My horrible hospital stay. What would you do?

[Carebear77]

I'm so upset. Tell me what you would do.

I had my gallbladder removed yesterday and was kept overnight which I was glad b/c I was in a ton of pain and the Dr had dilaudid Q3 and vicodin Q 4.

I asked my nurse for pain meds this am she said she would give me the dilaudid that was at 10:30. At 1130 my aid walks in and says she gonna take out my IV b/c I'm d/c. I say well my nurse was gonna give me meds. So she leaves the room and comes back and says they won't do the IV push med b/c you're d/c. I was like umm ok. But I asked an hour ago. So I say can I get my pill at least and she says ok. Well the 2 of them (nurse and the aid) were walking out of my room and I heard the aid say " she ant in pain, she is just fine, she keeps changing her story she is just drug seeking" they were saying some other things but I couldn't hear it all. I'm so shocked and mad. How dare them talk about me like that. I'm not a piece of crap who is here to use drugs.I was in so much pain (still am on a scale of 0-10 I am about an 8).

I swear I wanted to run out there and go off on them. But I'm in too much pain. I just don't understand people. I got their names. If you were me what would you do??

[BigButtNurse]

I'd relay all of my complaints on the customer survey that the hospital asks you to fill out. Send complaints to the Director, the Charge Nurse, Hospital Liason (????), or whoever will listen.

[workingmama77, BSN]

I would contact the hospital and ask to speak to a nursing supervisor. Also some hospitals send out a patient survey after your stay and ask how things went while you were there (how was your room, patient care, food, etc.). If you get one make sure you fill it out and include your contact information. I had a horrible night in the ER once while trying to pass a kidney stone and the hospital contacted me about what happened. It made me feel better about the whole situation and like they cared about improving their customer service.

[mazy]

Aides take out IVs? Is that common practice? That to me is more of a concern than the pain meds in terms of following up with a complaint.

[diva rn, BSN, RN]

I had a similar situation when I was in for a hip replacement.

I wasn't accused of being "drug seeking" but the meds the one nurse gave me when I first got to the floor weren't holding me and she refused to call for an increase in dose or alternate drug...I was crying so hard in agony that a visitor from another patient's room came into my room and asked if I was ok....anyway, I found out on the next shift that there was an order for "break thru" meds, and also, she called and got an anesthesia consult to increase the dose on my PCA...you better believe I reported that first RN to the 1.Charge nurse 2. Floor manager 3. Director of Nursing (in writing)....there is NO reason that I should have gone through 12 hours of agony and you should not have either......that nurse was cruel and sadistic and the aide had NO business even opening her mouth...and why was an aide even touching your IV????

I have always and will always listen to my patients...the patients pain is what they say it is....not what we percieve it to be...this is the 1. rule in pain management..anyone who doesn't appreciate this should not be practicing nursing.

I am sorry for your terrible experience...by all means report both of these incompent, sadistic, controlling unprofessional people!!!

diva

[Carebear77]

Aides take out IVs? Is that common practice? That to me is more of a concern than the pain meds in terms of following up with a complaint.

I didn't think so either, that isn't something a nurse should delegate to a Cna. She had it out before I had a chance to say anything.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Aides take out IVs? Is that common practice? That to me is more of a concern than the pain meds in terms of following up with a complaint.

It's actually quite common in many facilities.

In my years of agency/travel, I would say that it was more often permitted than not at most facilities.

[Carebear77]

Thank you so much. I was shocked at how unprofessional they were and judgmental. They know that pain is subjective and is whatever the patient says it is. I just couldn't believe they said I was drug seeking. I don't like taking pain meds. However being in this much pain I wasn't going to suffer. It's so sad that some nurses make their patients feel bad when they ask for something. They should find another career.

Thanks for the advice I plan on reporting them.

I had a similar situation when I was in for a hip replacement.

I wasn't accused of being "drug seeking" but the meds the one nurse gave me when I first got to the floor weren't holding me and she refused to call for an increase in dose or alternate drug...I was crying so hard in agony that a visitor from another patient's room came into my room and asked if I was ok....anyway, I found out on the next shift that there was an order for "break thru" meds, and also, she called and got an anesthesia consult to increase the dose on my PCA...you better believe I reported that first RN to the 1.Charge nurse 2. Floor manager 3. Director of Nursing (in writing)....there is NO reason that I should have gone through 12 hours of agony and you should not have either......that nurse was cruel and sadistic and the aide had NO business even opening her mouth...and why was an aide even touching your IV????

I have always and will always listen to my patients...the patients pain is what they say it is....not what we percieve it to be...this is the 1. rule in pain management..anyone who doesn't appreciate this should not be practicing nursing.

I am sorry for your terrible experience...by all means report both of these incompent, sadistic, controlling unprofessional people!!!

diva

[Carebear77]

It's actually quite common in many facilities.

In my years of agency/travel, I would say that it was more often permitted than not at most facilities.

I didn't know this. I might call the BON and ask them. I'd like to know for future reference.

[leslie :-D]

rather than complain through a customer satisfaction survey, i think i'd send it personally to the nm.

firstly, we do not know who's reading these surveys, where we would want nsg to read them.

secondly, the nm would want to hear about these type of complaints, because they're on her floor...

and would likely handle it before any of the higher ups hear about it.

aren't hospitals supposed to try you on po, before dc'ing iv's?

whether it's po through breakfast or swallowing meds, you don't dc iv until one of the former has been tried.

they definitely should have given you a couple of percocets, and this is reportable.

the comment about drug-seeking, as well, for sure.

my dtr had her gb out and it was considered same day surgery.

yep, discharged by 6pm.

definitely speak up carebear.

just try to relay the facts and keep emotion out of it.

someone will respond, i truly believe that.

leslie

[Caffeine_IV]

Nurse techs..not CNAs were allowed to remove IVs and foleys and give a soap suds enema with extra training at my last hospital.

I would definitely complain directly to the nurse manager/unit director.

[Florence NightinFAIL, BSN, RN]

Why did you wait for an hour? Maybe they were testing you and since you didn't call back for that long they assumed you really weren't in pain? Stranger things have happened.

Now is the time 'that annoying family member' would have been useful!

[Edited to add] - That aide is on some kind of power trip. She is commenting on something that is beyond her scope. She needs to be dealt with becasue she might have been feeding the nurse false info. It's the nurse's fault too - but don't forget about the aide's contribution. What a piece of work!