30 year old patients has hernia repair. Is a very tall and large man, quite scary looking not surprising given that he is a prisoner.
Anyway procedure goes well, then it's time for waking up.
He was quite combative and there were three nurses myself included trying to keep him from falling of the OR table. He's kicking, punching and trying to jump off the bed. This started happening before we could bring his bed into the room. If this happens on a bed we put pillows next to side rails and just let them kick out all they want. But on an OR table they can quite easily fall off and it's hard getting them up off the floor.
I'm on one side (patient is facing me) trying to hold his legs without being kicked in the face. The other two nurses are on the other side as he is almost slipping off. They didn't want to push him onto me as I'm holding his legs on and trying to avoid being kicked.
The anaesthetists is maintaining the airway. I got an intern to protect the arm on my side as he was waving it around everywhere.
So where are the surgeons during all this ruckus?
Why sitting at the desk, one was on the phone the other was doing paperwork.
As soon as it started happening I yelled out 'we need assistance'. I have a very loud voice you'd have to be pretty hard of hearing not to hear me bellow.
No response from them whatsoever. And they weren't facing the other direction either :angryfire
I yelled out again 'we need a hand here'.
And again.
No response. Other nurses were yelling out for help too at this point. The only people free to press the emergency alarm were the surgeons who didn't move to help us, let alone ring the alarm (they probably don't know how to press the button anyway).
At this point I'm fearing an injury to myself as his legs were kicking towards me and I'm almost ready to step aside and just let the patient fall on the floor. May sound bad but I'm not being a hero and risking a permanent injury.
I just lost it at this point.
"GET OFF YOUR LAZY orificeS AND GET HERE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Pardon my french but it worked (one gave me an odd look like what's wrong with you?) but I'm just feeling so disgusted with the lack of teamwork and care they demonstrated towards patient and staff. I don't know whether it's because they believe they are above simple things like making sure the patient is safe after surgery or if it's just them being oblivious. I don't know. But what annoys me is that I had no chance at all today to talk to them about this.
My back, shoulders and neck is aching from holding his legs down. I'm filling out a workplace injury form and I'm going to making a report to someone about this.
And I did not apologise for my language and have no intentions of it. To have to yell out for help 4 times and be ignored while we have a patient who is about to fall off the table, staff who are struggling not to be injured is just unbelievable. If they try discipling me for yelling at them I will explain that I asked nicely to begin with, even said please but their lack of respect and the situation at the time left me no choice but to resort to shock tactics.
Anyway that's what happened today.
Any similar stories? Do your doctors just sit there and do nothing as well?
