Am I asking too much from a nurse?

Nurses Relations

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My dad had surgery Tuesday to remove pituitary adenoma. This is his second surgery in 5 years for this issue.

Both last time and this time, he developed diabetes insipidus, which I understand is a common complication from the surgery. Yesterday, he was moved from icu to med/surg.

The nurse came in and said he needed to draw blood to test his sodium, she drew one vial. I asked if his levels were high. She responded "oh we just test it".

I didn't say anything more, and she doesn't know I'm a (brand spanking new) nurse. I really don't want to be an annoying family member, and I haven't even begun working as a nurse yet, so I realize I view nursing through rose colored glasses. However, I was a little put off by her response and wanted more information, am I wrong to expect this? Should I have questioned her more about it, or is that being over involved?

Thanks for your insight.

Thank you all for your responses.

I did look up why NA levels would be elevated, ad I think I understand. Maybe I'm more confused about my role as a nurse, and how I would handle the question. I start work as a gn next month, so I think I'm also using this as a learning experience on how to handle different situations when they arise.

Would it have been allowable and reasonable for my dad's nurse to explain why they are drawing it, instead of just saying "oh we just check it"??? Or is that not really an expectation/role of the nurse? I always thought it was, but I also know school is very different from real world, so I'm just trying to connect the dots.

Your responses brought on something I really hadn't considered (the grey area). It's hard to not think like a nurse when you're playing the daughter role. This is my first experience with it, and I'm trying to learn from it.

When you are a nursing student, you are taught to interpret things (to assess your knowledge) that you would not have to assess in the "real world" of nursing, including lab values. Additionally, one needs to be mindful that a family member doesn't always have a "need to know" (as nutty as that may sound) therefore, you may find that nurses do not and can not discuss specifics of your family member's care with you. In practice, I would encourage you to defer to the MD to discuss findings. It was obvious that the nurse was drawing labs. As far as asking specifics, I would have answered "Be sure to have your Dad discuss with the MD when he rounds regarding his lab values and what they mean" Nurses are bound by privacy policies. So no matter how well intended a family member is, unless the patient is incompetent (a story for another thread) we are not at liberty to discuss specifics with family.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
Nurses are bound by privacy policies. So no matter how well intended a family member is, unless the patient is incompetent (a story for another thread) we are not at liberty to discuss specifics with family.

If the patient gives us permission, yes, we can discuss things with family members. Thou shall not fear or misinterpret the HIPPO. The family member who is unable to give permission due to LOC or a/o status is the one that I check and double check who can and cannot be given information. A/O pt with the family member (daughter/wife/son/husband) at bedside? Do we really look at them and say, "I can't give any information to you because of privacy policies." The patient would, 9 times out of 10, look at you like you're crazy.

There are always exceptions, I know. I've encountered a few of the dysfunctional ones, and I pass it on in report and document in a note. But, we have to think about it, not just proclaim "privacy policies" and leave family members in the dark. "How are you related?" is one of my first questions to visitors. The second cousin twice removed. Nope. No info. The daughter the patient lives with? YES!

Specializes in Pedi.
When you are a nursing student, you are taught to interpret things (to assess your knowledge) that you would not have to assess in the "real world" of nursing, including lab values. Additionally, one needs to be mindful that a family member doesn't always have a "need to know" (as nutty as that may sound) therefore, you may find that nurses do not and can not discuss specifics of your family member's care with you. In practice, I would encourage you to defer to the MD to discuss findings. It was obvious that the nurse was drawing labs. As far as asking specifics, I would have answered "Be sure to have your Dad discuss with the MD when he rounds regarding his lab values and what they mean" Nurses are bound by privacy policies. So no matter how well intended a family member is, unless the patient is incompetent (a story for another thread) we are not at liberty to discuss specifics with family.

Nurses DO have to assess and interpret lab values in practice. I do this every working day of my career and have since day #1. If I notice my patient's ANC is zero, I know that I have to educate the parents about neutropenic precautions and reinforce fever guidelines. I don't need the MD to tell me "your patient's ANC is zero, that means he is neutropenic" because I know how to assess lab values for neutropenia. If I am reviewing lab values and see that my patient's K+ is 2.4 and don't do anything about it because nurses don't "assess and interpret lab values", am I blameless if my patient develops an arrhythmia that could have been prevented if I had notified the MD and sought an appropriate order for a K+ bolus? I have had patients in the hospital who were ordered for PRN Mag boluses for Mag levels less than 1.2. If a patient's Mag level came back at 1.0 and the nurse didn't administer the bolus because she, as a nurse, doesn't "assess or interpret lab values" and the patient's level continues to drop, whose fault is it?

As far as privacy goes- there's nothing in the OP's post that suggests that her father didn't want her to know his lab values. If I am sitting at my mother's bedside and ask the nurse a question, he/she can ask my mother if it is ok to discuss this with me. My mom would most definitely want me to know because I have medical knowledge that she does not have and I have more time to explain it to her than a nurse with 5 patients would. When my grandfather was dying, I was only a junior in nursing school but I was still the one who had to interpret all the info for my mother and uncle. Dad very well could have told the nurse that he wanted his daughter to have this information because she is a nurse and can help him understand it.

If the patient gives us permission, yes, we can discuss things with family members. Thou shall not fear or misinterpret the HIPPO. The family member who is unable to give permission due to LOC or a/o status is the one that I check and double check who can and cannot be given information. A/O pt with the family member (daughter/wife/son/husband) at bedside? Do we really look at them and say, "I can't give any information to you because of privacy policies." The patient would, 9 times out of 10, look at you like you're crazy.

There are always exceptions, I know. I've encountered a few of the dysfunctional ones, and I pass it on in report and document in a note. But, we have to think about it, not just proclaim "privacy policies" and leave family members in the dark. "How are you related?" is one of my first questions to visitors. The second cousin twice removed. Nope. No info. The daughter the patient lives with? YES!

Yes, even with family members at bedside, the rights of the patient come first. Period. And the patient is free to discuss what they want to with family. You can not assume anything other than that. We can lose our jobs for that stuff. One nurse had a patient who was on Viagra. That the wife had not a clue about. Stated to patient something regarding the medication, and lo and behold, opened a huge can of worms. You can not and should not get into the practice of discussing anything regarding the patient because family members are present. They do not have a need to know, unless the patient wants them to know.

Nurses DO have to assess and interpret lab values in practice. I do this every working day of my career and have since day #1. If I notice my patient's ANC is zero, I know that I have to educate the parents about neutropenic precautions and reinforce fever guidelines. I don't need the MD to tell me "your patient's ANC is zero, that means he is neutropenic" because I know how to assess lab values for neutropenia. If I am reviewing lab values and see that my patient's K+ is 2.4 and don't do anything about it because nurses don't "assess and interpret lab values", am I blameless if my patient develops an arrhythmia that could have been prevented if I had notified the MD and sought an appropriate order for a K+ bolus? I have had patients in the hospital who were ordered for PRN Mag boluses for Mag levels less than 1.2. If a patient's Mag level came back at 1.0 and the nurse didn't administer the bolus because she, as a nurse, doesn't "assess or interpret lab values" and the patient's level continues to drop, whose fault is it?

As far as privacy goes- there's nothing in the OP's post that suggests that her father didn't want her to know his lab values. If I am sitting at my mother's bedside and ask the nurse a question, he/she can ask my mother if it is ok to discuss this with me. My mom would most definitely want me to know because I have medical knowledge that she does not have and I have more time to explain it to her than a nurse with 5 patients would. When my grandfather was dying, I was only a junior in nursing school but I was still the one who had to interpret all the info for my mother and uncle. Dad very well could have told the nurse that he wanted his daughter to have this information because she is a nurse and can help him understand it.

I said nothing about not notifying the MD. I am saying that as nurse, we do not (at least in my neck of the woods) take it upon ourselves to discuss lab values with a patient. We certainly should bring it to the attention of the MD, but as far as getting into values with a family,or with a patient until the MD has reviewed and decided what to do to treat-- this is different.

And one should not get into the habit of asking the patient in front of the family member if it is "ok" to discuss anything with said family member. And in fact, maybe Dad did say "tell my daughter and not me" or something of that nature, but we all have to be mindful that no matter how well intended, some patients just don't want family members in their business. Period. And if they are alert and oriented, THEY can share what they want to.

Another scenario is a triage situation when a family member wants to come in and be part of the medical decisions....no can do, sorry, but until we have the opportunity to ask what is needed, and ask the PATIENT in private who should know what, then I can only say "I will have the MD speak with your Dad about this"......

The patient has a right to privacy. The nurse gets into hot water when discussing medical diagnosis with family.

Specializes in Hospice.

Besides, unless you're the designated POA, he can't discuss labs or much of anything else with you without Dad's permission.

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