Never Forget there is a person behind the illness

[tammy07]

Just wanted to share an experience I had my dad was in end stage COPD!!, he was hooked up on a ventilator for months, he was strapped down he couldnt even scratch his nose if it itched, when I would come to see him wich was everyday I would turn his arms loose and he would move his arms he would scratch his nose around the tube and he would even touch the tube but he never tried to pull it out, I tried to explain to the Nurses that he was not pulling his tube out he was just moving and when I would come back in he would be strapped down again he was totally with it he couldnt talk because of the vent but I could tell he wanted to, so I made him a board with letters to point to then I got him a small word processor and he knew how to finger spell, the doctor would come in and he would try to ask him questions but he took to long so the dr. would leave and the nurses did him the same way. eventually he came off the vent and got to come home and he would say how frustrating it was to have all these questions in his head and no one would take the time to listen he has since passed away in Jan. but please if you have vent. patients try to listen my fellow nurses there is a person in there.....

[nightmare, RN]

I remember a man I nursed years ago with tetorifice saying afterwards that he used to make himself spasm just so we would take notice of him!!I never forgot after that that there is a person attached to that vent.

[tammy07]

thank you for sharing

[Thankful RN,BSN]

just curious. what did the nurse say about you unstrapping him? i understand your point. but, i think patient safety is the first priority.

[tammy07]

just curious. what did the nurse say about you unstrapping him? i understand your point. but, i think patient safety is the first priority.

she said be sure to strap him back down before you leave and I will unstrap him later...(lol)

[steve40]

God Bless your Dad. And thank you for the reminder that there is a real human and emotion behind the machine and sometimes mechanical actions of nursing.