My horrible hospital stay. What would you do?

Nurses General Nursing

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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??

Specializes in PICU, ICU, Hospice, Mgmt, DON.
I had problems with staff after my hip replacement. They wouldn't even answer my call for help to the bathroom and took their time 1-2 hours after it was time for pain meds. I hurt so bad and come to find out the prothestic was coming out the back of my femur. I got an extended stay and a second surgery. I did find out my Dr. quit doing surgeries there due to the staff treatment of his patients.

Oh wow, I am so sorry to hear that.

I hope that everything is fine now.

I have had both of my hips replaced, 6 months apart. I had my knees replaced bilaterally with no problems. But of course, after the first travesty, I made sure my surgeons (3 different) knew the story and had anesthesia on board to monitor the PCA post op for the other 2 surgeries...and I made sure I told the recieving nurses upfront my experience--just so we "had us a little understanding"..everything was fine for both. I went home after 2 days with bilateral knees-because we had a hurricaine coming:eek:

Hope all is well with you.

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Specializes in CCU,ICU,ER retired.

Nope I had to retire I have a bad limp and have to use a cane

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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.

Yes they are supposed to but I work subacute and I can't tell you how many times a pt arrives to us never having been given anything but IV push pain meds. They get to us and of course we can't give IV push anything and what they have ordered is like one vicodin Q 6. Our docs try increasing the PO meds but then we run into the ridiculous issue of not being able to give the med until we have a signed narcotic script but oops the doc wont be in until Monday and we can't control the pts. pain.

It's ridiculous and I feel like setting us up for failure.

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Yes they are supposed to but I work subacute and I can't tell you how many times a pt arrives to us never having been given anything but IV push pain meds. They get to us and of course we can't give IV push anything and what they have ordered is like one vicodin Q 6. Our docs try increasing the PO meds but then we run into the ridiculous issue of not being able to give the med until we have a signed narcotic script but oops the doc wont be in until Monday and we can't control the pts. pain.

It's ridiculous and I feel like setting us up for failure.

This is when you send them to the ED of the hospital they came from.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU.
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.

PCA's and SNA's pull IV's, Arterial lines (radial only), and foleys routinely. They also suction vented patients PRN. At one time they did start foleys, but that changed a while back. They do most of our ECGs, CBGs (finger sticks or draws off a-lines), and some lab draws as well. They don't do arterial sticks.

They don't start IV's and don't touch anything that has an infusion running.

I'd say they're pretty well trained, and if they're unsure they do a great job of asking for help.

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Yes im home. They gave me rx for norco 5/325, 1 q4 and it isn't touching the pain. I took 2 to see if that would help but no. I'm miserable :( and I have a bad feeling I have an infection. I've had many lap surgeries for my endo and not one has ever looked like this. Mine is bright red approx 10xcm around my navel and very hot :( I'm keeping an eye on it. if I call my surgeon and need to go back I will tell him it better be a different hospital.

Call your surgeon RIGHT NOW. Always listen to your instincts. It does sound like an infection and you would know. Pls give them a ring and see what they say. You can deal with the bad stay at a later time. Get well first.

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

Climb the food chain and let them all know of the crappy pain relief you got. Maybe they will educate their nurses.

At our facility, you would have gotten dilauded for the first day of surgery and then placed on po meds the next day and allowed to go home after lunch if tolerating food and pain meds. We have very high scores for pain control at our facility, but we have been given the opportunity to educate ourselves with seminars on pain control.

I had an issue like yours after having kidney stones with a backed up kidney. I suffered through 6 surgeries over a period of 6 months. The worst was post nephrostomy tube. I was given NOTHING in PACU. I woke up in severe pain. I asked for something and the nurse told me I couldn't have anything until I was in my room, because it said in my records that I got sick post op. I was wheeled a half hour later to my room. Every bump was agony. They then expected me to move from the cart to the bed. By then I was in tears, and had to be helped over. The nurses were nasty about having to help. Thankfully, my husband (who is a nurse) and my best friend were waiting, caught wind I had had nothing for pain, and they were quite upset. Of course I was then behind in my pain management and it took a boat load to catch me up. I finally ended up with a MS PCA, and only then was I able to move without severe pain.

The nursing care was crappy. To top it off, I started my period 6 months post partum that night. I had frank blood with clots in the toilet and not one nurse took a look at the nephrostomy bag to see if that urine was red or normal.

Needless to say, I started my complaints with a written letter to the CEO, CNO, NM and their education dept. Thankfully, I seemed to have been heard.

I hope you feel better soon and talk to your MD ASAP about that incision. Big Gentle hugs.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Unfortunately, this thread has devolved into a medical-advice thread, which is not permitted under our Terms of Service. The OP has received excellent feedback and should, indeed, consult w/ her surgeon STAT, or go to a different hospital's emergency department. The post-op ordeal can be dealt with after the immediate concerns are treated.

Closing thread now. OP, best of luck to you in your recovery.

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