SharpKid

I worked on a surgical unit for many years. Patients often NEED their pain meds when they ask for them. This was not a problem if it was reported to the next shift. Later, when admin wanted the effectiveness of the pain med charted, 30 minutes to 1 hour after it was given, many nurses on the next shift refused to do that when making their initial round at the beginning of the shift (within the time parameters) after being asked politely. "I didn't give it, I not going to spend 1 second charting it". Occasionally, one of the day shift nurses would stay a few minutes late, and chart the effectiveness. Then we would get dinged (if not written up) for charting it after 25-29 minutes instead of 30 minutes. It was a no-win situation. This caused some very hard feelings, and many nurses transferred out of Med-Surg.

I graduated with a BSN 45 years ago. It was a two day test, and I vaguely remember doing well because I studied every day after work. If I had practice tests now, and plenty of time to study (I don't), I could probably pass, but not do well. Also several years of being a nursing assistant probably helped.

Just recently my 80 y/o brother died, after a fall off the porch and fracturing C1 and C2. He was walking his huge dog (140 lb) who bolted after some deer, and pulling him off the porch and causing the fall. 911 was called immediately, CPR was initiated, he was shocked once, and went into sinus rhythm in the 50's. The police were also there the whole time. There was 1 other witness who watched everything, and talked to the MD's and hospital staff. Then he was transported to the ER, intubated without anesthesia, and moved to ICU. The ER doctor also had the records and statements from EMT's. The ER doctor agreed with me that if my brother pulled through this that he would probably be a quadriplegic. Later that day, I requested an EEG, which was done that evening. The next day we learned that he had very little brain activity, and the intensivist had a discussion with the family: his wife and daughters and me. His wife made him a DNR (my job was support for her, I had no legal role). He was extubated the next day with only immediate family present, and had his celestial discharge within a few minutes. The intensivist assured us that there would not be an autopsy, or any problems or questions about his death, as he had reviewed all the records pre-admission including the police report. The funeral home was called, all papers were signed, and we went home to grieve. Later that day we found out that an autopsy had been requested, and the hospital would not release his body to the funeral home. We later figured out that his daughter requested the autopsy just to spite her step-mother, as she had never liked her, and routinely bad-mouthed her. I went online and found out that any family member can request an autopsy in this state, and that the rest of us could do nothing about it. Eventually, nothing fishy was found, but the funeral was delayed for an entire week, which greatly upset my elderly sister-in-law. The fact that the police and EMT's reports were reviewed was helpful in proving that my sister-in-law had no hand in foul play. Still, I resent my bratty niece for requesting the autopsy just to spite her step-mother.