Fess up! How are you as a patient!

[Love-A-Nurse]

Hello everyone!

I was reading through some postings and was thinking, how are we as a patient and how would you rate you as a patient, "Excellent", "Good", "Fair", or "Poor".

Although I am not obnoxious and rude, but I do what to know the whens, whys, how longs, are you sure, type of information.

I have encounter rude or not so friendly staff members, which of course, includes nurses. What gets me most is when I am told by the nurse, " I will be right back!" and the patient "right back" is different form the nurses "right back", therefore, it would help ease a patient or to get them from "causing" an "up-roar", to give an estimate time or at least send someone in to tell the patient so and so has not forgotten them.

Other than this, I rate myself as a "Good/Fair" patient.

Come on now, how are you as a patient?

StephanysGetaway

[Love-A-Nurse]

Thanks for replying! It was great getting to know you in a different "light".

I must add during my hospital stay (out-patient) for surgey last month, I had the most wonderful, caring nurses, CRNA and receptionist and doctor. I shall never forget them! The Recovery room nurse was so caring, it was enough to make you cry and my pre-op nurse came to see me during my post-op phase. She made my day to check on me, becasuse I was lonely and afraid.

But, God was there all the time!

[sandstormsdust]

I am a horribly terrible patient.

I never ask for anything, am to ashamed to admit I need help and refuse to hinder the nurses even if I am withered up in a ball turning green... and when they finely stick a needle in my bottom - I'm always saying "thank you so much" "U didn't have to" "I wish I could make you job alittle easier" and as they go back and forth I'm lying/sitting there saying "I'm so sorry" "I know I'm a bother..." "U most be so busy"...

When I was a pt the last time... I would have gone totally with out meds except my sister came in every so often to say "Give her meds she's lying in a puddle of tears in there - she's in pain"...... Then when I had my baby - the doc told me that the sooner I got the epi in the sooner I could go to sleep... I refused until my ex told me the sooner they got it in there - the sooner the nurses would be able to go on with there other tasks....

I hate bothering you guys..... so much

[emrettig]

I am one of the finest patients in the world when I am in the hospital. I try to be accomadating...learned about the joy of PCA pumps with an ankle frx 3 1/2 years ago. This past year I was hospitalized for surgery twice and I only have one serious complaint. I needed a mag jump in addition to my regular IV. The night nurse put the pump with the Mag on one side of my bed, and the regular IV & pump on the other. Then she left me without a bedpan near by. I felt incredibly abandoned. I messed the bed (either the call button had fallen on the floor or they never answered). I wanted to cry and scream at the same time. I did mention it to the charge nurse the next morning.

The only other frightening experience was when I had the ORIF on the ankle frx. That first night as I was laying in a morphine fog I heard the fire drill code...then I heard someone say it wasn't a drill, and it was on the floor I was on...I was terrified because I could not picture how I would be evacuated since I was a fresh post op, non weightbearing and over 250 pounds. I did tell the morning crew about what I overheard (no I wasn't hallucinating) and the nurse who made the comment was fired. Thank God for that one.

I always try to be patient and friendly since I am in a bad class of pt. Not only am I a nurse but I am a doc's wife

Keep the Faith,

Eileen

[Norbert Holz]

Please take a look at my I Almost Died Really! thread.

I am a Nurse who is a patient too! I advocate for myself if needed. I understand what each one of the staff members is dealing with - I've worked that job, all of them!

If the nurse is a Fu** up and does not perform in an acceptable manner I make sure in no uncertian terms they know my expectation. I will speak to the charge or the manager if a problem persists.

If a nurse is doing a good job and performing as would or at least meeting the minimal expectations I know to be necessary I usually am very thankful and apprecieative.

So to answer the question I can be both a great patient and a Nurses worst nightmare. It is the Nurse who chooses !

[thisnurse]

i think im a great pt but i dont think my nurses would agree...lol

~she asks the results of all her tests

~she leaves the floor without telling us

~she is always getting her lines tangled

~she plays with the pumps (i didnt but got blamed)

~she has loud arguments with her boyfriend (he was such a jerk)

~she refuses to use the bedpan or bedside commode

[night owl]

Let's see, the last time I was in the hospital, I managed to help my room mate (82 y/o) who had surgery on her elbow and needed assistance with her meals. So to make myself feel better, I helped her open her sugar etc. It made mr feel not so helpless. And as a pt, I was pretty good...not too much of a pain in the a$$...only c/o pain 2x and left the staff alone...it was better that way.

[TracyB,RN, RN]

I am a superb patient :) I have done my own I&O, refilled my H2O, changed my own bed linen, etc, etc. I even offered to be a patient for the students & let them practice blood draws on me. I am a TERRIBLE stick, so if someone can get blood from me, they wil be able to get anybody.

[slinkeecat]

I am and was a very naughty patient......I am.

But I turn into a shrew when I am the wife, mother, or daughter, or sister of said patient...... If I feel that the care is not correct or adequate I can get very ahhhhhhhhhhh, ASSERTIVE!!!!

[jccarolina]

Really, I believe I can be a pain in the backside. But nicely. I am a, " give me straight answers, no BS - beat around the bush, I want info over load" kinda person! For me there is nothing worse than a provider that wont tell you something, or inform you totaly, because they think you just wouldn't understand. Info is knowlage-----how are suppose to understand or learn if your not given the chance to? And I can get pretty peeved if they keep stuff from me when it comes to me and my family's health. Good or bad, I want the best and worst, not "lets just see how it goes".