I just want to vent about something that really burns me. Recently we had an orthopedic surgeon's wife as a pt (I think about 2 months ago). Someone from admitting and marketing was up to the floor every hour to check on her, and there were repeated calls to the floor from both of these departments to "check up on her and find out what's going on." We were all told that she was a "VIP" and should be treated as such.
Now, I don't know about you ladies, but I treat ALL OF MY PATIENTS the same, and provide excellent care to the best of my ability. And as far as I know, all that "checking up" on her is pretty much a HIPPA violation. Those people are not in direct patient care and do not need to be updated on her status, am I correct?
Well, this patient's best friend was up in labor this week, and it was the same story. Admitting and marketing up to the floor to check on her, calling about how she was doing . . . we directed her to the pt's room if she wanted to know how she was doing. She was asking the family if she could get them food and drinks, or anything at all they needed . . . it just really miffed me because all pts should be given the same consideration!!!!
I dont think there should be VIP's...everyone should be given the best care. However, if I am working OB, and a friend delivers there, you bet I'd be on the phone letting know to take extra good care of her. Unfortunately everyone doesn't get extra good care all the time.
I would be extremely offended if someone called me to tell me to take "extra special good care" of one of my patients. My response is the one I heard another nurse make "I give excellent care to all of my patients". Do people honestly think if they don't ask for good care, I'll provide bad care? All a phone call like that would do for me is make me angry.
I had a charge nurse move my patient out of his private, waterview room to make way for her OB/GYN who was being admitted to our cardiac floor. Her rationale was he was a DOCTOR and what did the patient care anyways, since he had dementia and didn't even know where he was. I was speechless. And believe me, there were other available beds, just not the coveted "waterview".
Here, if any of our employees or doctors are in the hospital for any reason, they are generally given the least used rooms in the back hallways since they are the most private. Their names are usually listed as Mr. X or Ms. X on the preprinted report sheets and on the patient status board (this awful board that lists the room #, initials, doctor, and diet of every patient in the joint) they are simply listed as X.X.). Those rooms in the back hall have only a view of a wall, are the only one that haven't been remodeled yet, and in general are the worst rooms in the hospital. They are also the most quiet, most private, and least likely to be spotted by visitors, other patients, etc...
It is amazing how in a small town people get to know the doctors and hospital staff and expect special tratment from them where ever they happen to be. I was in a few years ago with a kidney stone and the woman in the next room would walk over and stand in the doorway and talk to me...she also asked me to go refill her water pitcher and to see if I could find out when her doctor was coming in...grrrr...I ended up closing my door, unplugging my phone from the wall, and requesting a commode instead of going into the bathroom (we have a bathrrom between every two rooms...rooms are essentially private except for the shared bathroom).
It is not uncommon for people to recognize hospital employees outside of work and expect us to let them go ahead of us in line at the movie, to carry their trays in a fast food restaurant, or to help "mother" across the icy parking lot...here doctors and hospital employees are far from VIPs!
I actually had my baby at a different hospital than where I work! One of the minor reasons was so that I didn't have a barrage of co-workers coming to see me, or looking me up in the computer system!!
Here, pt's can elect to be "no news" patients. that means that if anyone calls for them, we have to say "not a patient here". if you send flowers/cards to them-sent back. you can call directly into their room, for example, if they give you the number, but the nurse's have to tell you that they aren't a patient here. on the name board up front, that has the room number/pt last name/nurse's name it will say "swenon" as the last name. on the outside of the chart, too. (swenon- "no news" backwards)
that's what a doc did when she was a pt on our floor.
I worked at a hospital while pregnant several years ago. I delivered at that same hospital. The baby was very large (10 lbs 8 oz) and it was a difficult delivery. I returned to work 12 weeks later and the nursing supervisor said "it is nice to see you back. I am surprised your crotch healed that quickly." I was appalled! We were standing at the nurse's station with several other nurses, patients, and families!! The nerve of some people!:angryfire
In 1999,My daughter had a set of twins in the last hospital I worked at and the hosp. was going to close in the near future. So my grandsons and my daughter were treated extra special because they were the last set of twins born there. When we all transferred to a very large sister hospital, some of the ob/l and D nurses went to work in the ER of our new hospital. I crushed my big toe last week and my daughter and one of the twins went with me and several of those nurses were working and just fawned all over my grandson. It was so cool that they remembered him and my daughter. She wasn't a VIP but they had fond memories of them. Those nurses are still some of my friends and always will be
Then you have the flip side. A couple of weeks ago, one of my postpartum patients was the wife of a really prominent cardiac surgeon. She was the sweetest, most unassuming woman. She also worked in health care, but she emphasized that she and her husband wanted to be treated as new parents, NOT as medical professionals. "I'm just a mom right now, and he's just a dad. Don't assume we know everything about our baby because we surely don't."
Neither of them ever once acted like they felt entitled to anything more than our other patients were getting. So of course I fussed over them just because they were incredibly cool people.
Gotta love people like that.
My good friend was in similar situation for her last delivery - dh is cardiothoracic surgeon. She registered under her maiden name so no one in his large practice would even know she was admitted. This was family time, baby time... . Only immediate family and the soon-to-be Godmother were allowed to visit. Only time I have held a baby under 24 hours old...
VIP= all patients I don't really know what I would do differently if I tired.
We have contracts with several major league sports teams so we have allot of VIPs.
Funny thing is twice I have had VIP patients and not even known it.
First time was when I was pretty new to L&D. My director called me to her office where she and a very important looking guy in a suit thanked me and gushed about the "special" care I had given to his daughter. After he left I asked who he was. As it turned out he was the CEO of the corporation that owned our hospital. To this day I'm not sure who his daughter was but I'm assured that I did in fact take care of her and as I tend to be hard to confuse with the other nurses (being the only male) I guess I must have.
The second time was with this couple that I just really clicked with. They were great, very down to earth and friendly. You know the types that just make you glad you came to work that day. I didn't know who they were until a few weeks later when they sent me some really nice shirts and jackets with his name and sports team on them. The funny thing about this one is that when he told me his name I had said "why does that sound familiar?" and he just laughed looking back it makes more sense now.
Other than that when I get VIP's I just pretend I didn't hear it. It doesn't change anything for me. However if Administration wants to fawn over them they are welcome to bring them drinks and put mints on their pillow as long as they bring me some too.
I can see extra measures to protect privacy for (even local) celebrities, but otherwise, what would you do differently?
I've been told I got special treatment when my boys were born (dh's sister worked at the hospital) but I don't know what would have been different. I felt like hell after bleeding a whole lot. Hemoglobin either 3.5 or 3.9 the first morning... 5.1 when I went home 4th day. My family members wanted me to eat, and would try to tempt me with food. Did they drive the nurses crazy? Or maybe I did when I wanted to wait to take a shower until dh brought some shampoo (I thought he'd be back quickly, but he took longer than expected) but then ... in my opinion, the shower was a bad idea. Lucky I didn't pass out. Took every bit of energy I had plus some.
Speaking of... is it common to send someone home with 2 newborns (and breastfeeding) and a hemoglobin of 5.1? The way I looked at it, I could be miserable at home or miserable at the hospital, and I preferred being miserable at home. But 4 days later I got a transfusion and things were SO SO SO SO SO much better.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Seems to me, someone was "asleep at the switch" in your care. You should have been requested to allow a blood transfusion be given you---- LONG before discharge--- given your story here. I am sorry this happened. Truly, this has nothing to do with "VIP Care", here, but basic good care anyone deserves.
ER1010
92 Posts
I dont think there should be VIP's...everyone should be given the best care. However, if I am working OB, and a friend delivers there, you bet I'd be on the phone letting know to take extra good care of her. Unfortunately everyone doesn't get extra good care all the time.