Got hurt at work, sad :( and a vent, too...(long)

[trudlebug]

I don't usually start threads, just lurk and reply once and a while, but I have been going stir crazy sitting here and worrying....so anyway,

I was attempting to keep an adult patient with severe handicaps safe in the bed while at our ED. (Kept moving/getting head/feet caught in siderails and so on) This patient was very strong and unaware of the dangers of being so active on our lovely ED stretchers. So I asked for help (multiple times) and even hollered across the ED at the charge nurse to come in and give me a hand/check on my other patients and ask the doc to come in and assess pt/possibly move pt (or gasp, maybe even d/c home as tx. was completed....pt had already pulled IV out)

Doc refused to even come into room, and wouldn't allow the EMT-B student to come in and help (another gripe, why did he NEED this student with him, he never does that on other days). We were (of course) short staffed, so my charge nurse took care of my other patients and asked the doc for an order for restraints, which the doc said no...(I never asked for the order myself, as I was afraid the pt. would get them caught and provide more chance for an injury, but the doctor didn't even come in to talk to me or assess the situation, and my charge nurse told me he informed the doc of the acrobatics my patient was doing)

SO this continued constantly for about 30-45 minutes (me "catching" 80-100# patient who repeatedly launched around the bed, twisting all the cords/iv tubing etc. and then getting on hands and knees and throwing self back toward the floor.) I was trying to calm pt down, singing and hugging and trying to distract the patient to get some relaxation (for us both)

And I was grabbing people for help, but they would leave as soon as the pt. was lying down, not sticking around for the repeated "rodeos". When the doctor finally came in, the patient was literally in my arms, head towards the foot of the bed. Rather than helping me get the pt. back in bed, doc moved the pillow to the foot end and waited for me to lie the pt. down. (like I hadn't tried THAT 197 times already:banghead:)

Then he asked me what I thought we should give the pt to help with the agitation. (BTW

So anyway, if you are STILL reading.....I was rather peeved at that point and reminded him that prescribing medications was out of my scope of practice (probably shouldn't have done that, but I was not a happy camper at that time.) So the doc leaves (takes the EMT student with him AGAIN) and then the charge nurse comes in a few minutes later. At that point, the pt. again launches out of bed and toward my head/shoulder and made contact with my chest/left shoulder area and I felt a sharp pain down my right leg, put the pt down and told my charge that I was "outta here" and limped out of the room.

Anyway, to make a long story longer...I have been out of work since Nov. 16th, trying to get everything straight with a physician's office and worker's comp just to get an MRI of my back/neck.....

generally sore with sharp pains and can't walk/stand for very long without feeling weak in my legs and getting kinda worried that it has not improved.

Since my primary care provider is at a military army clinic (hubby is active duty) I cannot go see them because they don't handle worker's comp insurance. So the PA at this other dr's office just keeps writing prescriptions for Lortab and Valium and telling me there is nothing else he can do until the MRI is done:o. (I'm wondering when they'll start calling me a seeker...even though I told him I am not taking the meds as often or as much as prescribed because they are too strong for me, I am only taking half tabs 2 or 3 times a day of the lortab for breakthrough from motrin)

But the good news is I got to spend Thanksgiving weekend at home with my hubby and daughter, and maybe even Christmas at the rate everything is going.

Thanks for letting me vent, (if anyone actually read this far:chuckle) sorry it got so long....

Sharon

[Kylea]

Sorry to hear about your injury and your really crappy night at work. Hope things get better!!! Can't do much for ya, but I can let you know that I made it through the whole post and it wasn't that bad to read :) Hope things get better for you. Enjoy the holidays!

[suanna]

Sounds like it's time for a workers comp attorney. I letter from a legal office can abruptly lubricate the aproval process for diagnostics and treatment. I'm beginning a WC fight myself this spring- got to get through the hollidays first. Haven't found an attorney yet but I'm betting that is where I'm heading. State WC commissions are flat broke right now and there is a big push to cut back on compensation and expensive tests but in your case it is simple diagnostics that are needed. I bet you can find a lawyer who will write a few letters for a couple of hundred bucks. Good luck!!!

[Yin Yang]

Sharon,

I see you're in Texas....now I'm worried as I start in the ED at a local hospital in January.....please tell me it's not in the Dallas area. If I get hurt, I don't want to go through a nightmare just to get taken care of. I hope things get better for you rapidly!

Yang

[rjflyn, ASN, RN]

Sharon

Like suanna said you should have called an attorney the next morning. The hospital and its insurance company sure have their lawyers working for them. As just so you know your post/comments made here can be use as evidence as well so be careful in what else you say. In fact I would print this post if it is a true representation of the facts, for your attorney. YOU should be able to find one that takes this on contingent ie if you dont get anything they dont get anything.

Oh and suanna it doesnt take a letter, a phone call often does it. Things often change quickly once they know you have an attorney.

Call a lawyer!!!!

Rj

[Itshamrtym]

Sorry to hear about your ordeal... I hope that it all works out for you!!!! Get well soon and if you need us we are here for you 24/7!!!

[trudlebug]

Thanks for the advice. I haven't really had any problem with the worker's comp insurance company, they have been helpful so far and approved the MRI. It is just that the HR dept had some trouble getting the paperwork together as this happened on a weekend and employee health wasn't open....bureaucracy at its' best :). Then the holiday came around and again all the offices were closed.

So it's not like they are refusing to do the diagnostics, it is just the process is frustrating. Also, the staff and management in my department have been absolutely wonderful during this whole thing.

So anyway, thanks again for the advice, my MRI is scheduled next Friday, hoping that I'll be able to start some physical therapy or something soon. (I just want to DO something, sitting around waiting just gets me worrying and :thnkg:too much.)

Plus the office staff at the clinic where I am being seen do not seem to be held to the same standards as I am used to (if I were their boss, they would be taking some customer service or communications classes ASAP, because they just kept arguing with me about whether or not the WC insurance was notified and I had the letter and claim number in my hand and gave them a copy!) I guess they don't have to impress the Gallup people like we do :) my original post was so long, I left this part out....sorry.

BTW - Yang, I am not in Dallas, and my Staff is actually being very helpful and supportive, it is just the waiting that has been driving me crazy and I needed to vent. Sorry I didn't give all the info, I really was just venting to stop worrying so much....

[Itshamrtym]

Whatever it takes to keep the sanity.!!! TAkE care and good luck!!! Hope that you feel better soon!!!!!!!!!

[Aneroo, LPN]

I hope you get some relief soon!

Can you work a triage position in the meantime?

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Ya- 4 hours in triage might be good for the soul, and you'd keep familiar with all the changes going on, and show your willingness to work. Maybe they'd let you fill in for the secretaries if there is a hole too.

[trudlebug]

Thanks for the ideas.

I just need a release note saying I can come back to work, and the PA won't write it or do any other treatement until the MRI is done, since the MRI isn't done, I don't get the note, so I can't even go back to work as light duty.....(that circular problem is driving me nuts. :thnkg:)

Hopefully only another week or so of sitting around.

(Well, I think I am going to send my daughter to the store and get stuff to make cookies, at least I can take some of those in to my co-workers to tide them over for a while :cookies: )

Thanks again,

Sharon

[Dolce, RN]

Your story makes me very angry. Your coworkers and the patient's doctor left you completely on your own, despite repeated requests for help and because of that you got hurt. This is unacceptable and inexcusable. This ER needs some serious re-training and you need to get a lawyer.

Shame on them.