I cannot believe I didn't post this already ...

[wolf]

I'll have to see what I can do about getting some more hospital pics. Basically if I take my camera in, it's too damn busy for ANY pictures. We are VERY superstitious, and cautious about any possible offense to the Mental Health Gods, who watch and listen carefully to our utterances and actions. Woe betide he who speaketh the forbidden words "hope you have a quiet night" on the way out through the crisis intervention/commitment department ... for we shall be inundated with lunatics and worthless drug users. (we have a sign that advises that ANYONE who makes any commentary regarding the apparent level of workload is subject to immediate commitment to the Center Hall (where the really out of control people go). The reverse side of this sign is our "Suicide in Progress, SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" sign which we hold up if people are too loud in the office when we are on a suicide call)

Anyway ... what's left in terms of reading material? Lots of clients request Bibles, Korans, or other religious reading materials. Only thing we'll reject on that end is The Satanic Bible or Necronomicon (we have passed a couple books on neopagan/Wiccan practices) ... magazines other than Cosmo or Maxim are usually okay ... Time, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, People, etc., sports magazines (although there is a traditional ban on the SI Swimsuit edition ... or does that just go missing because staff grab it before it hits the unit ) Some families will try to bring in feelgood books (Chickensoup for the Soul), sci-fi/fantasy novels, mysteries that are more mysterious than gory, humor, newspapers (although we have to screen those because sometimes there are articles related to patients who are on our unit which means we have to get out the scissors before the paper gets to the floor). Rolling Stone got banned some years back because of the tendency to glorify drug and alcohol use.

In addition to stuff brought in by families, we have staff who often donate used books and magazines to the unit and waiting areas. (ever wonder what happens to all those New Yorker magazines? They are piling up in my lobby, that's where they are!) A lot of my own magazines aren't appropriate for the unit, but I have friends on staff that appreciate less than a month old shootin' magazines that are only slightly drooled on.)

Most sane people don't have the patience for Shakespeare on a voluntary basis ... I don't think anyone has ever tried to bring that for a client ... although I would probably disallow it on the basis that the complete works can be used as a very effective weapon.

And yes, we do check books to make sure they are intact, and have not been hollowed out to smuggle contraband.

[Whit]

     Heh, so there's a religious exemption... Has to be, the Bible is pretty damn violent, and there's quite a few sexual references. Guess bibles get past the weapon clause on the exemption too.
     Hm, most sane people don't do Shakespeare voluntarily... Nice weather we're having... ya know, I bet the complete works would work pretty well as a weapon...