I'm very curious. I'm sure we've all been there. We've dealt with doctors from all spectrum and mindsets. Most are very good at their jobs and have sound ideas!
But sometimes docs just say and do the craziest things
My example: at my last LTC facility I had one doctor seriously outright refuse/fight giving and prescribing pain meds (for patients who really, really needed it/were on vents/dying) because he honestly believed that these residents who had been stuck in a bed for years were going to get better and go out to buy/smoke crack cocaine.
According to him "prescribing narcotics leads to methadone and crack usage." These poor residents have been here for years taking the same medications and pain meds for years...just WHAT?
@ixchel and ActualNurse...I'm sorry to hear about your family members. My grandma had it, and I remember feeling so heartbroken when my dad told me, although I knew. It's so hard to have your loved one taken while they're still alive.
@ixchel and ActualNurse...I'm sorry to hear about your family members. My grandma had it, and I remember feeling so heartbroken when my dad told me, although I knew. It's so hard to have your loved one taken while they're still alive.
Thank you for that. For the "although I knew", due to issues with my aunt, my grandfather didn't talk about it with anyone at first. Then I went over for a dinner with them. It was so blindingly obvious. After I'd been there for awhile I went to the bathroom and memantine was next to the sink. So I asked point blank. I've tried to make sure he knows that neuro is a huge part my floor, and I'd love to help him however I can. He hasn't taken me up on it.
I'm very curious. I'm sure we've all been there. We've dealt with doctors from all spectrum and mindsets. Most are very good at their jobs and have sound ideas!
But sometimes docs just say and do the craziest things
My example: at my last LTC facility I had one doctor seriously outright refuse/fight giving and prescribing pain meds (for patients who really, really needed it/were on vents/dying) because he honestly believed that these residents who had been stuck in a bed for years were going to get better and go out to buy/smoke crack cocaine.
According to him "prescribing narcotics leads to methadone and crack usage." These poor residents have been here for years taking the same medications and pain meds for years...just WHAT?
Thank you for that. For the "although I knew", due to issues with my aunt, my grandfather didn't talk about it with anyone at first. Then I went over for a dinner with them. It was so blindingly obvious. After I'd been there for awhile I went to the bathroom and memantine was next to the sink. So I asked point blank. I've tried to make sure he knows that neuro is a huge part my floor, and I'd love to help him however I can. He hasn't taken me up on it.
Unfortunately some people & their families are hugely into denial when it comes to dementia. I have a good friend who is in that situation. Very sad. Hard to help someone when they are in denial.
I relayed to my PCP that I had a positive TST test and negative CXR in nursing school and asked if I should start treatment. The only reason I didn't start in school was because I would not be there long enough to finish the course of anti-TB drugs. Since I was healthy they told me to follow up with a doctor wherever I landed. I told my PCP all of this and he said he wanted a Quantiferon-Gold before treatment was started. I agreed and said that I would like to have one done anyways, it had just not been an option at my occupational health. He left and they started getting the labs together. He poked his head back in and said, "Hmmm. Well. If these results come back negative would you like to start treatment anyway?" ------- Ummmm, no? I would not like to treat my NOT TB? My TB that I WOULD NOT HAVE? He nodded and left.
I relayed to my PCP that I had a positive TST test and negative CXR in nursing school and asked if I should start treatment. The only reason I didn't start in school was because I would not be there long enough to finish the course of anti-TB drugs. Since I was healthy they told me to follow up with a doctor wherever I landed. I told my PCP all of this and he said he wanted a Quantiferon-Gold before treatment was started. I agreed and said that I would like to have one done anyways, it had just not been an option at my occupational health. He left and they started getting the labs together. He poked his head back in and said, "Hmmm. Well. If these results come back negative would you like to start treatment anyway?" ------- Ummmm, no? I would not like to treat my NOT TB? My TB that I WOULD NOT HAVE? He nodded and left.
No kidding, especially considering the harshness of TB drugs. Where do they get these people from? I have an elder friend who went to get her flu vaccine. She is 83 on chemo. The doctor gave the intranasal virus vaccine which is approved only for non-immunocompromised patients under 60. I have decided not to get flu vaccines after this. I have always been very pro-vaccination but when I heard this, I thought it is just too unsafe out there with these incompetent practitioners giving meds. When I had mine, I had to ask the pharmacist to give me documentation and he did not give me a printout of potential side effects. These things are provided if you go to a clinic where nurses are administering the vaccines. So much for pharmacists doing patient teaching. I had a dear friend who was so anti- flu vaccine. She used to say they just want you to stick out your arm. Now I agree with her. They don't care to provide information to patients. Also, where I live, the regional health authority advises flu vaccines for health care providers under age 65. They are saying that people between ages 18-64 can transmit the flu to their patients, so I guess that means that once you turn 65 you can no longer transmit the virus to others. It is just such a dog's breakfast of incompetence and misinformation, I want no part of it in the future.
I relayed to my PCP that I had a positive TST test and negative CXR in nursing school and asked if I should start treatment. The only reason I didn't start in school was because I would not be there long enough to finish the course of anti-TB drugs. Since I was healthy they told me to follow up with a doctor wherever I landed. I told my PCP all of this and he said he wanted a Quantiferon-Gold before treatment was started. I agreed and said that I would like to have one done anyways, it had just not been an option at my occupational health. He left and they started getting the labs together. He poked his head back in and said, "Hmmm. Well. If these results come back negative would you like to start treatment anyway?" ------- Ummmm, no? I would not like to treat my NOT TB? My TB that I WOULD NOT HAVE? He nodded and left.
Ohhhhhhhh!!!!!!! You reminded me of another story!
Third pregnancy, carrying twins, I had contractions begin late second trimester. I went in for an appointment and had a provider I hadn't met yet. The MA did my initial stuff (weight, vitals, the norm).
She then asked if I had any concerns. My first two pregnancies, I also started a regular and predictable contraction pattern that started in the second trimester. But this one was twins, and I didn't want to take chances. I told her I'd been having regular contractions, and mentioned that I was hoping I could get a FFN and a cervix check. She walks out after saying she would let the MD know.
A few minutes later, this cross young man comes in, and starts berating me. He finishes his little (you're just a patient and that makes you stupid) tantrum with, "is there anything else you expect me to do?"
I say no, which he responds to with, "what exactly do you think is going to happen if I run this test?" He goes on into detail, essentially saying I'm going to cause a giant headache for everyone. (I guess he didn't want the extra work a positive would make.) I basically said to him, "Look, these babies aren't mine and a lot of effort went in to making them. If I get an FFN result that is negative, it will take a huge amount of fear out of me. And if it's positive, I'll know I need to be more gentle on my body for these remaining weeks."
His whole entire demeanor changed. Suddenly he was talking to me like I wasn't the most annoying person on the planet. He was even agreeable. I have absolutely no idea why he was such a jerk to me. Maybe the MA told him I was demanding tests. (Really, if you think I'm an agreeable person online, I'm more so in person.) Maybe I said some combination of words that makes OBs' eyes roll (like when a patient tells us they are allergic to epi because it makes their heart race).
What I do know is if I'd gone into a fast and active labor in the oncoming days (which is possible - my previous birth was 2 to 10 in only a couple of hours), I (and the parents) would have been very upset if we missed the opportunity to do steroids.
(Oh! And! The good news was carrying them until 39w6d, 7 lbs each, trapped in my skinny 5'2" body. Holy crap the end sucked. The test was negative, cervix closed. He gave me the peace of mind I needed.)
Ohhhhhhhh!!!!!!! You reminded me of another story!
Third pregnancy, carrying twins, I had contractions begin late second trimester. I went in for an appointment and had a provider I hadn't met yet. The MA did my initial stuff (weight, vitals, the norm).
She then asked if I had any concerns. My first two pregnancies, I also started a regular and predictable contraction pattern that started in the second trimester. But this one was twins, and I didn't want to take chances. I told her I'd been having regular contractions, and mentioned that I was hoping I could get a FFN and a cervix check. She walks out after saying she would let the MD know.
A few minutes later, this cross young man comes in, and starts berating me. He finishes his little (you're just a patient and that makes you stupid) tantrum with, "is there anything else you expect me to do?"
I say no, which he responds to with, "what exactly do you think is going to happen if I run this test?" He goes on into detail, essentially saying I'm going to cause a giant headache for everyone. (I guess he didn't want the extra work a positive would make.) I basically said to him, "Look, these babies aren't mine and a lot of effort went in to making them. If I get an FFN result that is negative, it will take a huge amount of fear out of me. And if it's positive, I'll know I need to be more gentle on my body for these remaining weeks."
His whole entire demeanor changed. Suddenly he was talking to me like I wasn't the most annoying person on the planet. He was even agreeable. I have absolutely no idea why he was such a jerk to me. Maybe the MA told him I was demanding tests. (Really, if you think I'm an agreeable person online, I'm more so in person.) Maybe I said some combination of words that makes OBs' eyes roll (like when a patient tells us they are allergic to epi because it makes their heart race).
What I do know is if I'd gone into a fast and active labor in the oncoming days (which is possible - my previous birth was 2 to 10 in only a couple of hours), I (and the parents) would have been very upset if we missed the opportunity to do steroids.
The part about the epi allergy reminds me of someone I know who claims to have all these allergies which are really side effects to meds. She had a rash from Morphine, hallucinations from Dilaudid, and her father was allergic to Penicillin so she must be too. When asked about the latter, she said she had a rash many years ago but had no difficulty taking it subsequently to that but "I must have an allergy from my Dad." Yeah, I guess when docs get patients like her it must be frustrating.
Specializes in Rural, Midwifery, CCU, Ortho, Telemedicin.
Yeah, I guess when docs get patients like her it must be frustrating.
Nope - its a teaching opportunity. Guess I'm just a "patient is a human being" person. And yes I have run into the yucky bucks out there - including the doctor who told his patients that their saliva was bad for them and they all went around town spitting into cups. The same doctor informed his patient that the pain in her ovary was due to the baby(near term) sticking its hand out thru her tubes and squeezing the ovary. (In some cases you have to educate around the 'source document.'
Nope - its a teaching opportunity. Guess I'm just a "patient is a human being" person. And yes I have run into the yucky bucks out there - including the doctor who told his patients that their saliva was bad for them and they all went around town spitting into cups. The same doctor informed his patient that the pain in her ovary was due to the baby(near term) sticking its hand out thru her tubes and squeezing the ovary. (In some cases you have to educate around the 'source document.'
I am wondering if these doctors actually said those things or that was the patients' understanding of it. I know my cousin was not told she had these allergies by medical people. She dances to her own tune and makes it up as she goes along. And no amount of educating her will change it because she is someone who already knows everything, certainly knows way more than doctors.
ActualNurse
382 Posts
Thank you.