Professional Courtesy

[nursetim]

My beloved is having surgery tomorrow in a hospital I worked in before I was a nurse and has the nursing school I went to as well. During the anesthesia interview the RN seemed to doubt if I would be allowed into the pacu to see her. What do you think? Should they extend so professional courtesy to an amiable fellow RN? Why or why not? Thanks for your input.

[TazziRN, RN]

Whether or not they let you in will depend on the policy and the crew working.

Side note: when my mom was in pacu after a procedure at UCSF several years ago, they finally let my dad and me in. We were able to see she was okay, then we went to get something to eat. When we came back we were told that she had vomited blood. There were two nurses at her side when we got back. They knew I am a nurse and they deserted me. Literally. My mom was puking blood and my dad was completely useless, understandably. I was left alone to hold my mom up, hold her basin, and handle the suction at the same time. I was livid. When she was discharged home and things had settled down, I called and lodged a complaint. I don't know what the outcome was, but I made it clear that while I did not mind at all helping out, I highly resented being left alone and ignored in spite of asking for help repeatedly. That was professional courtesy taken too far.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Should they extend so professional courtesy to an amiable fellow RN?

You're not her nurse, which is why your nursing status should have nothing to do with whether or not you're allowed back there. There shouldn't be exceptions to the rules for someone to be allowed back just because they share the same title as the PACU nurse.

I agree with what someone else already said, you should not be treated any different from anyone else.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

I'm not sure why this gentleman is getting such a hard time?

Probably because he mentioned that with him being an RN, that might get him back in PACU sooner than if he wasn't a nurse.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

And professional courtesy would also mean (to me) letting the PACU nurses do what they need to do, and let them make the call of when it's best (if it's best) for someone (RN or not) to come back in.

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

No, unless you are a family member or the pt. has signed that you can receive information regarding their medical care I don't care if you are the pope-HIPPA is real....

[HelenofOz]

I am sorry if I was perceived as giving this gentleman a hard time, that was not my intention, rather I was giving some of my reasons for preferring not to have visitors in the recovery room.

As to putting items of religious or personal significance back on a person after surgery, that is one of the things that help make our jobs more personal, and it is as important for me to do these things as is is to the patient. (Along with replacing dentures & hearing aids-though I draw the line at pierced jewellery ).

As I said, our focus is the patient, every patient in the room.

TazziRN-that was an awful thing to have happen to you. If you are there as family member you are not there to help out, and they should not have even considered letting you help.

Once gain, nurestim, best wishes for the morning, for both of you it seems.

[anne74]

We sometimes allow family members into the PACU - but for 5 minutes tops. Even then, the patients usually don't even remember being visited. I've seen many families confused and disappointed that their family members are so groggy or talking crazy. It's also a privacy issue for the other patients who are recovering - our PACU is a huge open room, like most I gather. Really you'll do more good visiting her when she's more awake. Professionally speaking, let the PACU nurses do their job. I'm sure they would put the Buddha on her if you request.

[leslie :-D]

gosh, i have never expected special treatment/favors as a professional courtesy.

pts require ongoing evaluation and mgmt, and it's only courteous to let the nurse do their job.

i certainly don't want any special favors from anyone, whether i'm a nurse or not.

leslie

[SharonH, RN]

I highly resented being left alone and ignored in spite of asking for help repeatedly. That was professional courtesy taken too far.

That wasn't professional courtesy, that was bad nursing. That's pretty outrageous.