Getting On

Nurse’ humour is, I know , an acquired taste.

I watched Getting On the other night, which was a sitcom based in an over worked and fraught nhs hospital ward. It’s a work of genius and captures perfectly the screwball nature of very dark humour.

I was reminded of a conversation I had fairly recently with a patient who was somewhat challenging in nature.

He asked me to do something that I was not prepared to do and the subsequent conversation was roughly as follows after he had sworn at me and was now sulking

Patient :”Have you always been a nurse who argues with their patients?” 

Me “ I like to think I’m assertive but fair“ 

Patient: “ I will take that as a yes then” 

Me (smiling  sweetly) “ no problem”

Patient: “ Have you killed anyone this week?” 

Pause

Me “Only two this week”

Patient: “ Only two?”

Me”It’s been a slack week”

Patient laughs

Patient: “What’s your name again? …I might have to report you”

Me “Beverly Allitt”

Patient laughs again