Ethical situations related to nursing care!

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G'day,

Nursing student from Australia here, I wanted to take a moment here to share with you all how jaded some nurses and care staff can become. For me it re-enforces why I want to become a better nurse.

I was at work the other day, and I was on with a variety of members from the peanut gallery who usually appear to have our residents rights at the top of the list and are always on top of everything you know a good steady crew who always get it done.

This day however I was teamed up with two people who I hadnt really worked with before and will have a hard time working with them again for the following two reasons.

We have a patient who smokes and has asthma, now we all know that this is a horrible combination, the girl I was teamed up with before we even got to the patients room was already bagging him out talking about how disgraceful it was and so forth.

So I piped up and asked her if he had ever done anything to her to deserve this type of judgemental attitude. To which she replied " I have to waste my time looking after him, because he didnt do it his whole life" She then went on to suggest that we have to suffer with him.

The other scenario was similar only it was an obese lady who had diabetes, to which there were very rude comments some of which I think she heard and I care not to repeat.

I was appalled to witness such behavour in a place where I thought we were trained to care and support our residents, not begrudge them and let our own value's influence and determine what level of care we will give based on the situation.

I am not trying to preach and say I am better than anyone else, I have done my fair share of nasty things in my life, but the lessons have been learned, I just think that whether we are nurses or care aids we owe it to ourselves and the industry to rise above this type of behaviour and be more professional.

I'm curious how do your own values influence the advice, care and support you provide for your patients?

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I have been on both sides of this now.

I am one of those nurses that hates going to the doctor. To make the story short :Severe back pain, can't walk, Son with Asperger's calls 911 (did very well and am proud of him), son let 911 know I was big so enough help would come (I told him to do that), 911 people were ALL wonderful (ambulance personnel and local law enforcement) truely professional and kind and there were several of them that arrived at my home, asked EMT to notify hospital enroute of my size so staff would be aware and she did, wheeled in and ER staff rude, EMT stuck up for me and redirected their behavior, also overheard one nurse say "Wow I didn't know we were getting such a big one", I live in high drug area and so was then denied pain relief until they were sure I wasn't a drug seeker (they actually said this to me!), In their records for 5 years and never received pain meds you would think a quick check would have showed this, no assistance with toileting (remember severe back pain), brought in small commode and said they had nothing larger and left, sent friend out to remind them that I am a nurse and know damn well they have a larger one and directed them to go up to ortho floor and get it!,nurse left me without call light and shut door (friend was out of room checking on my son), yelled for help, nurse returned, clipped call light to pillow, said I had to wait for doctor and left, I had not said a word to her and she did not ask why I yelled for help. There is more to this story, but I think you get the picture. In the long run it was a good experience for me. It made me a better nurse and gave me a closer connection to my patients with severe pain problems.I truely believe 99.9% of all nurses care about thier patients. I even believe the nurses that treated me so poorly probably care and were hopefully having an off day. Whenever I catch myself tempted to reply in a rude manner to a patient I remember how it felt. Whenever I have to answer their call light for the 100th time I think "well at least we gave them their call light" the comment always makes me smile for some reason, and as far as toileting goes, well let just say I am very prompt to respond to those requests as they are close to my heart LOL.

Here's hoping we all try everyday to improve the care we give and grow in our profession and not in our waistline!

deedee

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Hey Milenko

Isn't that a rotten attitude those folks have!!! No doubt it's universal--but I've sorta had the thought that it is an 'American' attitude. With our Right-WingNuts and Christianistas in the news so often, I heard somewhere an Aussie remarking that they were happy that America got the puritans and Australia got the convicts. !!!

Just tuck into your mind that we don't HAVE to take care of these folks!! If I hated it that much--I could be a greeter at WalMart. We volunteered for this. We went to a lot of trouble and spent years to get to take care of 'em.

We're PAID for this.

Really--we do it for ourselves.

And anyhow, who has lived their life without making all kinds of mistakes? Not ME!!! (Let me tell you about my first WIFE. But never mind--don't like thinking about it.)

As the greatest teacher ever once said: Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Papaw John

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.
Hey Milenko

Isn't that a rotten attitude those folks have!!! No doubt it's universal--but I've sorta had the thought that it is an 'American' attitude. With our Right-WingNuts and Christianistas in the news so often, I heard somewhere an Aussie remarking that they were happy that America got the puritans and Australia got the convicts. !!!

Just tuck into your mind that we don't HAVE to take care of these folks!! If I hated it that much--I could be a greeter at WalMart. We volunteered for this. We went to a lot of trouble and spent years to get to take care of 'em.

We're PAID for this.

Really--we do it for ourselves.

And anyhow, who has lived their life without making all kinds of mistakes? Not ME!!! (Let me tell you about my first WIFE. But never mind--don't like thinking about it.)

As the greatest teacher ever once said: Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Papaw John

Hey papaw! I am a Christianistas....I love my patients!

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Hey Chadash

Hope I didn't offend. True Christianity is right at the very very very tip top of things I respect and admire. What I despise is the cheap imitation that passes for true discipleship and agape. The real goal of those who follow that path is control and self-aggrandizement. Refer to the Terri Schiavo business--control and self-advertising masquirading as the faith of Jesus.

If I believed in Hell, I'd wish it for those that I call 'Christianistas'.

Humbly...

Papaw John

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Hey Milenko

Isn't that a rotten attitude those folks have!!! No doubt it's universal--but I've sorta had the thought that it is an 'American' attitude. With our Right-WingNuts and Christianistas in the news so often, I heard somewhere an Aussie remarking that they were happy that America got the puritans and Australia got the convicts. !!!

Just tuck into your mind that we don't HAVE to take care of these folks!! If I hated it that much--I could be a greeter at WalMart. We volunteered for this. We went to a lot of trouble and spent years to get to take care of 'em.

We're PAID for this.

Really--we do it for ourselves.

And anyhow, who has lived their life without making all kinds of mistakes? Not ME!!! (Let me tell you about my first WIFE. But never mind--don't like thinking about it.)

As the greatest teacher ever once said: Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Papaw John

The greatest teacher also said, Judge not lest ye be judged. patients who do not do even the most basic thing do not desreve our wrath. Rarely one will listen and help themselves. The rest we help with the most appropriate treatment, and, aren't frequent fliers the easiest admits when it's near change of shift and ED calls with the "we're swamped and need a bed" speal.

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I think that a quote from William Shakespeare's play, "Macbeth", is appropirate:

"Ti's better that we would be what we would destroy than live in doubtful joy." :stone

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.
Hey Chadash

Hope I didn't offend. True Christianity is right at the very very very tip top of things I respect and admire. What I despise is the cheap imitation that passes for true discipleship and agape. The real goal of those who follow that path is control and self-aggrandizement. Refer to the Terri Schiavo business--control and self-advertising masquirading as the faith of Jesus.

If I believed in Hell, I'd wish it for those that I call 'Christianistas'.

Humbly...

Papaw John

No offense taken. You are right to be skeptical of the counterfeit Christianity...

The heart of the gospel of Christ is mercy. We receive mercy from God, and as a response we are to extend Mercy to others. (and I need a boatload of mercy!)

I have had a couple extremely obese pts. Their problem was so disabling, they could no longer walk. They would have given anything to not have this problem. I don't think we know totally why some folks struggle with weight to this extent, but I am convinced it is not their fault. Life is not perfect. The last thing we want to do is add judgment to the burdens people bear.

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Wow you guys are pretty intense! Thanks for the replies, it is pretty easy to get sidetracked and judge people based on who we are not, I have had time to reflect on these people I worked with and have decided that they are not worth the effort of not working with them.

I do plan on taking a firmer stance to this type of behaviour by pointing it out at times when they may be on the spot and giving these poor patients they begrudge the ut-most best care possible and I will lead by example so that those who follow may decide for themselves what makes better patients lies in the hands that care for them.

I wish that for one day all the nasty carers and nurses alike could be bedridden for different reasons, and see what it is like to ring a call bell that doesnt get answered for 15 mins, or even suffer the wrath of staff that may judge them and leave them helpless even for a few hours.

It's all about walking in someone elses shoes, isnt it?

Here's to becoming a better nurse from day to day.

Milenko

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.

Milenko's quote:"I wish that for one day all the nasty carers and nurses alike could be bedridden for different reasons, and see what it is like to ring a call bell that doesnt get answered for 15 mins, or even suffer the wrath of staff that may judge them and leave them helpless even for a few hours."

That' ll do it! :)

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Specializes in Medical.

Hi Milenko,

you're right, this is a real problem, and I think you're also right to call people on it. I think that sometimes it's due to genuine frustration - especially with patients that are difficult to manage and/or regulars - but at least as often it's because they've been allowed to get away with it.

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Hey Milenko

Isn't that a rotten attitude those folks have!!! No doubt it's universal--but I've sorta had the thought that it is an 'American' attitude. With our Right-WingNuts and Christianistas in the news so often, I heard somewhere an Aussie remarking that they were happy that America got the puritans and Australia got the convicts. !!!

Just tuck into your mind that we don't HAVE to take care of these folks!! If I hated it that much--I could be a greeter at WalMart. We volunteered for this. We went to a lot of trouble and spent years to get to take care of 'em.

We're PAID for this.

Really--we do it for ourselves.

And anyhow, who has lived their life without making all kinds of mistakes? Not ME!!! (Let me tell you about my first WIFE. But never mind--don't like thinking about it.)

As the greatest teacher ever once said: Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Papaw John

Don't forget our Left-Winged Nuts and Deanites and Kerryistas

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