Patient Education

[abundantjoy07, RN]

Is is normal for patients to be uninformed? Several times, patients and their families want to know what's happening, why certain things are or are not being done. What the results for the bloodwork, MRI, CT scans show. Why one medicine has been substituted for another. Etc., etc., etc.

Sometimes a patient will have a diagnosis, for example CVA. So, I'll go in and assess them and ask what is going on with them. And they will tell me they don't know. No one has told them anything. And as far as they know it's just a bad case of right arm numbness with a slight facial droop and nothing more. :uhoh21:

The physicians spend 2-3 minutes a day with patients and usually their assessment and interaction with the patient is very brief. But why are they not educating during that time as well? Sometimes it seems like they are so disconnected from the patients.

My question is why aren't these patients being informed? I realize a great part of my job is to educate, but many things that should be conveyed by the attending physican. Why are so many patients being left in the dark?

[maryloufu]

But why are they not educating during that time as well? Sometimes it seems like they are so disconnected from the patients.

My question is why aren't these patients being informed? I realize a great part of my job is to educate, but many things that should be conveyed by the attending physican. Why are so many patients being left in the dark?

The physician should be telling them what is going on- we can give education- but we can't tell them their diagnosis. I was in the room the other day when some residents came in to talk to the patient, they did not introduce themselves or say hello, 3 of them stared while one of them talked. It leaves the patient feeling like 'What the he!!?'

And this is not patient education, but along those lines, The doctor says- "I will discharge you in the a.m." Writes no orders or scripts and does not come to the floor until the next evening. I hate that.

[BlueRidgeHomeRN]

patients often don't understand what md's say because they hide behind "medicalese". while a postpartum nurse, i was in the room while the md came in. patient had unusual labs after a high risk pregnancy and emergency c/s with bleeding and infection. after the md left, pt burst into tears.

"i'm so sick and worried and he called me an idiot (sob-sob-sob)!

sat down at the bedside, held her hand, and explained "idiopathic thrombocytopenia".:smackingf

[jessiern, BSN, RN]

"i'm so sick and worried and he called me an idiot (sob-sob-sob)!

sat down at the bedside, held her hand, and explained "idiopathic thrombocytopenia".:smackingf

reminds me of the patient i had that the doctor ran in real quick like and told her he just had acute appendicitis. she blushed and said thank you...when he left the room, she was outraged, and announced "my husbands going to hear about this, that doctors got some nerve telling me i've got a cute lady parts"

another pt admitted for dyspnea got upset when a nurse left her work cards in the room by mistake, and he saw "sob" for his diagnosis.