katfishLPN

Worse is happening in Maine!

:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

This is a great article!! Please give it a look. (I am not speaking to anyone specifically) I am also a huge pain management advocate and I do take this subject quite seriously. Nobody should have to live with pain.

So you "still medicate because you don't know for sure." To play devil's advocate, what if you did know for sure? Would you not medicate them? How would you know for sure? I honestly don't think there is anyway to know for sure. That is the entire point. So I just don't understand the reason nurses try to figure out which ones they think are drug seeking. I really think everyone should read the link in "I love my cat!"'s post.

Chenoaspirit, If you read this correctly I clearly did not ignore the complete content of your post. I am glad you were just "entertaining" yourself because I actually take this subject quite seriously. I don't know why you have taken the time to argue with me when it seems on the whole we agree that nurses have the responsibility to medicate a patient when requested without assuming we know what their pain level is. Now I am through beating a dead horse. GOD Bless

Chenoaspirit, I did not twist your words around, just quoted it as you wrote it.

Very true you will get different answers from different people. My rule of thumb that has served me well these past (yikes) 20 years I have been nursing is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, err on the side of caution. That is what always runs through my mind when I have a decision to make. I learned that after I had a LOL fall and I was a brand new nurse. I had never seen a broken hip before so I assessed her and thought her hip was broken. So I went and got another nurse who had been a nurse for over 30 years. She looked at it and told me "No her hip isn't broken." So I didn't go with my own assessment but instead listened to the more experienced RN. I am an LPN so I assumed with her RN and more experience she would know. Well come to find out the next day they did an x-ray and yep indeed her hip was broken. I felt terrible that she laid there all night with a broken hip! So long story short err on the side of caution, listen to yourself and make sure you do thorough documentation! Good luck in your career :)

How about the quote "I finally blew"? No someone can not plan to be in pain but if they are a chronic pain patient/sufferer then they can pretty well set their time by the pain returning as the med begins to wear off and request a pain med before that occurs. That is not an unreasonable request. So sounds like your opinion did get the best of you in that instance. Enough said though sounds like you got the point. As nurses we can not assume what another persons pain is and if they have orders then it is our job to medicate the patient period.

I would be very careful about thinking (assuming) you know someone else's pain. You can't possibly no matter what you think.

:yeah::yeah::yeah:I couldn't have said it better myself!! Any nurse that thinks otherwise really should attend a pain seminar!!

I would love to know how "you just know" when somone is a drug seeker?

My sister recently had a tumor the size of a softball removed from her colon. I was with my sister through both of her natural delivery pregnancies and I know how she deals with pain. She is very quiet and basically meditates to "Go out of herself" as she describes it to deal with severe pain. Well, after surgery I spoke with my mother who was there with her and my mother told me my sister was in severe pain. I spoke to the nurse and the nurse said to me "Your sister is sleeping and I am not going to wake her up to give her pain medication" When my sister is in severe pain it is difficult for her to deal with anything but concentrating and so yes it may seem like she was sleeping but I told the nurse she is not sleeping and I told her how she deals with her pain. Assuming the nurse would medicate her I hung up and called back later. I found out that no indeed the nurse had not medicated her and my sister had been laying there for hours in agonizing pain! So I got in the car with my 2 little boys and drove the 2 1/2-3 hour drive to get there and dealt with the nurse myself. Believe me as soon as I got there the nurse got the doctor on the phone and they got the appropriate dose and timing (not PRN) and my sister was not pain free but she could tolerate it for the rest of her post op stay. The doctor came in the next morning and apologized for my sister not having adequate pain control the day before. I was really angry that the nurse didn't try to assess my sister more thoroughly than just see she had her eyes closed and assume "Oh if she is sleeping she can't be in pain". I know you are a new nurse and you have a lot to learn in the real world but I think a pain seminar would be a great investment. You can not think you know or assume what another person's pain level is no matter the circumstances. You really have to believe what the patient is telling you. We are not there to judge our patients but to assist in treating them. If the doctor has written the order for pain medication then that is between the patient and the doctor.

(((((((airforcewife2000))))))):icon_hug: I am so sorry that you were treated that way! A CMA is a very important part of the healthcare team. Don't let her make you feel bad! I am sure there are plenty of patients that appreciate your care. So definitely keep your chin up!!

I live 2 1/2 hours east of Seattle. Here in Central Washington it is a desert climate. It has been 97 degrees for the past 3 days. It does get up to around 115 further along in the summer. Actually this summer so far has been pretty cool. A/C is mandatory!!

Please let us know how it works out for you. Good Luck!!:wink2: