"Can I get another shot?"

If you're ever in the hospital you gotta learn the lingo, because some deranged nurse out there may actually take you seriously in what you say you want, rather than what you think you want, and she may actually jack you up.  Depending on her mood.
Last night I had a particularly painful patient.  Seems like I've been getting these ripe ones lately.  What is up with that?  Literally, crying and moaning in pain.  Yes, I believe he was in pain, but when he tells me he has a "really high tolerance for pain...."  I want to say, "Really?  You're a grown-man and your crying to your twenty-something nurse....It doesn't really look like you have a high tolerance, buddy."  Okay, I know I don't sound very compassionate at this moment, but it's only because I ran out of compassion on this guy...
So this guy became very fond of the good 'ol Dilaudid.  It's a great drug and can make you feel pretty good at times, at least that's what I've heard.  I was encouraging the patient to try and see if pain pills would work for him because with all the intravenous medicine he was receiving, he was on the slow train home.

Unmanaged pain+IV medications=longer stays in the hospital.

About every hour this guy was on his call bell, or yelling out in pain...one way or another trying to get my attention.  "Nurse, nurse, I need another shot.  Whatever it was you gave me, I need it again."  Well okay, we can do that, but you realize you just asked for a shot, right?  You want it in your butt, hip, thigh, arm, stomach...I mean really I could go on.  But I won't.  These are just the few thoughts that went through my head when he asked for a shot.  I knew that's not what he meant.  He wanted the medicine in his IV, not his butt, but that's not what he asked for (I just said but(t) twice in that sentence).
Moral of the story, don't ask for a shot unless you actually are willing to take it like a man, unfortunately this guy was not.  Be clear with your words, even when you are high on narcotics.  It will behoove you.