So, yes, I had another one of those days where............things just kept going wrong. None of my meds were in place to be given at the right times............but I dealt with it. There were some errors made by the shift before me that required me to spend time sifting through the mess of "who ordered what" in order to make sure...........what was ordered was really.........well, what was ordered. I handled that fine, no hitch. Had a very needy pt. in the room next to my assigned patients who didn't feel her nurse was up to snuff in fetching her all the things she wanted and decided to recruit me as her Denny's waiter to fill in the gaps. I kept my professional face on despite having much more pressing things to attend to and made her happy. I had a very complicated D/C that needed to be completed by noon (the pt. scheduled herself for things to do starting at 2pm), and made sure it got done.........................only to have the room filled up MINUTES after that pt leaves............filled with a very heavy post-op pt. Said post-op pt. had a spouse who was very afraid for her and very concerned about her well being..................and needed a little bit of attention himself. I made sure he got it and that she was comfortable, all the while completing the mess of an admit that was half done by "same day" before she was rushed off to surgery (because the float nurse was at lunch). I haven't even mentioned the dressing change with the lady who could barely move and was in a lot of pain nor the older gentleman who wanted to talk about baseball all DAYANDNIGHT.................
I'm not tooting my horn or throwing the poor me's out there. Just saying.........the recipe for disaster was there, with a ingredients very fresh and oven warmed up ready to bake. But I handled it without getting attitude or letting care drop off (or so I thought).
It came to the end of the day. Family members are leaving, going home...........some thanking me on the way out. I'm all caught up.........charts are neat and tidy with all orders taken off correctly, meds passed, pt's comfortable, "I"s dotted and "T"s crossed etc etc......................so I feel pretty good. Don't even mind the fact I am working all weekend.
Then the daughter in law of my one problem pt. steps out into the hall to create a scene. Yes, she's a former nurse (of course) and oh..............this is just unforgivable. See, I gave her mother her Zosyn two hours late. How is she going to get any better with care like that? And to boot, I tried to give her mother heparin in her IV instead of SQ like it was ordered. Am I trying to kill her now?
OK. Back up the truck, lets look at the facts: Said mother (the pt) was just one of those "I am in control" types. She wasn't happy unless she was sure you understood this................and, well, I thought I had heeded to her this boundary as she desired it so. She commented to me as I took her antibiotics in that the night nurse had been very late with said antibiotic during the night. I looked at the documented time of administration............it was about an hour late. Pt. wanted this one I was giving held for an extra half hour...........so the were not too close. OK. You da boss.........gotcha. Came back and administered antibiotic half an hour later as directed........saw no reason not to do it this way if thats what made her happy.
Guess that request was not enough of flexing the muscles though. I took the next Q6 antibiotic in later on in the day and...........well, no way, she wasn't having it. Wasn't willing to take it until 10 pm (it is now quarter till four.............antibiotic due at 4). I went through why I didn't think skipping a dose would help her and all.......................talked her into letting me hang it at 6pm. OK, its late as heck but she got the dose and its sooo much better than 10pm.
Six o'clock rolls round..............I'm going in to give now VERY late Zosyn and guess who is there. The daughter in law. She is livid because her mother's antibiotic is late. Seems mommy changed her story on why she did not have it running already when daughter in law got there.............told her I was busy and she missed the dose, had not seen me all day. Then, to add logs to the fire, made up this story about me trying to put heparin in her IV................
She succeeded in getting the spotlight off herself and onto me. Daughter pranced around like she owned the place with this "Alice in Wonderland" Queen "off with their heads" attitude. I explained what had gone one, but of course she wasn't hearing it.
So, now I'm fired by one pt...........on an assignment I spent the day making everything right on. Yes, I'll be on a different assignment tomorrow, daughter in law does not trust me to care for her mother soooo.............
I'm sure I'll be in the manager's office defending myself come Monday.
So is this how we are graded? A day in which I have to work miracles just for simple care to be given and............one oddball makes the whole day an epic fail?
Shesh..................."Team Nurse Burnout 45, Team Eriksoln 10".
I have to say that yes, the original post was long, but I did not think there was a length limit. So, for those who requested a shorter post, I wag my pointer finger at you!
I do agree that I would not have allowed the patient to dictate what time her medications were administered. If she wanted to refuse, let her refuse, and document in a note the entire story to CYA.
What was the deal with the heparin? Did the patient lie? Or did you almost give it IV?\
Erik, I do hope your next shift is better, and I commend you for your valliant effort in trying to keep the peace with your many dramatic patients!
I enjoy your posts Erik but find them a bit long. Maybe keep it shorter next time?
Don't worry, everyone has bad days. Quietly take the daughter somewhere & explain how busy and caught up you are - tell her what you said on here, re tidying up after the last shift etc. No-one is perfect and you are not superman, though people - for some weird reason I've never figured out - expect nurses to be miraculously wonderful 24/7.
She is just another member of the public who does not appreciate any care that is given to them or their family.
I have to say that yes, the original post was long, but I did not think there was a length limit. So, for those who requested a shorter post, I wag my pointer finger at you!
I do agree that I would not have allowed the patient to dictate what time her medications were administered. If she wanted to refuse, let her refuse, and document in a note the entire story to CYA.
What was the deal with the heparin? Did the patient lie? Or did you almost give it IV?\
Erik, I do hope your next shift is better, and I commend you for your valliant effort in trying to keep the peace with your many dramatic patients!
LOL. No I didn't try to give the heparin IV.
She refused her heparin too, and I think she came up with that story in anticipation of me telling her daughter in law she refused it.
If the OP had documented the reasons family was refusing care as they were refusing it, wouldn't that help when it came time to talk to DON?
"If" the OP had documented? lol
I've been around long enough to know, even if your documentation backs up your claims...........it doesn't help much. But yes, I had all her refusals documented, long before the daughter in law showed up too.
Erik, never shorten your posts! You have a quirky sense of humor which ensures that your posts are entirely worth taking a little time to read through!
I hope you're not stressing about this, as you have no reason to. You have attended to the necessary documentation and I'm quite sure your DON is perfectly aware of your capabilities, which, given your masterly coverage of what sounds like a chaotic shift, quite outweigh the dishonesty of one old battleaxe. As for Battleaxe Jnr, I don't think there's a nurse alive on the planet who doesn't know what a -holes we can be when our own families are hospitalized! (Note please everyone, I said CAN BE, not ARE), so her words won't weigh heavily with the DON either.
At least you can warn your successor to contact the MD as soon the old girl starts her nonsense again....
Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.
I'm sure I'll be in the manager's office defending myself come Monday.
So is this how we are graded? A day in which I have to work miracles just for simple care to be given and............one oddball makes the whole day an epic fail?
When I discuss issues with my nurses, I don't ask them to defend themselves. I know all my nurses must work extremely hard to provide 1st rate care.
But when we don;t meet expectations, I'm there to investigate and seek a resolution. I just want openness and honesty
I'd suggest printing out your post...highlight the most pertinent parts..."THIS is what happened,"
Have a good weekend & know that your efforts are appreciated by the majority of your other patients
Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.
That is why I won't work in hospitals anymore. I would rather work for wallyworld!
Amen to that. My last hospital job was in 2009 and, boy, am i glad to be in hospice now. These family members in acute care can very easily get a nurse fired.
Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.
Yeah but ... we can explain how busy we are etc etc in Australia and expect them to understand.
We are still allowed to (politely) tell our p'ts to behave
However the US seems to be a different kettle of fish. I'm sure the p'ts there don't even want to know the nurse has other p'ts or is having a particularly demanding day ..let that slip and the p't gives her/him a poor score and/or makes a complaint.
Then it could be all downhill from there.
Blame our politics and lawsuits for the entitlement we see in this country.
Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.
Sounds nice, but there are people who WILL NOT listen or hear anything you have to say. Mama said this happened and thats the end of it, there are no excuses and no explanations no matter how accurate/truthful/honest you are. Daughter will not go anywhere quietly nor listen to anything.
OP: when stuff like that happens, I write a quick note to my boss about what happened and why, so she hears my side of the story first and is prepared when the complaint comes in.
I've done the quick letter writing and even a morning phone call to managers the next morning, and, always they take the side of the of the family and patient. This is why i have a problem with management; though there are many other problems with them, of course. I've often wondered if management ever tells the family that "so and so" nurse was fired because of all the problems she caused the patient. I'm sure some family members check to see what discipline was doled out. Warms the cockles of your heart, doesn't it?
Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.
If the OP had documented the reasons family was refusing care as they were refusing it, wouldn't that help when it came time to talk to DON?
Depends on the DON. They usually still blame the nurse even if the documentation is up to snuff because management knows how much trouble a family member like the one described by the OP will cause, and the DON, of course, doesn't want HER head on the chopping block. Better to throw the pt's nurse who caused this trouble under the bus, instead.
Then, to add logs to the fire, made up this story about me trying to put heparin in her IV................
resumecpr
297 Posts
I have to say that yes, the original post was long, but I did not think there was a length limit. So, for those who requested a shorter post, I wag my pointer finger at you!
I do agree that I would not have allowed the patient to dictate what time her medications were administered. If she wanted to refuse, let her refuse, and document in a note the entire story to CYA.
What was the deal with the heparin? Did the patient lie? Or did you almost give it IV?\
Erik, I do hope your next shift is better, and I commend you for your valliant effort in trying to keep the peace with your many dramatic patients!