OrangeSlushie

https://babylonbee.com/news/scotus-rules-healthcare-workers-are-the-only-people-who-cant-make-decisions-about-their-own-health

The nurse, if the Canadian story is true, either gave the wrong medication or violated the patient's right to refuse. If I gave the wrong medication or violated a patient's rights, I'd feel like I deserved a punch, but that's just me holding myself to a high degree of accountability. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I condone violence. But if I had to choose between being punched or sued, I'd probably pick punched. But I digress... If we're just talking about being on the receiving end of violence as a nurse, then yes, it happens. Sadly, it's frequently part of the job. I don't condone that either, btw, but a dementia patient or an early-onset Alzheimer's patient don't always realize that you're there to help them. I've never been physically abused by family members though.

That is the definition of free speech. Just because I may not agree with something that somebody says, it does not give me the right to prevent them from speaking. As my dear wise father used to say "I may not agree with what you're saying, but I'll fight to the death for your right to say it." We've lost that sentiment as a country and it saddens me. That is how division comes about. One side villainizes the other, believes whole-heartedly that they are stupid and/or evil and need to be silenced. When was the last time you recommended to someone who was having relationship problems to NOT talk about the problem to the other person in the relationship? Well, this country is in a serious relationship problem and we need to be able to talk about things, all things. What is truth shall be seen to be truth and what is nonsense will be seen to be nonsense when the sunlight is allowed to shine in. Forcing silence is the worst option, and sadly, so prevalent in this age of censorship.

I looked up the original story on a Canadian newsite since the incident was supposed to have happened there. According to that article: "They say he accused the nurse of vaccinating his wife against her consent and repeatedly punched the nurse before leaving the store." Kinda changes the message here. https://canadanewsmedia.ca/quebec-man-punches-nurse-in-face-for-giving-wife-covid-19-vaccine-campbell-river-mirror/

The NH I worked at got hit by covid fairly early on in the pandemic madness, when the news was still saying people were falling over dead in the street with it (remember that?). Administration was sure it was a staff member that brought it in. However, myself and other nurses know it was the readmit we had to accept back from a sister facility, who, despite having had a negative test the day he got sent back to us, became bedridden and had to be fed by staff within the next 2 days and actually passed the day they were going to re-test him for covid. The facility that returned him to us was having an outbreak at the time. Since we was still mobile the day he re-admitted, he was around a lot of other patients on his unit all day (all of our residents were supposed to stay in their rooms per the pandemic protocol, but you try telling an alzheimers/dementia patient that). The next residents who became ill were other dementia patients who he had been around that first day. The first staff member who tested positive (the CNA that admin was so sure was the person who brought it in) had floated to his unit that day. The next set of residents to get ill were the patients on a different unit that the CNA worked the next night, followed by a bunch more staff. By the end of it, all but 4 residents and a small handful of staff tested positive. Anyway, it doesn't really super matter ultimately how it got in. What mattered was that our PPE protocol at the time was embarrassing and completely ineffective for infection control. Since PPE was in very short supply (surprise, surprise, we had no stockpile going into covid and NHs didn't get priority for receiving any new supplies) administration's solution was to place one gown into each sick resident's bathroom. Every staff member who entered a room to wear to interact with that patient was expected to wear that same gown. Of course, we were also instructed to wear masks until they fell apart before we could get a new one. TLDR: In my personal experience, a patient brought it into my nursing home. However, it was lack of PPE and poor administration choices that let it flourish.

This is when I try to be proactive with my families. A lot of families feel like they need to keep Mom (or whoever) a full code because they do not understand health care and think if they say DNR that it makes them monsters who don't care if Mom dies. We, of course, know that isn't the case at all. It's our job to help them understand that.

It is common practice to give all evening meds at the same time it seems. What I'm always left wondering, is why not change the med times? Clear it with the MD and then make the time you like to give them the official time! I'm a day-shifter who occasionally works over into evening. After it's officially evening shift, I run into this constantly: "Only two pills? Where are the rest of them?" During the day I follow the MAR faithfully and never have any trouble, no matter what unit I work. But evening, it's a totally different story. And then the nurse coming in to relieve me makes me feel like a chump for not passing all of their meds. If you know these patients won't take their pills after they go to bed, why not change the administration times?!? Sorry, it's something I find very frustrating. I'm a rule follower by nature, so giving somebody their 8pm meds at 4pm just feels wrong. Change the times or give them correctly. And if the MD doesn't want the times changed, should you really be giving them early?

The only complaint I know of was from a family member. I was in the middle of a long treatment on another patient. This lady wanted me to come listen to her husband's cough, despite the fact that I hadn't heard a cough for the first 7 hours of my shift. It took me probably 20 to 30 minutes to finish the treatment that I'd been doing, then I came to listen. No cough. I stood in his room for fifteen minutes (that I didn't have) just to hear his 'cough'. His lungs were clear on auscultation. The next day she complained to the administrator that she had to wait for 2 hours for the nurse to come listen to her husband and then the nurse 'didn't even do anything.' I think she wanted me to get an order for cough syrup or an antibiotic that he didn't need. Or maybe she just wanted me to act all excited. I don't know. Needless to say, I didn't get in trouble. But it's annoying when you're doing everything you can to help people & families have these unrealistic expectations of you.

Stop using 'teamwork' as code for 'please do all the annoying parts of my job while I do the easy stuff.' Don't let me hear in report that somebody's abdomen is distended when in reality they look like they're about to give birth. Maybe somebody should have called the doctor two days ago?!?! At least three different nurses were perfectly ok with that. REALLY?!? Just because I chose not to procreate & you did, does not mean that I am obligated to pick up all your holidays. Especially the ones that aren't paid holidays. Stop acting like I'm the worst person in the world because I didn't have time to do all of your 12 point to-do list you so kindly left for me. Maybe if I didn't see you gossiping, looking at ads, and going out to smoke 2-3x during the first hour of your shift, it might motivate me to get all of your stuff done for you.