Other side of the bed...

[LLC10]

Not sure if this is in the correct place but move me if needed. :)

I have posted before that I love 99.9% of my nurses. Thought I could get some feedback on how to handle this particular situation. My mother is a nurse & I have run it by her but her being my mother...well you know. Lol. Just want to be sure I'm not a PITA patient like this nurse made me feel.

Went to ED with uncontrollable chest pain. 42, F pt., severe CAD & PAD, 3 prev MIs, no drug use ever, not diabetic, not overweight blah blah blah...Let me add because I am on the younger side & female (these issues started at 37) I get the "Gosh, you don't look sick." Even my doc agrees that people make quick judgments based on the fact they usually deal with an older group.

Was admitted, obviously, overnight with elevated troponin level blah blah blah. I pride myself on being a good patient. I never ring the call button. I am overly polite, I say thank you for everything. I don't ask for stupid things like snacks, drinks, a four course meal, fix my pillow etc. You're my professional educated nurse, not my maid. Jeez, I even give other pts that give nurses a hard time the side eye.

Anyway, during the night, as much as I tried (right off the bat my nurse was not warm & fuzzy & that's ok) not to bother her, my chest pain would not let up. I needed meds to alleviate the pain. I had not had any since the ED many, many hours before so I wasn't being a "clock watcher". I knew I was not having an MI (or I would have had to call a code on myself to get someone in to me lol) just more pain than I was willing to deal with in the hospital.

I did use the call light. They answer over the intercom, annoyed, that someone would be in. 25 minutes later she arrives, aggravated as if I had done something to her & asks me: "Do you really need meds?" I am a strong woman but I started to sob. She made me feel like I had bothered her & was some junkie loser. Once she saw I was so upset, she ran to get the meds and said: "Ok, ok here." and gave them to me as if she was doing me a favor.

I know everyone has a bad night, day, week, year & I know that I am not the only pt on the floor. I sooooooo get that. I am not selfish & like I said, with my mom being a nurse...Christ...we had to have a bleeding amputated limb to go the doctor. Lol.

Anyway, how do I handle this next time? Now, I tend to feel reluctant to go to the hospital (which could kill me) & that's awful because they are the closest to my home & in emergencies such as this, I have to go there. Not to mention, my heart problems aren't going away. It is progressing unusually fast and med resistant. Ugh. Thanks for letting me vent. Like I said most of the nurses I deal with are just great. I appreciate it but I swear if your floor has that one nurse that is angry at the world & quick to judge, I will end up her pt.

Sorry so long. Thanks again.

[RN403, BSN, RN]

"Anyway, how do I handle this next time?"

A lot of hospitals have a system in place where you can dial a number on your patient phone and get immediate assistance if you feel your safety and health is being compromised. Perhaps you might try that in the future if you feel that your health is deteriorating and no one is responding.

You could also reach out to the charge nurse/nurse manager on the floor and relay your concerns.

[sissiesmama, ASN, RN]

LLC - wow! I'm so sorry you've had to go thru all that! We sound like we have some things in common.

I just turned 44 and have been in the ER and inpatient for more than just a couple of admissions - cardiac issues as well as a CVA and +MI. They found my issue - an ASD but at my age I had damage that couldn't be corrected by then.

Anyway, I had a seizure and my dh called 911 - I was transported to the ER- the same ER where I worked until I had worked before I had to retire. Most of the time I had NO problems or complaints with my care. But this time, it was just ridiculous - the way I was treated by 2 nurses - it was just insane - even to the point where they stood outside my door and made fun of me - to the point where I had to hear "she threw up that K+ on purpose because she didn't want to go home and wanted it IV.,."

My K+ on arrival was 2.0 and I can guarantee that was not my plan for the evening! Dh is a nsg sup at the same hospital - I didn't really know what to do because I didn't want him to get negativity from anyone by me saying something. I finally did - it was handled appropriately thankfully. Turns out I wasn't the only pt that had issues like that with her and she's no longer there.

At least think about saying something - the person I talked to was nice about it - I was worried I would get even worse treatment from said nurse if she knew I had said something.

Sure hope u feel better! Hugs!

[LLC10]

Thank you so much. I know I should have said something but part of me feels like I would get even less attention if I am known as the patient that "rats" nurses out. I know that's insane thinking that I would even hesitate...

[LLC10]

Oh I can't tell you how much your reply means to me, sissiesmama! Thank you. To think you're a nurse & you still were treated that way! Unreal.

I oh so agree with you...as if I manufactured 3 MIs, 14 stents & a bunch of other surgeries just to get attention or meds. It would be easier to go to my local "street pharmacist" if I was only interested in narcs that don't actually work for me anyway.. Ha. I even had a nurse demand to see my groin scars because she didn't believe I had fem pop so here I am at 3 AM exposing my business to prove it. Lord help me, read my chart...I can come up with a better, more entertaining story then "Hey..wanna hear my Fem Pop story?!" Lol.

Like you, I have overheard some questioning me, judging me...ugh. I'm no wimp but it is so awful to experience. As if I'm at home just plotting a way to get to hang out on the cardiac floor with (God love them) the senior citizen crowd, connected to 3 machines all the while Gertrude decides to push her commode on my side of the room & actually use it. True. Story. Sigh...Lol.

[RN403, BSN, RN]

Thank you so much. I know I should have said something but part of me feels like I would get even less attention if I am known as the patient that "rats" nurses out. I know that's insane thinking that I would even hesitate...

I don't think it is insane. I think the behavior on behalf of the nurse was inappropriate and deserves to be reported. I'm sorry you experienced this and hope you have better experiences in the future. It's hard enough being sick. Trust me, I know! Best wishes.

[AdamantiteEnigma]

Thank you so much. I know I should have said something but part of me feels like I would get even less attention if I am known as the patient that "rats" nurses out. I know that's insane thinking that I would even hesitate...

Seems pretty clear that your care wasn't appropriate to your situation. If you are having pain, then that's it, you are having pain. That's what it is, and it's my job to address this immediately.

Whether we were friendly and conversational, or whether you gave me the stink eye whenever I appeared has no bearing whatsoever on my ability to do my best to address your concerns. Given your description of events, I believe you should have been offered the option for pain relief before you had to call for it hours later. Though I do understand that miscommunications can happen with new floor transfers. I've done assessments where the patient denies pain on arrival and had that change a very short time later. Of course this has happened most often while I am in the middle of another task, haha. It's not my place to judge your motivations in asking. It's my duty to safely provide you relief. If it takes me a little time to get there with something for you, I always apologize and explain why. This is what has always worked for me.

For the nurse to actively give you the impression that you are being a burden for having an issue that requires attention... This isn't what we are taught. And it isn't what the overwhelming majority of us do. I do think you need to discuss the matter with the hospital for two reasons:

1. There is no reason I can think of that you should be left to lie in pain overnight without intervention.

2. The nurse you are referencing likely will benefit from intervention from superiors. While the intervention could potentially include a disciplinary action - it's more important that the practitioner understand better how to approach pain in a more proactive and ultimately positive way. This also benefits any other patients this nurse would have contact with in the future.

If you call me to move your pillow around a milometer at time repeatedly, I will be annoyed. But you won't know that. Because I wouldn't take it out on you. Though I do reserve the right to vent while I'm on break haha.

Hope that helps!

[LLC10]

Thank you. After awhile of being in the hospital, you start to lose your mind. I don't know how nurses like all of you do it. I wouldn't last 5 minutes.

[LLC10]

Lol @ at pillow turning. I would NEVER ask for a nurse to fix my pillow. I could be half falling off the bed in a full body cast & I still wouldn't ask.

I'll never understand pts asking for the most ridiculous of things. Granted with cardiac issues I'm always in with the oldies (most are wonderful fyi) but some think they are at the Ritz (for the price I really should be :)). Constant bell ringing or my biggest pet peeve...not using the call button at all and just yelling out "NURSE! NURSE!" 200x instead.

Hence why my nursing career would last all of 5 minutes. I would have Ativan at the ready for every pt & their visitors or maybe it should just be given to the nurses upon each shift. Lol.