by Johnny Dollar

[doodlebug]

Couldn't even make it to the first commercial without getting steamed over the incredibly lousy medicine.  First, the paramedic brings in a patient from Rikers' and claims she is G3 P4.  This is physiologically impossible.  G is short for Gravida, the number of times a woman has been pregnant.  P stands for Para, the number of deliveries the woman has had.  In other words, this woman was pregnant 3 times but gave birth 4 times?  I don't think so, and, no, a twin pregnancy delivered is still a single episode of pregnancy.

Speaking of physiologically impossible, the woman in question has uterine fibroids and heavy periods, so she wore the same tampon for 9 days?  Once again, how?  Even the best, most super absorbent tampon would last no more than a few hours before becoming saturated and leaking.  What would be the point of keeping it in there for 9 days unless she forgot or was mentally ill? I absolutely agree with the premise that basic menstrual supplies should be readily available to incarcerated women, but the 9 day tampon was dumb.

Finally, we hear how awful it is that the woman at Rikers' are not getting regular Pap smears or mammograms because they are developing advanced cancers during their incarcerations.  I looked it up; the typical length of stay at Rikers' is 6 months, not a decade.  It literally takes years, usually more than a decade, for a bad Pap smear to progress to cancer, which is why we currently do Pap/HPV testing every 5 years on women over 30 as this woman was.  If she'd gone more than 5 years without a Pap, the least of the reasons was because she was in Rikers'.  Same thing with mammograms.  First, unless there is a significant family history or a personal breast problem, there is no reason to even start doing mammograms before the age of 40.  Only a small percentage of women incarcerated at Rikers' have reached the age where a mammogram would be recommended, and, then, it takes a couple of years for a cancer seen on a mammogram to progress to a palpable tumor.  A 6 month incarceration is not going to affect the risk of developing advanced cancer.

Obviously, being a gyn, this kind of inaccurate fear-mongering really annoys me.

[NYCFree]

I’ve found that if you suspend disbelief at illogical medical/legal issues, it really helps to enjoy the show. Now perhaps a show based on medical and legal/social issues shouldn’t require that.

[candall]

I just recently read an article about prisoners being forced to buy their own feminine hygiene supplies from the prison commissary--a problem exacerbated by those crazy $0.38/hour paychecks.  One roll of toilet paper per week and no menstrual stuff supplied?  The desperation of that situation made the hair stand up on the back of my neck, so kudos to New Amsterdam for featuring that indignity in their storyline.

I think they have too many cliffhangers going, though, for a two month hiatus.  Iggy's busted trying to adopt a new baby on the down low and one of the women from Rikers has a razor blade ready to go.  I think there are eight or nine other plot points I'm supposed to have retained, but no.

[cathmed]

Agree with another poster - Disappointing fall finale from the inmates/obvious "prison break-hostage" situation about to occur; Sharpe being disbanded from her duties, Reynolds and gf breaking up (which clears the path, sadly, for a "Bloom/Reynolds reunion"--UGH); Bloom - no, I don't believe she took the pill; it looked like the Zach palmed it; and the obnoxious doctor (I like that "Dr. Rudewoman") telling Max, in such a cavalier way, he's in remission--no surprise there.  NOTE:  I hated the "zebra" reference which was straight from L & O SVU--at least that's where I first heard it; Iggy - I just don't care; that's supremely stupid for him to have tried to hide the potential adoption anyway.   Yeah, Georgia finally gone was the bright spot of the episode.

I think the writers have lost their way and with this upcoming 2-month hiatus, maybe they can get the show back on track as it's on life support right now and losing me as a fan, fast.

[Mia Nina]

15 hours ago, candall said:

I think they have too many cliffhangers going, though, for a two month hiatus. 

I agree. Very disjointed first half altogether. 

Unsurprisingly, Sharpe's potentially career-ending choices have resulted in a potentially career-ending demotion/reprimand. Whether it sticks or not, Sharpe did risk her medical license a few times during this first half so it would be interesting to know why, especially considering she has been very vocal about rediscovering her love of medicine.

Like others have pointed out, Sharpe is a celebrity doctor that rakes in the money, so who knows why the Board was so entirely severe. Brantley did mention that Sharpe was arrested in a heroin den but they showed her being arrested in the hospital, which isn't great either, but still. 

The actress who plays Brantley is really good, though. In their last scene, before she announces the Board's decision she actively avoids eye contact with Sharpe. I thought that was such a nice touch and very realistic. 

The scenes inside Rikers felt a bit phony. It's unbelievable that they would get to walk around, set up elsewhere, be escorted to solitary at a moment's notice, then be escorted out only to go back once Max figured what was going on with the patient, Iggy providing group then individual therapy, etc. 

The inmates' plan was elaborate yet relied on so many fortuitous happenings that I'm choosing to ignore it altogether. The over the top cliffhanger gimmick continues.

Ligon is so isolated from everyone else that to me it feels like Bloom is living her own version of Fight Club with this character. I can't wait for whatever is going on with them to be over. I really like Bloom but not this storyline. 

[NYCFree]

7 hours ago, cathmed said:

  NOTE:  I hated the "zebra" reference which was straight from L & O SVU--at least that's where I first heard it; Iggy - I just don't care; that's supremely stupid for him to have tried to hide the potential adoption anyway.   Yeah, Georgia finally gone was the bright spot of the episode.

I think the writers have lost their way and with this upcoming 2-month hiatus, maybe they can get the show back on track as it's on life support right now and losing me as a fan, fast.

The “when you hear hoof beats think horses, not zebras;” is a standard medical school trope. The fairly dismal comedy “Carol’s Second Act” had a whole episode about the medical students fighting to get assigned to a “zebra”. 

The show has such potential with illustrating the inequalities in America’s present medical system. Related to socio-economic issues, prisons, race inequality, etc. It just seems to lose way all the time.

[bros402]

7 hours ago, NYCFree said:

The “when you hear hoof beats think horses, not zebras;” is a standard medical school trope. The fairly dismal comedy “Carol’s Second Act” had a whole episode about the medical students fighting to get assigned to a “zebra”. 

The show has such potential with illustrating the inequalities in America’s present medical system. Related to socio-economic issues, prisons, race inequality, etc. It just seems to lose way all the time.

My case is a zebra but shockingly my local oncologist who has never seen a case of it in his 25 years managed to identify it when looking at my blood under a microscope. He had read a journal article on my cancer a few months prior - I'm guessing there was one since it was the 30 years anniversary since that cancer was discovered

[debraran]

I’ve binge watched this from season one and caught up this week. I never watched Greys but did rewatch my favorite ER last year. Even dated, the best in my opinion.  I love New Amsterdam for the good feelings it evokes and the caring but the actors deserve better scripts. ER wasn’t perfect but did a better job with medical issues and reality and they portrayed cancer more realistically too. ( Max stayed way too buff) 😉.  I also thought Rikers was a bit much and was just to set up a catastrophe later.  

Seeing this all within a month I find Iggy doing what he did very out of character to the point of absurdity. I would have complained as the actor it was too stupid even if it stayed the same. You know Helen will stay and Max will fight for her and Bloom did not  take the pills and that’s why they never showed her looking at them. I don’t like the addict vs addict plot line though . I knew when she picked him it was for a reason. 

I never hated Georgia the way some fans do and liked the fantasy sequences better than the real interaction when she was alive. . When he cried in her lap, I felt his anguish. That said I didn’t get the Helen and Max chemistry plot. She had to talk to him because she felt he was hot and they’d jump on her desk? He was married with a baby coming, he wasn’t  planning on sleeping with her. Her ego was a bit much, we can be attracted to each other even on TV and behave. ( it does happen) lol

I hope it gets better next half of the year. I like it but can see it getting off track. I love Ryan and Anupam Kher as Vijay. Please write enough good scripts to keep the silly ones an annoyance but not a deterrent.

[Guest]

I hope we are finally free of Ghost Georgia. Though I will say that Max has had more chemistry with her ghost than her living self.

I know it is kind of the point of the show, but I'm getting sick of the whole "Doctor Max goes above and beyond to find a way to change the system!"  He's not just a good doctor - he's SuperDoctor!  He will set up a clinic in a barber shop! He'll develop insulin when prices go up! He will visit insurance companies to get surrogacy covered!  And if you're in jail? No worries! He'll come there too with a van full of menstrual supplies and a psychologist! 

We get it. The system is broken. Max cares.

[apn85]

On 12/2/2019 at 1:17 PM, deaja said:

I hope we are finally free of Ghost Georgia. Though I will say that Max has had more chemistry with her ghost than her living self.

I know it is kind of the point of the show, but I'm getting sick of the whole "Doctor Max goes above and beyond to find a way to change the system!"  He's not just a good doctor - he's SuperDoctor!  He will set up a clinic in a barber shop! He'll develop insulin when prices go up! He will visit insurance companies to get surrogacy covered!  And if you're in jail? No worries! He'll come there too with a van full of menstrual supplies and a psychologist! 

We get it. The system is broken. Max cares.

Agreed. The actress is lovely, but she and Ryan Eggold had next to no chemistry, IMO. 

Regardless of my feelings about their characters or what may/may not be done with them going forward, I do think Ryan Eggold and Freema Agyeman have amazing chemistry. I think that's maybe why Georgia/Max never took off for me and I just didn't care. I could have, and I know they wanted me to, but then he'd be in scenes with someone he did have chemistry with and I couldn't get past it.

At least it's that way for me, haha! 

[Higgins]

On ‎11‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 12:37 PM, lizajane said:

Agree, but I don't think she trusted her medical staff to understand addiction and control her medication. My thought was that the therapist took it as well, and was going to give it to her after an hour. But - did he take it away and take it himself?

Nobody leaves narcotics, or any medications, by the bedside. The Nurse watches you take it. Also, the tampon wouldn't work for 9 days. That's stupid.

[alexvillage]

On 11/24/2019 at 12:51 PM, doodlebug said:

I looked it up; the typical length of stay at Rikers' is 6 months, not a decade.

Officially? Because a few years ago a teenager - Kalief Browder - was held at Rikers  for three years, without charges, for stealing a backpack. Two of those years in solitary, all because he was too poor to make bail. He became so traumatized and had such severe PTSD that he committed suicide two years after being released, still without charges. So whatever you read is just the bullshit the system wants us to believe.

On 11/24/2019 at 9:54 PM, candall said:

I just recently read an article about prisoners being forced to buy their own feminine hygiene supplies from the prison commissary--a problem exacerbated by those crazy $0.38/hour paychecks.  One roll of toilet paper per week and no menstrual stuff supplied?  The desperation of that situation made the hair stand up on the back of my neck, so kudos to New Amsterdam for featuring that indignity in their storyline.

Yes, it happens but I believe it happens in the private prisons, which are basically torture chambers. I like that the show sheds a light on our dysfunctional systems but I hate that they come up with simplistic, impossible solutions. Not helpful.

1 hour ago, Higgins said:

Nobody leaves narcotics, or any medications, by the bedside. The Nurse watches you take it

Right?

[debraran]

9 hours ago, alexvillage said:

.

Yes, it happens but I believe it happens in the private prisons, which are basically torture chambers. I like that the show sheds a light on our dysfunctional systems but I hate that they come up with simplistic, impossible solutions. Not helpful.

Right?

Especially with an addict. I feel it's obvious they want some drama with her and her "sponsor" who probably is cheating, but maybe they'll surprise us.

Sometimes shows can highlight things in the news, but when it's unrealistic, it's not good. ER showed how poor areas have so little access to medical doctor's or nurses, equipment isn't as good and they didn't go over the top. They sent a doctor wanting extra money and you slowly so how desperate it was but also how hard the one doctor or nurse did work.

It's a fine line at times, but worth it. When something is just "dumb" like leaving a pill or showing people trying to take over how a prison does something overnight, that's what people remember, not the message.

Edited December 6, 2019 by debraran

[bros402]

20 hours ago, Higgins said:

Nobody leaves narcotics, or any medications, by the bedside. The Nurse watches you take it. Also, the tampon wouldn't work for 9 days. That's stupid.

My times in the hospital, I've most often than not been left alone with my pills, but none of my meds at the time were controlled substances (Now one of my medications is a like Schedule V Controlled Substance)

[Higgins]

3 hours ago, bros402 said:

My times in the hospital, I've most often than not been left alone with my pills, but none of my meds at the time were controlled substances (Now one of my medications is a like Schedule V Controlled Substance)

That goes against nursing practice. I would never leave un-administered medications with my patient. I couldn't possibly document that I had administered the drug if I hadn't. I need to know when and if all medications are administered to care for the patient properly and so does the physician.

[bros402]

20 hours ago, Higgins said:

That goes against nursing practice. I would never leave un-administered medications with my patient. I couldn't possibly document that I had administered the drug if I hadn't. I need to know when and if all medications are administered to care for the patient properly and so does the physician.

Yeah, I always thought it was a bit odd - I know they watched me take meds the dose after I had a seizure in the hospital, but usually they would just leave me and my parents with the meds, or leave right after I started to take the first pill, then come back in 5 minutes later to grab the little containers the pills were in

[doodlebug]

On ‎12‎/‎7‎/‎2019 at 6:26 AM, Higgins said:

That goes against nursing practice. I would never leave un-administered medications with my patient. I couldn't possibly document that I had administered the drug if I hadn't. I need to know when and if all medications are administered to care for the patient properly and so does the physician.

Most hospitals would consider it a fireable offense if a nurse authorized to dispense a controlled substance to a patient didn't stand at the bedside and watch the patient swallow it and then document that fact.  Anything can happen, especially when virtually anyone can just walk into any patient room and when patients are sick/medicated and not alert enough to manage their meds responsibly.  As we all know, controlled meds are kept under lock and key and only authorized personnel have access to get them from the dispensing mechanism (known as a Pyxis because of its manufacturer).  A nurse has to swipe her badge and often also use a passcode to get the med which cannot be dispensed unless the patient to whom is is going to is identified and the computer checks to be sure the med is ordered and that the next dose is due.  If the pill given to Bloom got lost somehow, the nurse couldn't just bop on down to the Pyxis and grab another one.  She'd have to report having lost the med and then have to explain why she left a narcotic with an unsupervised patient.  Then, she can go down to the nursing office where her disciplinary action will commence.

If a pill falls on the floor or is otherwise not able to be administered, the nurse has to collect the tablet and get another nurse to verify the 'waste' of a med before she can get a replacement med. Once both have verified the med by sight, they sign off on it.  Then, the unused pill must be returned to the system first before a new one will dispense.

Edited December 13, 2019 by doodlebug

[debraran]

5 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Most hospitals would consider it a fireable offense if a nurse authorized to dispense a controlled substance to a patient didn't stand at the bedside and watch the patient swallow it and then document that fact.  Anything can happen, especially when virtually anyone can just walk into any patient room and when patients are sick/medicated and not alert enough to manage their meds responsibly.  As we all know, controlled meds are kept under lock and key and only authorized personnel have access to get them from the dispensing mechanism (known as a Pyxis because of its manufacturer).  A nurse has to swipe her badge and often also use a passcode to get the med which cannot be dispensed unless the patient to whom is is going to is identified and the computer checks to be sure the med is ordered and that the next dose is due.  If the pill given to Bloom got lost somehow, the nurse couldn't just bop on down to the Pyxis and grab another one.  She'd have to report having lost the med and then have to explain why she left a narcotic with an unsupervised patient.  Then, she can go down to the nursing office where her disciplinary action will commence.

If a pill falls on the floor or is otherwise not able to be administered, the nurse has to collect the tablet and get another nurse to verify the 'waste' of a med before she can get a replacement med. Once both have verified the med by sight, they sign off on it.  Then, the unused pill must be returned to the system first before a new one will dispense.

Do you think this is an obvious way to show him  "gas lighting" her while she is recovering? I can't believe the writers in 2019 would be this sloppy with protocol. (I'd like to anyway) If she complains would anyone believe her if he said he told her to take it or she did. Is he abusing again?  Not sure I care about this story at all though.

[bros402]

14 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Most hospitals would consider it a fireable offense if a nurse authorized to dispense a controlled substance to a patient didn't stand at the bedside and watch the patient swallow it and then document that fact.  Anything can happen, especially when virtually anyone can just walk into any patient room and when patients are sick/medicated and not alert enough to manage their meds responsibly.  As we all know, controlled meds are kept under lock and key and only authorized personnel have access to get them from the dispensing mechanism (known as a Pyxis because of its manufacturer).  A nurse has to swipe her badge and often also use a passcode to get the med which cannot be dispensed unless the patient to whom is is going to is identified and the computer checks to be sure the med is ordered and that the next dose is due.  If the pill given to Bloom got lost somehow, the nurse couldn't just bop on down to the Pyxis and grab another one.  She'd have to report having lost the med and then have to explain why she left a narcotic with an unsupervised patient.  Then, she can go down to the nursing office where her disciplinary action will commence.

If a pill falls on the floor or is otherwise not able to be administered, the nurse has to collect the tablet and get another nurse to verify the 'waste' of a med before she can get a replacement med. Once both have verified the med by sight, they sign off on it.  Then, the unused pill must be returned to the system first before a new one will dispense.

Yeah, I cannot imagine what happened on this show to happen - I was on Keppra & Depakote last time I was in the hospital - when they delivered that, they wouldn't watch. But when they brought my percocet? Yuuup, they watched me.

[doodlebug]

On ‎12‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 5:55 PM, debraran said:

Do you think this is an obvious way to show him  "gas lighting" her while she is recovering? I can't believe the writers in 2019 would be this sloppy with protocol. (I'd like to anyway) If she complains would anyone believe her if he said he told her to take it or she did. Is he abusing again?  Not sure I care about this story at all though.

But how would it gaslight Bloom?  The nurse who brought the med into the room and didn't wait for Bloom to take it would be in trouble.  I guess he can tell Bloom she took it even if she didn't and make her doubt her own mental health, but there are easier ways to do that.

If Bloom complains, the nurse who gave her the pill and left the room is going to be in trouble, not Bloom.  And, just because her boyfriend is on staff as a physical therapist (or maybe a doctor, they seem to not know exactly what his position is); does not allow the nurse to leave the med with him to verify and document.  As a physician myself, I can write orders for controlled substances but I cannot access them from the Pyxis or hand them out; that can only be done by an RN or other personnel who are charged with distributing prescribed meds.

Edited December 17, 2019 by doodlebug

[apn85]

On 12/17/2019 at 1:54 PM, doodlebug said:

But how would it gaslight Bloom?  The nurse who brought the med into the room and didn't wait for Bloom to take it would be in trouble.  I guess he can tell Bloom she took it even if she didn't and make her doubt her own mental health, but there are easier ways to do that.

If Bloom complains, the nurse who gave her the pill and left the room is going to be in trouble, not Bloom.  And, just because her boyfriend is on staff as a physical therapist (or maybe a doctor, they seem to not know exactly what his position is); does not allow the nurse to leave the med with him to verify and document.  As a physician myself, I can write orders for controlled substances but I cannot access them from the Pyxis or hand them out; that can only be done by an RN or other personnel who are charged with distributing prescribed meds.

I take care of itty ones in NICU and it's like accessing Fort Knox to get narcotics for our babies. Cannot imagine handing an adult a controlled substance and leaving the room before seeing them take it. 

Edited December 19, 2019 by apn85