Have you ever been a patient?

[jessi1106]

The main reason I became a nurse is because I was a pt.

I was very sick, on TPN etc...I had two very long hosptial stays.

The nurses (most of them) seemed like angels to me....and I eventually decided I wanted to 'help' people in the same way. Wow, what a shock it was to learn what nursing is really like! (and that pts/family are not always grateful????)

Because I spent several weeks as a pt, I feel that I can somewhat understand things from a pt of view (I too was afraid of the dreaded IV 'air bubble' at one time).

Anyway, just curious..... how many nurses have actually been on the other side??

[kakamegamama]

With my 3 childbirths. Pretty good care all the way around. As a day surgery patient. The preop & post op nurses were great, as was the doc & anesthesiologist. "Kind" is the word that describes them all. The time that really stands out though was when I was the wife of the patient. My husband had arrested at home and was taken to the hospital not far from our home via ambulance. I knew when he left that he was gone even though I hoped otherwise (knowledge versus heart makes for an interesting dichotomy sometimes). When my youngest & I got to the hospital (the longest ride of my life!) (her sibs were out of state) the compassion of the nurse, Rachel, was incredible. She had worked w/the doc on my husband and came to escort us to the family room. After the doctor confirmed my husband's death Rachel sat with us a while until she was needed elsewhere. She didn't say much other than she was sorry for our loss and she told me that I could sit with my husband's body until the ME came to pick him up. Any other patients they had come in they placed in other rooms. The whole ER staff demonstrated compassion and mercy that very long night, but she really stands out.

[husker_rn, RN]

Three babies early in life; no excitement. Nothing until a couple months ago; to ER with HIGH blood pressure. No chest pain but felt SOB at intervals. Dad and brother died young from MIs. Spent the night and had wonderful care. Didn't sleep much since they checked VS, etc. regularly but I WAS in the hospital. Found out one important thing tho'. I had been lying to my residents/patients. Told them Lovenox was a littlestick. Baloney !! It burns like fire for several minutes. Anyway I couldn't complain about my care even if I wanted to.

[Burnt Out, ASN, RN]

Oh yes, I've been a patient many times. I've had multiple laparoscopies for endometriosis and ovarian cysts. I've also had complications with pregnancies that required hospital stays-hyperemesis and preeclampsia.

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

I was a patient for awhile about 3 yrs ago when I got in a fight (and lost) with a riding lawn mower and a retaining wall. I was first taken to a hospital where they cleaned up my foot and snapped my ankle back into place. I knew it was going to be bad when two docs walked in and the older one turned his hearing aid off. The staff was wonderful and the head nurse kept telling the doc that 1grm of morpine wasn't touching the pain. I went through every nurse in that department who could stand me squeezing their hand and arm. I still have nightmares! Even now I want to know if they've ever heard of versed!?!

I was then transferred to a bigger hospital that could handle my injury. The aid must have thought I was nuts because I kept insisting that I had been an aid for over 11yrs and nobody was wiping my butt! In the end she wore me down and I was so grateful. I felt so much better.

I had one nurse that was newer and just couldn't handle the pace. I called for pain meds for over 1.5hrs. The people at the desk just turned off my call light. I called my mom at home and she called the hospital for help. I had the hospital supervisor in my room, docs, everybody. I just needed something. The nurse begged me not to say anything and that she would make it up to me. I was floored by that comment and just requested that she not be my nurse again. She walked by my room at least 5 times and just never came back. I know how busy it gets, but somebody could have at least came in and talked to me. The longer a patient lays there focusing on the pain, the worse it gets. I was in tears by the time they came in.

I spent the summer in a wheelchair and physical therapy. I was called to start nursing school that fall. Here I am going into 4th semester a much different person. I also know both sides of patient and nursing. I'm missing my toes on my left foot as well as some movement in the ankle, but overall I am so lucky to be where I'm at.

[rnheart]

yep been there done that have the t-shirt and scar to go with it,

A few years ago I was misdiagnosed by a nurse practitioner ( that as far as I know never consulted a MD) She said I had costochondritis (inflammation of the rib cage cartlidge)( for over 2 months) but it was really pneumonia which in turn grew a 7cm (baby head) empyema (pus pocket) in my chest cavity, 2 weeks in hospital, iv heparin over dose , 2 pic lines, 2 thoracentesis, 1 thoracostomy with chest tube placement( had it for 6 weeks with home ivab therapy on vanc), and tntc chest ct's later and only one bad nurse. I survived and thrived with GODS grace. As a nurse who had never been sick it was an extreme oddessy, but thanks to my OB/gyn (who knew when I walked in the door that I had pneumonia),a great hospitalist and a surgeon (who is the only surgeon who is allowed to cut on me) I now only have residual problems such as diminished lung capacity. I wish all nurses could stop themselves when they are caring for patients and think about how they sound and who is listening to what they say. as for all the nurses , resp therapist and others who cared for me saying Thank you for everything you did for me is simply not enough.

[hpcat]

I was a patient several times, as a child for a tonsilectomy and others later in life.

My worst was in 2000, a ruptured cervical disk C5-6 - my surgeon had to remove two vertebrae, fuse my spine C3-C6 with donor bone and do a posterior laminectomy to make sure it would all hold together. What a mess. 10 hours of surgery, 2 weeks in the hospital, 1 1/2 years out of work. I had many neuro symptoms because the ruptured disk pinched my spinal cord about 50% - the day I went in for surgery I couldn't walk unassisted (did I mention I had to learn to walk again?) I recovered about 95%, though I still have some minor issues related to it (doesn't interfere with nursing, thankfully).

I had some fabulous nurses - AND I had some HORRIBLE nurses. The fabulous ones really inspired me. The horrible ones made me believe I could do a better job.

In addition, I had 2 major depressions in my life. I love psych nursing, and I feel I can relate even though I was not hospitalized for it. I know how difficult it is to function when you have a mood disorder, and how frustrating it is when people don't understand why you just don't "snap out of it."

If you've been a patient, you're at a terrific advantage, you understand what it's like to depend on that nurse for help like basic ADLs. I believe it will make me a better nurse.

[TazziRN, RN]

Twice as a child, but I wasn't ill. I lived in Korea where my dad was stationed with the army, and I was airlifted to San Francisco twice to be fitted for hearing aids. As an adult I've been hospitalized for illnesses and surgeries. I've also been the relative of ICU pts. My experiences had nothing to do with why I became a nurse, but they have certainly helped me grow as one.

[nurturing_angel]

I have been in the hospital numerous times for cardiac related problems....no MI's by the grace of God, but numerous stents, angioplasties, etc. Spent a few nights in with a heart rhythm irregularity. Had my gallbladder out and spent the night once. My very first night ever spent in the hospital in the cardiac ICU I was a nursing student and I remember getting very angry at my doctor because he would not lt me have my books to study.

Overall, I loved all my doctors and nurses. Can't say I have had bad experiences anywhere. I am blessed!

:heartbeat

[nurturing_angel]

Oh yeah.

And I will never downplay how awful an NG tube can be... ugh

This reminds me of the time we had a OB nurse that would always make fun of screamers and tell them to stop screaming. it didn't hurt that bad, etc....

until she had her own first baby and OMG could that woman scream. I wanted to say STOP SCREAMING but I didn't. She got the point though!

:heartbeat

[TazziRN, RN]

This reminds me of the time we had a OB nurse that would always make fun of screamers and tell them to stop screaming. it didn't hurt that bad, etc....

until she had her own first baby and OMG could that woman scream. I wanted to say STOP SCREAMING but I didn't. She got the point though!

:heartbeat

Oh, nononononono........no one has the right to say something doesn't hurt that bad until they've been through it themselves. And even then, everyone feels pain differently.

I will never forget an 8-year-old boy who broke his leg, spoke limited English. The ortho who came in to set it was a total a-hole, I always hated it when he was on call. At that time we were doing reductions under conscious sedation. This ortho thought that 1-2 mg of morphine was enough to sedate, but when he grabbed this boy's ankle and lifted the leg off the bed the kid started screaming. The doc rolled his eyes at me and made a comment about the boy being a wus. This 8-yr-old started screaming at him "YOU don't have the pain, I have the pain!!"

[Simplepleasures]

This reminds me of the time we had a OB nurse that would always make fun of screamers and tell them to stop screaming. it didn't hurt that bad, etc....

until she had her own first baby and OMG could that woman scream. I wanted to say STOP SCREAMING but I didn't. She got the point though!

:heartbeat

I had a OB nurse that was an angel, when during the unmedicated birth of my 2nd daughter,I moaned and cried,I did not scream,the OB doctor said "NO NOISE!!" My nurse turned to him and told him to be quiet himself, he had no idea how painful the process was, I dont know who was more shocked me or him.I thanked her later and told her I hoped she would not get in trouble, this was 35 years ago.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

i had a ob nurse that was an angel, when during the unmedicated birth of my 2nd daughter,i moaned and cried,i did not scream,the ob doctor said "no noise!!" my nurse turned to him and told him to be quiet himself, he had no idea how painful the process was, i dont know who was more shocked me or him.i thanked her later and told her i hoped she would not get in trouble, this was 35 years ago.

during my l & d rotation, one of my patients was delivering naturally, and was screaming. the ob resident looked at her and said, "why are you screaming? it's only a contraction!" i wanted to start contracting her uterus.

then that same doctor missed the presence of meconium, even though i kept saying "isn't that meconium?" and when the nnp came down to see the baby due to the meconium,l ow temperature, and cord issues, i had to answer all of her questions because the resident was ignoring her. (she didn't even "remember" the baby's gender). the patient's real nurse wasn't in the room at the time (her other patient was delivering at that same moment and there were plenty of physicians in the room, plus the mom went from a few centimeters to ten so quickly).

jess