When The Math Ain’t Mathin’ But The Boss Is Still Bossin’

I’m a home hemodialysis nurse. I train patients and arrange for all their supplies. At the beginning of June, my boss told me to admit a patient ASAP who was moving from out of state, was already trained, and “only” needed a home visit, machine, water, and drain installation, and supplies delivered.

The plumber was on vacation, which meant no water installation was possible for two weeks. Water is essential for preparing dialysate that in the end cleans the blood. There is an emergency workaround by buying pre-made dialysate, no water required.

The patient needed eight five-liter bags for each treatment. You get two in a box. With patient dialysis five days a week, four boxes for each treatment meant twenty boxes per week.

Boss: “Order them as quickly as possible for two weeks.”

Me: “That’s forty boxes of 10 kg (22 lbs). The shipping cost will be outrageous. Let’s order eight boxes express and the rest regular.”

Nope, [Boss] knew better.

Okay. I ordered forty boxes overnight by air. It cost $1,500 just for shipping. The supplier thought that was crazy, and I thought that was crazy, but [Boss] said to do it.

At the end of July, they were checking the budget, and lo and behold, we had spent way too much; we had less than a third left for the rest of the year.

Bosses’ bonus depends on smart budgeting. [Boss] didn’t get her bonus this quarter. She was pissed.

I felt so vindicated.