Last night I was working on a patient who had a bilateral total knee surgery. Poor thing was so knocked out from the operation and a flight from out of state (across the US infact) that she was sedate to the point of having to be watched very closely!
Well...I noticed some student nurses getting their info for the day and was all smiles and helpful to them. The instructor (who was one of mine back in the day) asked me for a challenge for one of her star students. I thought this lady would be a great canidate in the AM and suggested her.
So I leave the pts room to go get another pt their 2100 meds, and all the sudden I see a white coat leaning over my pt. I don't know this person at all...so just when I was going to ask...she turned. It was the student nurse giving my sedated patient jello and water!!!!!
I asked what she was doing...and was very casual about it..."hi ya..whatcha doing?". She looked at me like I was Satan himself...I am NOT kidding..and said "YOUR patient was thristy...so I thought maybe she needed some fluids and some food!".
OH NO SHE DIDN"T! She didn't just talk to me that way!!!!!! It was very accusational like I didn't care about this patient who just recieved two blood transfusions and I was in that room almost all shift! She didnt' just tell me that I was not tending to my patient who can't swollow well so I voted NOT to give her fluids because of severe risk of aspiration (I was using swabs and tiny ice chips..but had to even cut out the ice chips!).
I calmly told her that she needed to introduce herself to the nurse in charge of a patient before going into a room...that I am totally responsible for that patient and now I am going to have make sure she didn't aspirate! And to please NEVER do anything for a patient unless you ask the nurse...there maybe something you do not know about the patient!
She just huffed off...
WOW! I love students, but this one was really in a bad mood! I didn't get upset till later on, I was still Mrs Calm and Cool! But wow...when I was in clincials we were not allowed to touch the pt unless you were under the guidance of the RN and your instructor was on floor (and hers wasnt' at that time). And if you wanted to introduce yourself that evening...you introduced yourself to the nurse tending the patient then and there first and let them know what you were doing!
Please...let the RN's know you are going in there in this case, and don't do anything without the RN's approval please! This patient was so sedate that that jello and water could have seriously hurt her...doesn't sound to serious to someone new, but heck...as we all know...what seems simple can have 10 ramifications in medicine...
Thanks for listening...I have never run into a student that has ever acted like this! Most have been wonderful, helpful, respectful, and great to have around!
