I just had a baby two months ago. However, the ob nurses I had were HORRIBLE. I was shocked at the care I received because with my last baby and with GYN surgeries, I had EXCELLENT care at this facility. It is a small community hospital doing about 500 deliveries a year. Basically I was induced at 36 weeks with a mature lung amnio due to mild preeclampsia (protein increasing each week, CNS involvement (nosebleeds, visual disturbances, excruciating headaches for two weeks and brisk reflexes, labs were starting to go bad high uric acid and creatine level, and my bps had hit the 100 diastolic range on two bp meds and strict bedrest). My peri wanted to deliver at 34 weeks 6 days based on above symptoms and past history of severe pe and severe pih in the last two pregnancies. However I said no and my ob agreed with me. My next ob appt, my ob told me I could stay pregnant, get sicker, have my labs get to a critical point and have an emergency delivery or agree to a lung amnio and if mature take her. If I did not agree to an amnio, I would be doing blood work and 24 hr urine every 2 days till I became critical. He and my peri wanted to take her while still stable. So I agreed to the amnio. It was mature and I delivered at 36 weeks and she was fine. However, my nurses at night and my labor nurse were horrible.
The labor nurse acted like I was an inconvenience. I was not on mag this time thank goodness. She made us feel very unwelcome and uncomfortable. At one point I remarked to my husband that my blood pressure was too high still. She butted in and said then don't look at it and snapped off the machine. She then proceeded to tell me that she had personally reviewed my chart and file and to her I was not preeclamptic. She was just rude. The only time she was polite was when my ob was in the room and during the actual birth.
My ob and I discussed starting meds for ppd at delivery because of a 1 year anniversary for a 13 1/2 week miscarriage, new baby, had it with second baby. He agreed and started me on effexor. The nurse that brought me the meds said "you know it's normal to feel this way". No it was NOT normal for what happened last time.
I asked for motrin for cramping and dermoplast spray only to be told it was not ordered because I did not have stitches. I got copies of my medical records and it WAS ordered by my ob! I had to have my husband bring in motrin from home and just didn't tell the nurses.
The cbc was never done the morning after delivery.
I broke out in a an allergic rash to the effexor. The day shift nurses immediately called my ob who ordered benadryl. That didn't work. When I went up to the nurses desk to show them it had spread everywhere despite benadryl. They said "so what". I had to ask them several times to call my ob and get something else. They finally did and he ordered a different med that worked.
My ob ordered fiorinal for the severe headaches I was getting from the PE. I could not get the nurses to give it to me. I basically had to demand it. One nurse told me that she couldn't believe my ob would ever order that for a patient. I told her not only did he order it, he ordered it for the last two weeks and for my last delivery. Another nurse told me she was uncomfortable giving it to me due to an allergy to codeine. It had codeine in it. She is right, there is a fiorinal with codiene in it. I was prescribed plain fiorinal which did not contain codeine. I had to tell her I didn't care about her comfort only mine.
My ob and I had discussed iv antibiotics during labor because of a stuck kidney stone in the ureter. They wouldn't do surgery unless it was completely blocked because of pregnancy. Two urologists that I consulted said I needed to have iv antibiotics to prevent a kidney infection (had been plagued with blockages and kidney infections in pregnancy). My ob agreed but forgot to write the order. It was an office hours day for the induction. So he wasn't around as much when he was with my other daughter. I told the labor nurse about it. She told me we do not pretreat infections around here. She never checked with my ob about it. Had she of done that, he would have remembered. By the time he came back and broke my water, I knew I would not have enough time to get them in because I deliver fast when that happens. I ended up with a kidney infection right after delivery.
Not too mention all of my discharge paperwork was messed up, I never received the birth certificate packet till almost time to leave and only when I asked for it. They thought I had already done it. Nope. I was filling out a 12 page birth certificate app as fast as I could so I could leave.
It was very frustrating. I was very disappointed because I waited 8 days to deliver at my hospital with my ob only to have a terrible stay. I could have delivered at 34 weeks at the local children's hospital (nothing wrong with that, but I wanted my ob and had always had great nurses at my hospital). I debated a long time about what to do. I decided to write a letter to the nursing manager. I told her I was not expecting nor did I want an apology. She had to know what happened. I hope that it would not happen to another patient. I was especially irritated about being told that there were no orders for motrin and dermoplast spray when it was clearly marked in my records. The fiorinal was ordered throughout my records in labor notes, before labor, pp, etc and why it was ordered. The antibiotics was frustrating too. I was really upset with the nurse saying I was not preeclamptic when I clearly was with the protein, high bps, and CNS involvement. By her saying that to me meant that I could have avoided an amnio, an induction I did not want, etc. If it was another patient that did not know about pe, they could have walked out of the hospital with her saying that thinking it wasn't necessary. Basically the weekend night nurses were just lazy and didn't do what they were supposed to do. I wrote the letter because I have always thanked nurses for doing the great job they do. However, why not when it was terrible so that it could change. I havn't heard anything back about the letter. Some people that are nursing friends are telling me that I need to send it to Administration and Quality Management. I don't want to get anyone in trouble or fired. However there was a serious lack of basic functions here. Had the nurses bothered to look at my chart, they would have seen why things were ordered, they would have seen that it was ordered, etc. I don't ever want a nurse to tell a clearly preeclamptic patient that they are not. I have no idea how she determined that as my bps were noted in my record, protein was noted, peri consults were noted, CNS involvement was noted by my ob. My uric acid and creatine labs were missing out of my record. I did tell in the letter that the baby nurses were AWESOME. The day shift nurses were great. So should I let it go? Should I do what some people are telling me and send it to administration and quality management. My nurse friends were concerned about what happened. They said customer service was number one in their institutions and couldn't believe how I was talked to.
First of all, I am so sorry for your bad experience..Second-send the letter to administration! This is not about being mean, or getting someone in trouble or fired-Where in the world was the professionalism? I understand that some people just do not bond, but when charting is fabricated, and the nurse belittles the patient-someone needs to go work in a darkroom--ALONE! They need to be accountable for their actions.
I am glad to hear you little one is doing well, and you are feeling better!
mommy2boysaz
288 Posts
Just curious... are you a nurse?