Article re: tx of Nurse in Glamour mag

[catinthebox]

Hi, I am new here, but I wanted to post this because this really bothered me. I subscribe to GLAMOUR magazine and usually enjoy it. Recently they published short articles under a title "How I Got My Way" The writer of one (Emily Yoffe, also wrote What The Dog Did) wrote about how she "got here way in a health crisis".

I won't write out the entire article (it's on pg. 215 of Feb. issue), but in a nutshell, I was offended and appalled how Ms. Yoffe treated of the Nurse taking care of her sister. Basically, her sister was sick and was in a hospital and *gasp* had to share a room. Her sister didn't like this because the roommate was confused.

Ms. Yoffe states in the article that she was went to the head Nurse about having a room change and the head Nurse said no. Ms. Yoffe then said she (took a breath, looked at her calmly and said, "I'll be back in one hour. When I get here, my sister will be in that room. (and pointed to an empty room that the nurse 'refused' to let her sister have earlier in the week) Then Ms Yoffe said, "Thank you for taking care of this" When she returned, her sister was moved.*for some reason, I highly suspect Ms. Yoffe wasn't as "calm" as she claims to have been*

I guess I found this article offensive because in this day and age, a private room is NOT an entitlement. Most have to share a room and if you do want a private one, insurance will not cover for that (she doesn't mention if they paid more). What Ms. Yoffe also fails to understand is that many rooms are vacant for various reasons, like being available for a true emergency or even worse just lack of staff to care for and cover yet another room. When the Nurse said NO to her the first time, she should have asked why? I felt like Ms. Yoffe was talking down to the nurse like some servant. I also feel this gives readers the impression that they can get whatever they want while in the hospital just by spewing off a few words and walking away and expecting everything to be 'nice-nice'. I would have thought that Ms. Yoffe would have been more concerned about the actual care her sister was receiving rather than whether she had a private room or not :angryfire I am writing to GLAMOUR magazine, because personally, I don't think Ms. Yoffe's behavior is worthy of half a page in a national/worldwide publication.

If you want to contact and write a letter to the editor, write to: http://www.glamour.com

[NurseFirst]

I always wonder about private rooms. It reminds me of companies I've worked at which had single and double offices. I always liked the double offices, myself (not cubicles!). Working by myself was too lonely!

When I was in the hospital, I was happy I wasn't in a single room. At least there was someone to talk to (if they ever had had anyone who stayed long enough! All night long they kept changing the patients. But that was okay by me.). Besides, sometimes it's easier to catch a nurse if she comes in the room for the other pt..."Oh nurse, could you...?" Actually, my nurses were outstanding. I swear they must have been in a contest with some other floor to see who could answer call lights the fastest.

Granted, not all roommates are great, and opinions may vary. But, in general, I'd rather have a roommate than not. Distracting from my own stuff.

NurseFirst

[SmilingBluEyes]

I don't see how having double rooms is not in and of itself a HIPAA violation!

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

I don't see how having double rooms is not in and of itself a HIPAA violation!

Not to mention infection control issues.

I preferred having a private room when I was hospitalized. No bathroom conflicts or worries about bugs.

[lapappey]

When I was in the hospital, I can't say I enjoyed having a roommate. However, working in PACU, and dealing with "bed situations" on a qd basis lets me see the other side of the issue ...

"So they offered to move that a female alone in a double room upstairs in with another female, and make that a male room for the tib-fib in slot 10, then it has to be terminally cleaned, but our pt has MRSA, so will we have to get them close the room, or can we cohort him with the appey in slot 5? But doesn't he have VRE, too? No? OK. But he's a gen-surg patient, but he's not very sick, maybe she can go to the ortho floor, but you'd have to get the resident to sign off on it, and the attending is Dr. sfsdfsdf, who doesn't like that floor, so ..."

It's enough to make your head spin. Bottom line is, space is at a premium. I tell my patients, many (most?) of whom request a private room that the hospital does have them, but they are generally taken up by patients with who need it for medical reasons, for the protection of other patients, and if they want/need a private room for another reason, they pay out-of-pocket to go to the VIP floor (which is not, in my humble opinion :chuckle , the most excellent unit in terms of nsg care ...)

Well, maybe the last part I don't say ...

[medsurgnurse, RN]

When I was in the hospital, I can't say I enjoyed having a roommate. However, working in PACU, and dealing with "bed situations" on a qd basis lets me see the other side of the issue ...

"So they offered to move that a female alone in a double room upstairs in with another female, and make that a male room for the tib-fib in slot 10, then it has to be terminally cleaned, but our pt has MRSA, so will we have to get them close the room, or can we cohort him with the appey in slot 5? But doesn't he have VRE, too? No? OK. But he's a gen-surg patient, but he's not very sick, maybe she can go to the ortho floor, but you'd have to get the resident to sign off on it, and the attending is Dr. sfsdfsdf, who doesn't like that floor, so ..."

It's enough to make your head spin. Bottom line is, space is at a premium. I tell my patients, many (most?) of whom request a private room that the hospital does have them, but they are generally taken up by patients with who need it for medical reasons, for the protection of other patients, and if they want/need a private room for another reason, they pay out-of-pocket to go to the VIP floor (which is not, in my humble opinion :chuckle , the most excellent unit in terms of nsg care ...)

Well, maybe the last part I don't say ...

Thank you! Thank You!

I was so glad to hear someone acknowledge how hard it is, to "move a patient." I have been chrage nurse on a floor where we 'turned over' 10-15 beds a day. Many times families want a private room, or the other patient moved out so it will be more convient for them to visit or can stay the night. On an occasion when I moved a patient a private room, the family showed a complained but it wasn't as big as the room he had last admission. Can't win.

[talaxandra]

We don't have private rooms, we have single rooms. Sometimes just correcting that misperception is enough. Plus I work in a public hospital, so even if your insurance covers a private room you'll only get one if your condition warrants it or we happen to have one free - but on the proviso that we'll have to move you if a sicker patient comes in.

[NewEastCoastRN]

What I really love about situations like this is that they always assume that this is a "nursing" issue. Like it is always our choice who goes where and why. Like other posters have said, we often have to hold the private rooms for isolation patients, especially this time of year with the flu. Patients and families also tend to think that the food at the hospital is a "nursing" issue. We recently had a family member want to talk to the DON for the hospital because her relative didn't get the tray she wanted! What, do these people think that we are down in the kitchen putting the trays together in our free time? These misconceptions sure can make our lives difficult.

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

What I really love about situations like this is that they always assume that this is a "nursing" issue. Like it is always our choice who goes where and why. Like other posters have said, we often have to hold the private rooms for isolation patients, especially this time of year with the flu. Patients and families also tend to think that the food at the hospital is a "nursing" issue. We recently had a family member want to talk to the DON for the hospital because her relative didn't get the tray she wanted! What, do these people think that we are down in the kitchen putting the trays together in our free time? These misconceptions sure can make our lives difficult.

Hear you there!!!!!!!

I wrote a letter just because I was thinking of the issue (but didn't send till I have all the facts), and really brought up the point that hospitals are NOT hotels, and that nurses are not the cooks, housekeepers, maintanance staff, Doctor, and Concierge! We are MEDICAL professionals, and do what we can through many hoops to try to make our patients stay as pleasant as possible. But via laws, lawsuits, money, protocols, general health issues, risk control/managment, and the like...we have to take 15 steps for every one step for simple comfort! And treating a nurse disrespectfully is NEVER a way to treat a professional let alone another human being! Oh yeah and a little bit about that being a foundational probelm to the 'nursing shortage' the media talks about!

It was actually a great letter (too bad I deleted it..LOL!), I should have kept it to write a book about 101 reasons I won't work hospitals anymore..LOL!!!!

[JVanRN]

What I really love about situations like this is that they always assume that this is a "nursing" issue. Like it is always our choice who goes where and why. Like other posters have said, we often have to hold the private rooms for isolation patients, especially this time of year with the flu. Patients and families also tend to think that the food at the hospital is a "nursing" issue. We recently had a family member want to talk to the DON for the hospital because her relative didn't get the tray she wanted! What, do these people think that we are down in the kitchen putting the trays together in our free time? These misconceptions sure can make our lives difficult.

Exactly...that's what I didn't like about the article. It made it seem as though the nurse simply didn't feel like giving her the room and only after Ms. Yoffe "set her straight" did the nurse comply. I hope she explained the reasoning behind it. (the nurse). I've been in situations like this as well and I would try to explain the situation to the patient and let them know if I was able I would do my best to accomidate that request but it may not be possible. And I really do my best to make my patients comfortable. Anyway...I guess that 's just what rubbed me the wrong way with that part of the article. It kind of equated the nurse and that situation with that of a rude/lazy sales clerk that just didn't feel like doing something , when that may not have been the case at all.

But also in the article, when the sister was having a stroke...the EMT's basically treated her like she was a drug user and that is frustrating I'm sure...so she was probably upset about the situation.