. . . Maybe someone could give me some insight. Why didn't Mark call TOD after the baby died? And why was Carol the one "working on" finding another nurse for the night shift? Isn't that the charge nurse's job? (Seems like it would have been a good time to clue us in on who that is exactly. She could have said Haleh, Lydia, whoever's "working on it".)

-- joy (joygirl01@yahoo.com), March 27, 2000

Answers

Isn't Carol the charge nurse? She used to be, before the clinic opened.

-- Sarah (swilli@twcny.rr.com), March 27, 2000.

Even though Carol had to surrender the nurse manager position Can't she still be the charge nurse? Isn't that separate from management?

-- Linda (l.brown@mindspring.com), March 27, 2000.

Don't know, that's why I asked:)

-- joy (joygirl01@yahoo.com), March 28, 2000.

I don't have an answer for you but here are a few comments. I thought the "charge nurse" and the "nurse manager" were one in the same thing and I thought Carol had to give that position up in order to keep the clinic open after "the Storm II". So heres my point: Remember during the season premiere where Carol has that near miss at the coffee shop? Well the rude kid (from the El & coffee shop) is brought in complaining and he demands to speak to the "manager". He recognizes Carol in the trauma room to his horror, and asks "Do you work here??" Mark responds, "She's the manager."

Was Carol's demotion just a temporary thing or is this a gaping plot hole? Did I miss something?

-- Sam (trelles@ix.netcom.com), March 29, 2000.

I believe, after re-reading the Storm II summary, that Carol was removed from the clinic. She subsequently convinced Lynette to stay on and run it (with Carol's assistance). There is no mention of Carol being demoted as Nurse Manager.

If you go further back... in Season 1 she was the Charge Nurse for the ER. A couple of seasons later, Carol was complaining about Nurse's shifts, having to do w/a situation that nurses from other departments were covering in the ER and were not prepared for the pace of the ER She was then promoted to Nurse Manager -- which meant she was going to serve on policy committees and have more input on which nurses work in the ER.

-- judie (jasbel95@aol.com), March 30, 2000.

Yeah but Carol also said something about being "back to my blue-collar roots punching the clock" which I took (and I thought everyone else did too) to mean she was no longer a member of management. She also, in a what I though was a separate consideration, had to agree to quit as head of the clinic in order for it to be kept open.

Is anyone reading this part of the medical profession? Are "charge nurse" and "Nurse manager" the same thing?

-- joy (joygirl01@yahoo.com), March 30, 2000.

IMO, Carol was still the manager sixth season, though I don't know for sure how she could handle that now with twins. She did say that she was "back to her blue collar roots punching the time clock" to Doug, though I never really understood that either. I thought professionals, like doctors AND nurses, got a salary, not a punch card. Anyways, she never talked about being demoted from manager, just from running the clinic, which she was probably getting paid extra for, since she managed to get all that $ from Gamma Carter. I really don't know about that though.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), March 30, 2000.

nurses are hourly just like the other employees, cept management, which carol is, so why the time card? LOL, it is so confusing!! anyhow, what i think she meant about being back to punching in, is that when she ran the clinic, it was her baby. she made the rules, she was the boss, she made policy there. when she works at the ER, she may be the nurse manager, but she still has to follow policy and procedure of the hospital, she cannot make the rules there. hope this helps!

-- Alexis (lexicat1@webtv.net), March 31, 2000.

I don't believe she was paid for the clinic, beacause when Ansbaugh let her hire a salaried RN and Doug(?) asked her if she was going to hire herself, she said, "No, I'm the only volunteer I don't mind asking." Sorry if I'm beating this to death, but I really want to know!

-- joy (joygirl01@yahoo.com), March 31, 2000.