Rant:How NOT to be a nurse

Jaykalkyn, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2014

This saddens me, but sadly, it happens more often than not. I don't understand why anyone would become a nurse who didn't have a genuine interest in caring for people. It can't be the money because there is more money to be made in many different fields. I have chosen to leave the oil and gas accounting field to become a nurse, and trust me, i'm leaving a ton of money on the table to do something that I feel like is meant for me to do. For me, its not about the money, its about the people. And while I have 3 semesters to go before I graduate nursing school, I am currently working in a hospital as a tech just to experience that environment. I see some of the nastiest attitudes from nurses and fellow techs alike. Its not even funny how much profanity and attitude is present when referring to patients. I just pray that my attitude and compassion never wanes.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Jul 28, 2014

Speak with the charge nurse immedietely.

Ask to speak to the unit manager today. Be factual in the fact that your grandmother fell as she was left on the toilet by herself, that her call light was not in reach, and that she was wearing a restraint device. (That one needs an order for, has some restrictions regarding use, and perhaps the MD wouldn't order it, therefore why is was not attached) However, gram seems oriented enough to not have to use restraints as opposed to call bell.

Address her needs for pain control, and ask that there be PRN's available for breakthrough pain.

Then, I would ask to have a family meeting with the case manager to talk about plan of care.

ponymom · Jul 28, 2014

I've seen them all in my time as a nurse.

I've found call lights deliberately left out of reach (behind the dresser), filed fall-paperwork (on a fall-risk left on the toilet for >20 minutes), pulled sheets out from under a resident (who was deliberately wrapped up in them), and had family members come to me >1+ hour waiting for a PRN pain med and Rx breathing tx (from the other unit). Urine- and feces- stained bedding, bandaids not changed (that became worse). Tx not done in 24hours. Mouth care not attended to for weeks. People not fed well or rushed along where the poor souls cannot even enjoy their meal. Rooms with clutter not picked up for days. Feces-soiled toilets not cleaned after use because their are too many more residents that need attention.

People (staff) trying to short-cut, and not have to constantly deal with call lights, residents getting OOB, etc.

Staff getting jerked around in scheduling and mandation. Staff serving as the 'fall-guy', when the root cause is understaffing. I've seen a few really good, kind-hearted and caring aides and nurses, unit managers and ADON let go when the problem lied with a higher-up.

Obviously these are nothing new to most of us here. Of course these are not acceptable, but they happen. And the most common reason they happen is understaffing.

I love these elders very much. I dislike nursing homes very much. The way elders are cared for in this (ahem) civilized country is close (if not) to criminal. When I went to nursing school, I knew right away I wanted to care for elders, but after a few years in these 'homes', I was tired of beating my head against the wall.

Nurses are their own worst enemy, they can remedy these situations, but being that this field is female-dominated, it probably will not happen, at least in my lifetime.

Nola009 · Jul 28, 2014

I would like to hear all sides of this story.

roseynurse345 · Jul 29, 2014

I would call the DOH on this hospital for placing your grandmother in a restraint. There was no reason for it, a fall is not a justification. You have the right to complain and state usually takes unlawful restraints as a serious matter. Just remember when your grandmother gets her survey from the hospital be sure to write all the problems observed on the unit.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jul 29, 2014

If my grandmother ever told me that they "took away her call light because I use it too much" , I would have demanded a house manager (nursing supervisor) immediately. That is abuse. She would have been moved off that unit. No way would I have let that go. Even if in the evening.
I have never ever taken away a call light for someone "calling too much". That is awful. You need to go to administration first thing in the morning.

THIS.

Do not pass go; let administration know what happened, FACTUALLY, like yesterday. :yes:

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jul 29, 2014

I have a question....why was a CRNA at the bedside on the floor and why did they need to speak to the MD for orders? If that nurse is passing credentials that they do not posses...I would be all over this in a heartbeat....there are bigger problems here.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Jul 29, 2014

I have a question....why was a CRNA at the bedside on the floor and why did they need to speak to the MD for orders? If that nurse is passing credentials that they do not posses...I would be all over this in a heartbeat....there are bigger problems here.

The CRNA at the bedside, from what I read in the OP, is the actual poster of this thread. 'M' in the dialogue below is the nurse on the floor.

Me: hows her Bun/creatinine , maybe we could give her some toradol

M: did you speak with her doctor? They’re here in the morning.

Me: No I wasn’t here in the morning

M: Ill write the doctors name on a piece of paper, and you could speak to them tomorrow morning

Me: Yea but she’s I pain NOW. I’m sure you have a nightfloat or an on call resident who can come assess her

M: are you a nurse or something?

Me: Yes. I’m a nurse anesthetist

M: Oh …wow. Okay I’ll speak too the doctor.

T-Bird78 · Jul 29, 2014

Hope your grandmother's okay! I'd report them in a heartbeat and ask the doctor how long it took him to respond. Maybe they did call the doc but got no answer the first several times (unlikely). I was a pt in the ER and when a bed finally became available I was shown to my curtain area, told to lie down and they'd be with me shortly. I put a sheet on my stretcher bed and was almost lying down when I saw the call light--hanging on the opposite wall, way out of reach. I had to get back up, figure out how to get it from the wall, grab a blanket and pillow, and lie back down. When they finally connected my IV I used it to tell them my IV was running low and would be out soon. I knew a 2nd bag had been ordered. An HOUR after my IV bag was completely empty I sent my mom down the hall to find someone to change my bag out. I'd been having severe abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea and still hadn't seen a doc.

LoyalWeim · Jul 29, 2014

I am concerned that this may be a common theme. My brother was very sick with Pneumothorax last year and spent 5 days in the ICU. His lungs collapsed twice: once because of incorrect insertion of the vent tube and a second time because incorrect insertion of the chest tube. These errors were discovered days later by a different doctor who had decided to have a look at the x-rays (taken after these tubes were inserted). The doctor literally apologized for the hospitals' errors knowing that he was suffering needlessly. These were errors by the attending doctor.

However, during this time I also witnessed the head nurse and three others trying to figure out why an O2 sensor was beeping at them. I asked if I could help and she said that this machine was different than what they were used to using. I followed the clear tube from the machine and found that it was open on the other end where it apparently had pulled out. Then I witnessed another nurse that could not figure out how to unlock my brother's patient bed. Coming from an engineering background and having worked for three years as a test engineer for a medical company, I knew I could probably help. After sucessfully unlocking the bed, I proceeded to show the nurse how to do it. As for the pain meds... my brother was in a tremendous amount of pain and the meds did not come freely. I thought maybe they do this to prevent possible "drug abuse" from the patient? I don't know... but I felt terrible for him! It seems like they fear patients becoming addicted to the medicine or something.

In the above cases, I am not trying to be critical of the nurses. I can certainly empathize about how bewildering technology can be. However, it seems that many are not truly comfortable with all the features of the equipment in that room nowadays. They have become more capable, but also more complex. On top of this, it seems that new equipment differs from the old and this causes a lot of confusion for the nursing staff. Both the O2 sensor and the bed were new models and therefore unfamiliar to the staff.

I am sorry to hear about your grandmother. I hope she has made a full recovery and you are once again able to enjoy the blessings that are grandparents!

Regards,

LW

dudette10, MSN, RN · Jul 29, 2014

In the above cases, I am not trying to be critical of the nurses. I can certainly empathize about how bewildering technology can be. However, it seems that many are not truly comfortable with all the features of the equipment in that room nowadays. They have become more capable, but also more complex. On top of this, it seems that new equipment differs from the old and this causes a lot of confusion for the nursing staff. Both the O2 sensor and the bed were new models and therefore unfamiliar to the staff.
I am sorry to hear about your grandmother. I hope she has made a full recovery and you are once again able to enjoy the blessings that are grandparents!
Regards,
LW

Unfortunately, education of staff on new medical devices is usually limited to a one-time demonstration by the medical device company rep or the staff nurse educator. If the nurse educator does it, everyone has to be present at one of a few demonstrations. If done by the medical device rep, it's whoever is working that day. If the nurse educator isn't working at the time a nurse needs assistance, the nurse needs to hunt down the device documentation or troubleshoot with another nurse who is more familiar with the product. More than a few times, I and our coworkers have been found huddling around device documentation or the computer for online skills demonstrations, trying to figure stuff out. Our new device education does not provide competency; it only provides exposure. Believe me, this is troubling for nurses and patients/family members alike.

I'm sorry your brother had to suffer incorrect procedures, and it's unfortunate that your trust in the nurses was damaged by inadequate device education.

LoyalWeim · Jul 29, 2014

That is exactly what it was like. There were about 4 nurses huddled around the O2 machine trying to figure out what it was saying. My trust is not lost on the nurses because as I said I have a pretty good idea how challenging it can be with new technology. If forced to blame anyone, I would point the finger at the hospitals procedures/policy for keeping nurses up-to-date. I still have great respect for nurses, believe me. I think something is missing here though to help them be more confortable, up-to-date, etc... with regards to equipment. Perhaps my experience is not at all typical. Any active nurses out there can provide some input? Do any of you experience anxiety or difficulty using the equipment? Do you have issues with retraining on newer models?

Oh, now the mistakes with my brother's tubes *have* created a fear and distrust of doctor's competence. Two errors back-to-back. The vent tube was not fully inserted and so it became blocked and caused a second lung collapse. It was literally life-threatening because the doctor rolled my brother over and how did my brother put it... "stabbed me in the back without any pain medicine".... the second one was a chest tube. It too was inserted incorrectly only this time the tip of the tube was contacting my brother's diaphragm. So his lung collapsed again.... it was truly awful. On top of all this, instead of my brother being in the ICU for 1 or 2 days he was there for 5. He was liable for about $4000 in bills that were the hospital's fault!

Regards,

LW