Have you ever been a patient?

Nurses General Nursing

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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????:mad:)

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??

i had my gallbladder taken out back in 2000. it was a horrific experience because it was an open cut from stem to stern operation. i was on a morphine pump for 3 days. i don't make a good patient. i think that i know more than any rn who walks through the door to help me. it's not an ego trip, it's just the idea that i think i know more about my own body and how i respond to certain treatments.

one night i knew the nurses were going to try to get me to walk in the hall. i had my plan already devised in how i was going to get out of walking! i literally sat there comtemplating how i was going to tell them no walk tonight! it didn't work. nurses had 2 aides walk me up and down the hall, much to my displeasure. i was in pain, but i reluctantly got up and walked down the hall to make them happy.

i know it was childish of me, but i am not a good patient. i am not mean, nor hateful, just very stubborn.

(i ended up back in the hospital 2 days after discharge due to pneumnia.) yeah, right, i know what's best for me

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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

god bless you ob nurses, it should be a requirement for nurses and docs to take sensitivity training once a year.
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Ten years ago I lost a baby. Placental Abruption. I was 8 months pregnant. I hemorrhaged-absolutely horrific experience. I wish I could say the nursing staff was wonderful but....quite the contrary. On each mother's bed a ribbon would be tied in either pink or blue. For days I could not figure why the nurses kept asking me about my son. I guess they never bothered to read the chart! From ICU to when I was discharged, the only kind words came from the Chief Resident. She came by to see me each day-what a wonderful soul she was. I remember her name was Elizabeth. Obviously, if this experience had influenced my decision to become a nurse I would not be here. I do remember this dark time when I have patients who are hurt, scared, and feel alone. The staff that cared for me during that time was lacking empathy and compassion, how very sad for them.:cry:

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
god bless you ob nurses, it should be a requirement for nurses and docs to take sensitivity training once a year.

yeah, i think that incident was one of the reasons i decided against l & d! ugh!

jess

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Ten years ago I lost a baby. Placental Abruption. I was 8 months pregnant. I hemorrhaged-absolutely horrific experience. I wish I could say the nursing staff was wonderful but....quite the contrary. On each mother's bed a ribbon would be tied in either pink or blue. For days I could not figure why the nurses kept asking me about my son. I guess they never bothered to read the chart! From ICU to when I was discharged, the only kind words came from the Chief Resident. She came by to see me each day-what a wonderful soul she was. I remember her name was Elizabeth. Obviously, if this experience had influenced my decision to become a nurse I would not be here. I do remember this dark time when I have patients who are hurt, scared, and feel alone. The staff that cared for me during that time was lacking empathy and compassion, how very sad for them.:cry:
Oh my gosh, I am so SORRY this happened to you.I think when we ,as nurses can use our own heartbreaks and life experiences , it can help us be more sensitive and caring to our patients.
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yeah, i think that incident was one of the reasons i decided against l & d! ugh!

jess

being so close to mothers day and this discussion reminds me about one bad experience i had with a postpartum nurse and that was 36 years ago, when an old battleax of an ex military nurse screamed at me to put my bra on, it is the rules, no mothers will be bra less after the birth of the baby!! my milk had not come in yet and my breasts were so sore, i pleaded with her to no avail!i was young and too afraid to refuse her demands.
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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
ten years ago i lost a baby. placental abruption. i was 8 months pregnant. i hemorrhaged-absolutely horrific experience. i wish i could say the nursing staff was wonderful but....quite the contrary. on each mother's bed a ribbon would be tied in either pink or blue. for days i could not figure why the nurses kept asking me about my son. i guess they never bothered to read the chart! from icu to when i was discharged, the only kind words came from the chief resident. she came by to see me each day-what a wonderful soul she was. i remember her name was elizabeth. obviously, if this experience had influenced my decision to become a nurse i would not be here. i do remember this dark time when i have patients who are hurt, scared, and feel alone. the staff that cared for me during that time was lacking empathy and compassion, how very sad for them.:cry:

i cannot believe this. i am very sorry to hear that any of those things happened to you. losing a baby in the way you've described is one of the worst things, i believe, that can happen to a human. even those who are not nurses, who are not educated about therapeutic communication or having "caring" in their job descriptions should know that a person in this situation needs plenty of compassion and support. i'm glad that the chief resident was wonderful.

jess

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