What kind of patient would you make????!!!

allnurses Guide · Feb 9, 2005

I was probably considered a "good patient" because I was unconscious most of the time from the IV phenergan and Morphine. As soon as I woke up all the way I went HOME. Dang those PEs, they hurt!

Although not as much as trvlnRN's.........hope you're better soon.

Alicia18 · Feb 9, 2005

I've never been a patient, but if I ever am, I'm sure I'll be terrible. :devil: I hate being fussed over (and if I had family visiting, that would certainly happen), although I don't know I'd be rude unless my pain was really intense, or unless they doing things to me like they were to trvlnRN. I'd be the nurses' terror come pill-time, because I have this "thing" about pills. Sometimes I can swallow them, other times my gag reflex just won't let me. :no: Guess I have a deeply ingrained fear of choking! (and it got really bad, let me tell you, after I learned the heimilech! :chuckle )

So yeah, I think the medical staff would very soon hate me.

DDRN4me · Feb 9, 2005

:uhoh3: :uhoh21: wow, trv..you don't do anything easy,do you????????

i have been a patient a few times. actually dont act in my own interest because i dont want to bother anyone (vomited for 8 hrs post anesthesia ; didnt know i had a compazine order so i didnt ask! :crying2:

when my dd is a pt (8 x in 9 yrs) i try to be the "mom" but usually have to do 80 % of her care..they know us now so not a huge deal,and, truthfully some of the nurses are not the most competent so we dont trust them(left narcotics on a bedside table while she was in the BR, didnt tell us, then charted that she gave them!:angryfire ) Needless to say, i was a little unhappy and had a chat with the NM who basically looked at me like i should have known they were there!!!!!

proudmommielpn · Feb 9, 2005

I was a patient last week in our local ER, lucky they didn't just go ahead and put me in due to dehydration but it helps when you know the doc! I had the stomach virus that started last Tuesday and finally Thursday after I hadn't kept anything in my hubby told me I HAD to go to ER. I was there a whole maybe 15 minutes and I had this "friend", that was doing his clinicals to be a paramedic that stated he was going to start an IV in me for the doc. I said ok, have you done this alot before? He said yeah, plenty so stupid me trusted him. I asked him what gauge he was using, he said I got a 20g I said let's go with a 24g and he said the doc needed a bigger line. So I gave in. He rared back and stuck my right hand and went to the bone! I showed him EXACTLY where to stick, just trying to help :chuckle and I told him Get that thing out of me Calvin! He did then I bled everywhere! It took about 5 minutes of direct pressure and tons of 4x4's to get it stopped! Then along came my other friend that was his sponsor and I told her to get to it and get my IV started or I would. She laughed then she used a 22g on my left hand and surprise surprise surprise first time she got it. HMMMM these people doing their clinicals could kill a person. I really thought that I would need a transfusion when Calvin got done with me!:angryfire They gave me two bags of fluids, Phenergan, Nubain, and Prevacid and then doc came back in and asked how I was feeling and I told him a lot better just still weak and he said that since I was a nurse and I knew what I needed to do now that he would let me go home or I could stay if I liked, needless to say I left because the thought of Calvin coming back around kinda scared me! :eek:

Just my two cents worth!

z's playa · Feb 9, 2005

*in best spooky voice.....

Beware of the Calvin............ :chuckle

akcarmean, LPN · Feb 9, 2005

I would be good for the most part but I want to know what is given to me and what is being done. I go to the ER a lot for my migraines. Theyknow me by name. I have had migraines since I was 14 and I am now 33. I know what Rx's I am taken, what I have at home and what Ihave taken and has not worked. I am usually insist on Demerol b/c by this time when I do go to the ER I have had my migraine for several days. Have taken my Imetrx, Torodol, Iburprofen, Vicodin, if I have taken those over seveal days and it doesnt work then I know what i need. But I am usually pretty cooperative.

Angie

Mommy2Katiebaby · Feb 9, 2005

I'm an easy patient myself, but a terrible parent - when my DD was in NICU for four months I suspectthey were very happy to see us all go... we questioned everything, read too much, and generally drove them crazy.

SophieMae · Feb 9, 2005

I have been a pt many times, the last time was horrible but I was good, except it was difficult to tell the nurses that I did not want to walk up and down the hall feeling half naked. When I took my first walk after surgery it seemed every man in town was in the halls! Hospitals really need to make an area for pts to walk.....this way we are all dressed or undressed the same way.

Even though I was good, except under the influence of morphine, cant really remember too much of that part, I was however a thorn in one RN's bonnet because she did not follow doctors orders.

I was in for a bowel obstruction that I had let persist untreated for 7 days. I dont know how I lived but anyway the NG tube of course was shut off to give me meds but was never turned back on for at least 12 hours. In the middle of the night I got up to get sick, I made it to the bathroom but I let loose all over the floor. The next day the nurses told me that in the combined medical careers of over 40 years they had never seen so much come out of one person. Anyway, when it came time for the NG tube and foley to come out, she didnt do it. The doctor was furious (I felt bad for her, even though I suffered because of her) he left the room and immediately the over head sounded and she was called to the station by the doctor. I never saw her again.

I threw up at 1 am, my bathroom floor was not cleaned until after 5 the next day. So even though I was good, I still caused grief for someone.

A couple of things I do remember, while under the influence of morphine(what a drug, never want that again) when the phone rang, I found myself saying....hello,hello.....to the tv remote control! And there was this little man that kept opening the door to my room and saying......"I just wanted to check the oxygen in the room." Well, it took me three days to realize this man was not insane........but that he meant......the oxygen I was on, it took me that long to notice.

RedSox33RN · Feb 9, 2005

I'm a terrible patient. I'm only in nursing school right now, and the nurses knew it, and I've only had one semester of clinicals. I would hate to have a pt. like myself.

I d/c myself after 3 days (a GI virus, which made my diabetes hard to control) because the nurse kept giving me fentanyl for the pain, even after I told her it gave me a migraine, which I then couldn't take anything for. I know she was busy and hadn't had a chance to call my doc, so I just said call my doc, I'm leaving. Well, less than a day later I was back in for another 2 days. I learned my lesson, and yes, even apologized to the RN, who laughed and said they were taking bets on how long I'd be gone for! She was sweet. I was sorry I caused so much trouble!

pediatriclpn · Feb 10, 2005

I am headed toward patient on March 1, for major back surgery. I'm thinking that instead of bringing a book, I will just read my chart when I am awake and coherent :chuckle I have been patient many times before in my life, pregancies, kidney stones. When I had my gallbladder out, was in room at end of hall, as far away as possible from the nursing station. Middle of night, lots of IV fluids, esp the ones in my hand that had infiltrated and the nurse didn't notice (was before I was a nurse, but I knew), siderails up, and guess what, I had to use the bathroom. Ring call bell, no sound. No one coming down the hall. What to do? HMMMMMMMMM. Thankfully, they had the beds with the phone in the siderail, called the front desk (0 for operator), was a friend from high school, asked her to please call nursing station, and let them know I needed out!!!!!!!! Hung up, heard phone ring, then laughter, some talking, then LOTS of laughter. My nurse was still laughing when she got to my room. Hoping that phone is till in the siderail this time around!!!!!!!!!!

lapappey · Feb 10, 2005

When I was a patient--from intake to discharge, with people I know, mind you--I was terrible as far as giving in and letting people take care of me. I hooked myself up to the monitors in the OR ("my" OR), d/c'd my own IV, was ambulating waaaaay before I was supposed to, and then told the doc (who, of course, I'd worked with before) "I'm leaving, I can take care of myself" ... and so bought myself a miserable couple of days at home. Oh, and I was back to work way to soon also. :uhoh3:

Also couldn't help continuously assessing my roommate ... HIPPA issues, anyone?

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Feb 10, 2005

I just got home from the hospital after a 3-day stay for chest pain, and I think I was pretty decent as a patient.......but the whole experience was surreal. I am SO not used to being a patient!!

Everybody said I was very good; after the first day, when I had to have help to get to the bathroom because I was so unsteady on my feet, I never called for anything. But then, I never had to, because the entire hospital staff was in my room at one time or another asking if I needed anything, bringing me all sorts of creature comforts........they spoiled me rotten. :chuckle

I did read my own chart and charted my I&O, but otherwise I did my best not to be a PITA. :)