I am going to have a serious meltdown

Gator,SN · May 18, 2005

I am so sorry to hear that this is happening to you. Call your surgeon and tell him that you are in pain and that you were sent home without adequate pain medication. He might call in a RX to your local pharmacy and you could get someone to pick it up for you. You should not have to suffer this way. I am surprised with a sat of 75% you were sent home at all. That would have pretty much bought you a bed for the night at my hospital as well as some narcan. Your nurse should not have given you morphine and fentanyl as fentanyl is much more potent than morphine.

Don't forget to fill out the survey that they give you about your experience. I hope you remember your nurses name.

I hope your feeling better soon!

Gator

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 18, 2005

Sounds like a nightmare.

She should have called the doctor because that kind of pain is not appropriate for a lap chole and there could be a serious problem. So definately call your doc is your pain is not controlled. You shouldn't be in that much pain today. Pain yes, but p.o. meds should be appropriate at this point. If they aren't, then there's a problem and you should have never been sent home.

First of all take care of yourself first and foremost. When you're better write a letter to administration. Sounds like some serious things went on here, serious of all administering a med that your allergic too. Not controlling a patient's pain is a serious offense.

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · May 18, 2005

Ditto all the above. I would cvertainly be bringing this to someone's attention if nothing else but to spare other patients the same mistreatment. :stone

Judee Smudee, ADN, RN · May 18, 2005

Yes, they better tighten up their system for identifying drug allergies before they kill someone.

Katydidit34 · May 18, 2005

Sounds like a nightmare.
She should have called the doctor because that kind of pain is not appropriate for a lap chole and there could be a serious problem. So definately call your doc is your pain is not controlled. You shouldn't be in that much pain today. Pain yes, but p.o. meds should be appropriate at this point. If they aren't, then there's a problem and you should have never been sent home.
First of all take care of yourself first and foremost. When you're better write a letter to administration. Sounds like some serious things went on here, serious of all administering a med that your allergic too. Not controlling a patient's pain is a serious offense.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. When I had my choley done after I got home the most I took was a couple of darvocet. It was uncomfortable but definitely not morphine or fentanyl worthy. I had discomfort for maybe a day or so and that was it. If I were you, I would start drafting a letter to the Hosp. Admin. The uncaring attitudes of these nursing will get someboday killed. I can't believe you were treated that way. Unreal.

Jolie, BSN · May 18, 2005

I am so sorry for your experience. This gives all of us in nursing a bad name. Please contact your surgeon immediately and get something appropriate for pain control.

Then, when you are feeling better, print this out and take it to the department director of the hospital where you had your surgery. Insist that s/he inform you what plan of action will be taken to correct the nurse's inappropriate (and dangerous) actions. No one should have to suffer the way you did.

If you are not satisfied with his/her response, please contact your State regulatory agency. You will be doing your community a great service!

Hope you are feeling better soon, and please accept my apology for my fellow nurse's inappropriate treatment.

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 18, 2005

I agree with this wholeheartedly. When I had my choley done after I got home the most I took was a couple of darvocet. It was uncomfortable but definitely not morphine or fentanyl worthy. I had discomfort for maybe a day or so and that was it. If I were you, I would start drafting a letter to the Hosp. Admin. The uncaring attitudes of these nursing will get someboday killed. I can't believe you were treated that way. Unreal.

I had a lap chole patient complain of that kind of pain once. Turned out to be a nicked bile duct....opps. Good thing I listened to the patient and knew this kind of pain was unusual.

rjflyn, ASN, RN · May 18, 2005

One word Lawyer. ME and him would be having a little chat with a few people. Starting first at the board of nursing and going from there. Hard to tell from the original post if any of this made it to the doctor. The next call would be to the hospital administration. The doctor also needs to be made aware of all these events.

Rj

markjrn · May 18, 2005

Hey every one just need to vent a little. So anyways I had a laproscopic cholecystecomy, yesterday, and i was in major pain, when I asked for pain meds the PACU nurse that I had acted like it was a chore for he to get som meds for me. Themn when she did she gave me morophine (am Allergic to it) and I ended up having a really hard time breathing. Then she doped me up on the maximun amount of fentanyl that she could and then was upset because I was still confused and kept taking my oxygen off. (my sats dropped to 75) and after all thoe drugs I was still in agony, and she just basically ignored me. So then Just before I was going to go home she brought me an Rx for Tylenol#3 ( allergic to coedine) (all my allergies were on my file) (the doctor prescribed the tylenol before he left for home). So when I told her that I was allergic to coedine she asked me if I would like to use the tylenol anyway. (at the risk of having a severe reaction). when I said no she said okay then you can go. So I was sent home with no appropriate pain control. and regular tylenol with advil did nothing to stop the pain. did I mention the while I was in the PACU she just let me lay there and cry. I am not usually such a sissy but this time I was in rough shape. So anyways I am just about done. then she tells me I have to stand up ang walk around but she didn't let me take it easy getting up she just hauled em up and out of my bed. then I told her Iwas going to faint from the pain and she just ignored me and I ended up on the disgusting floor . :angryfire

Since (I'm guessing) you're not paying for this, I would call the patient rep for the hospital, call the BON (it sounds like her practice is questionable), call The Minister of Health, and if you really want to be a PITA, call the TV and radio people. I live in Canada also, have been fighting with the healthcare system on a daily basis, and am sick of my wife and myself being treated like crap. My colleagues makes me embarrassed to be a nurse sometimes. Don't take this lying down. :angryfire

ETA: It has been my experience in Canada that the MD's are overworked and complaining to them really won't get you anywhere. You need to go to the government and media if you want to make a point. Not sure what it's like in your neck of the woods, though. I think consulting an attorney is pointless, as well, unless it is a catastrophic error, ie: cutting off the wrong leg, killing someone, etc. If something like that ever happened, my lawyer would be all over them like white on rice!

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · May 18, 2005

SO SORRY TO HEAR THAT. GOD BLESS YOU AND I AM GLAD TO SEE YOU ARE BETTER

barefootlady, ADN, RN · May 18, 2005

Wow! Sounds like your experience was terrible and I agree with all of the posters who urged you to seek further action in this matter. I only hope you are feeling better now and have had no further problems. Please keep us posted on future events. My prayers are with you. :balloons: