Money Hungry Patients

[OliveVinesRN]

Hello, all, here I am again. I have yet another war story from a day in the life in the Battle of Nursing. This time, I actually have empathy for the physician ( I know, I can't believe I said that either)

For the last couple of days, I have had this awful patient. This man came to the ED in my hospital about 3 weeks ago due to a problem. He ended up being admitted and scheduled to have minor surgery. In the meanwhile, the doctors discovered multiple other things wrong with this man. And that's to be expected when you have never had insurance and never seen a doctor before. There is bound to be something that will be discovered the first time one is evaluated by a physician. Anyway, about 5 surgeries later, this man is on a war path.

First of all, and I put this nicely, this man has some major mental issues. This man is in his late 50s and his mother still spoon feeds him. He is very whiny and overly dramatic. And his family member overreact to every "ooh" and "aah" this man belts out. And he is blaming the doctors for all of his problems. The main reason for this is because he had to have a colectomy done due to major problems with his colon. Well, against doctors orders, the man gets up, unassisted, on the side of the bed and his staples busted. Gut busted open and he eviscerated all over the place.

Well, he ended up in ICU and is now back on the floor. And now he blames the physicians, every single one involved in his care, for all of his problems. And I have heard this man threaten to sue the doctors for 12 hours straight. And to make matters worse, his family member, who happens to be a nurse in this facility, is instigating it all. She is actually encouraging this man to sue, knowing darn well that his problems all stem from his stubborness and him insisting on doing what he wants to do.

Well, after listening to how bad the doctors were and how he was out to get them to make him "remember" what they had done to him, I actually am disgusted with this man. He acts as if the doctors did this to him and because they found all this stuff wrong with him, they did it to him. He refuses to acknowledge that until now, he has never seen a doctor and he had problems that have just been discovered. He even had the nerve to ask me my opinion. Of course, I refused to comment and left it at that.

My question to you all is this: Should I inform my supervisors of this man's intentions to sue the doctors and the involvement of the relative-employee's encouragement to do so? Should I inform the doctors of this man's intentions? I know I've charted all the things the family has said and done (I catch them messing with the IV lines), and the patient told me himself that when he got up unassisted against doctor's orders, his incision ruptured afterwards. What is my role in all of this since he has told me so much about it all?

And lastly, I will say, I am totally disgusted at this man and his family. I can't believe that after all these doctors did to try to help this man get better, they would blame them. It infuriates me because although doctors are jerks at times, and they don't respect us at times, they still mostly are in the healthcare profession due to some degree of altruism, no matter how small a degree it may be. And it is a shame that this day in time, some patients (especially backwoods, dumb, inbred people like this patient and his family) are out to make a quick buck off of the good intentions of healthcare professionals. This is a private hospital at which I work and they doctors could have just referred this man to the VA since he is a veteran without insurance (and I don't condone that either, but you know they do that sometimes) Yet, this doctor, who is an excellent surgeon, took on this case without a second thought about ever being reimbursed or anything. This patient even said that he was glad he was in the hospital because he could get free medicine which he couldn't get at home. He and his family are out to make a quick buck and they should be ashamed.

Whew!!!! That was my soapbox, now I'm done. But what do you all think I should do? Thanks in advance.

[nurse4theplanet, RN]

Not necessarily. People sue for the most stupid things and win. Micky D's and hot coffee ring any bells? What about the guy who was breaking into a building by climbing up on the roof so he could shimmy down a vent just to have the roof cave in. He sued the owner of the building for an unsafe roof.

NEVER EVER allow yourself to believe that just because someone is wrong and looking for free money that they won't still win in court. Happens all the time.

But there is no documentation involved with these cases which is how it differs from a medical case. At any rate, proper documentation is the most appropriate solution. Making too much of a fuss over it now may just fuel the family's hostilities.

[Bipley]

But there is no documentation involved with these cases which is how it differs from a medical case. At any rate, proper documentation is the most appropriate solution. Making too much of a fuss over it now may just fuel the family's hostilities.

I disagree. People make a living off of suing hospitals and medical providers. I know one, she's a retired nurse.

[runningfool]

Not necessarily. People sue for the most stupid things and win. Micky D's and hot coffee ring any bells? What about the guy who was breaking into a building by climbing up on the roof so he could shimmy down a vent just to have the roof cave in. He sued the owner of the building for an unsafe roof.

NEVER EVER allow yourself to believe that just because someone is wrong and looking for free money that they won't still win in court. Happens all the time.

Actually, The McDonalds case isn't as frivolous as the media and general public make it out to be. I said the same thing you did before we discussed this case in my trial and litagation class. McDonalds had a policy to heat their coffee to a scalding temperature. In fact, OSHA warned them twice to turn down the heat and they refused. The woman who spilled coffee on herself needed skin grafts. That's quite a burn. She won one or two days worth of coffee receipts from the corporation as her settlement.

Just thought I'd clear that up.

[Bipley]

Actually, The McDonalds case isn't as frivolous as the media and general public make it out to be. I said the same thing you did before we discussed this case in my trial and litagation class. McDonalds had a policy to heat their coffee to a scalding temperature. In fact, OSHA warned them twice to turn down the heat and they refused. The woman who spilled coffee on herself needed skin grafts. That's quite a burn. She won one or two days worth of coffee receipts from the corporation as her settlement.

Just thought I'd clear that up.

Yes, I am aware of the above. But how hot should your coffee be before it is wise to put it between your legs? That just isn't where coffee goes.