nowinsituation

Thank you all so much for your comments! I feel 100% better I take criticism very hard. I'm sure you all understand that desire to deliver the most compassionate care :redpinkhe Then to have a physician yell at me..I had not had that happen to me in YEARS and then to insult me and state it's inappropriate and lawsuit worthy, I felt like how could I have been inappropriate when I have such a great repor with this RP. (BTW we lavaged this clients ears in April.) And of course, in this lawsuit society, I wouldn't want to put myself at risk.

My relationship with the resident's daughter was not effected at all, daughter is a sweety, she was not upset at all, she just wanted to know why it was worth putting her Mom through a out visit, remember this is a client with alot of anxiety. It was the MD and the NP who chewed me out and lectured me about how inappropriate my saying "tumor" was, MD yelled I should NEVER say anything like that, NP asked if I read nursing journels?why I didn't know better??, NP also stated that I was lucky that the client does have a brain tumor because if she didn't and then was diagnosed, we could be sued. Which I thought was a awful thing to say. I can't figure out how we would be liable?? I also don't feel like I did anything wrong but didn't know if that was from my own ignorance?? We do have a otoscope, but no way would I take on the responsibility of determining whether a ENT consult was indicated and worth making transportation arrangements, private duty, putting the resident through tons of anxiety..I feel that is the physician's responsibility. BTW the evening shift nurse told me that the NP never looked into the ears herself as she said she would. The tumor was diagnosed as benign, inoperable, and on the brain stem back in '02, MD and NP were also unaware and added to progress note ASAP!!! Daughter has agreed to a ENT consult. I was wondering if true if a lawsuit could occur as physician and nurse practitioner have claimed for something like this?? I was really upset when physician chewed me out and had thought I was doing what was in the client's best interest.

I recently was in a tough situation, and made a comment I now regret but still feel a bit of fustration! I take care of a 86 year old lady with multiple chronic illnesses, she has some dementia and anxiety issues. The RP is her daughter, who is very sweet and I have established a wonderful repor with over the last year or so that I have taken care of her mother, I have built a relationship of trust and respect, (which is not always easy in LTC). The resident has recently had c/o her ears "not feeling right", they "feel funny", she c/o of not being able to hear from time to time. I reported to MD and requested he check her ears...after more than one request the NP writes an order for a ENT referral, our SW contacts the daughter, who questions why? Daughter fears the out trip and visit would cause her mother alot of duress as her mother doesn't even like to leave the floor for the ice cream parlor! SW calls me and states she called MD to clarify for the daughter and MD requested the nurse look in resident's ears, so SW was asking me to do so!! I felt this was inappropriate. Daughter also asks me why the ENT referral and does she really need to see a ENT? Seems there is no communication going on between MD and RP...I am once again the middle man! I told the daughter I can not make the determination if resident needs ENT, daughter really struggled with decision, she kept putting it back on me..finally I said it....the words I deeply regret but then again I don't. Resident fell x3 in short period, I called the daughter to report, daughter asks me if I think it could be related to ear c/o, again asks if I think she needs to see ENT..I replied that we colud not know until evaluated because it could be anything..she continued to ask questions and ponder decision, I stated her ear c/o could be from nothing or something very serious, I gave example of either wax build up or God forbid, a tumor. The daughter then states, "My mother does have h/o a brain tumor in the base of her brain, didn't you know?" Nowhere is this in the resident's medical record, I even checked with medical records, I called MD, who was furious and scolded me up and down for my comments....he said NEVER should I mention a diagnosis, we can be sued. But I found out my client has a brain tumor..I was asked my opinion and put in the middle of a situation, I said the problem could be anything, trying to get out of makng the decision myself. I am usually very careful about what I say, and I am always asked my opinion and for advice from family members. I was trying to help this daughter make a decision and learned something of my resident past medical history. But I made a huge, "No No" and am feeling very uneasy. Anyone ever done something like this??