Tell me this doesn't happen all the time.

Nurses General Nursing

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This past week my daughter had to go into the hospital for some female surgery. I didn't accompany her because her husband was able to and because she had been scheduled for 12:30PM. I called her, at 9AM to wish her luck, when my oldest granddaughter told me, her surgery had been moved up to 8AM. Unless something bad happened, I expected to talk with my SIL in the evening. Before saying anything more, my daughter does not like to stay in hospitals. She always ask for the earliest possible discharge time. She was admitted overnight. She saw a nurse when they made rounds to change shift 7PM. And when she asked for the foley to be removed. No one check her op sites or her packing. And when it half dropped out, the nurse grabbed it and jerked it out. She did have an IV but it was never checked. It inflitrated and she had to call for someone to remove it. Needless to say, by 10:30AM she was ready to flee.

I haven't worked on a surg. unit in twenty years but I am appalled at the lack of care she received. Because this hospital is a for profit I am encouraging her to write a letter to corporate headquarters. I was a patient, in the same hospital last Christmas. And I received excellent care. My status was assessed several times a shift. I saw my nurse regularly. My care was excellent.

Is the norm for a surgical unit or an overnight patient?

GrannyRN65

Specializes in LTC, OB, psych.

I would have said nothing, but since the people sent a survey form several weeks later, I suggested that the PCU staff be up to speed on pain control (the hospital has a policy of erring on the generous side with pain. Was practically a gork on Demerol during a stillbirth there, once). And I did gently suggest to the nurse in charge of my son that I agreed with her coworker. So it's not as if I was ratting on her.

But . . . this is hijacking grannyRN's thread, so this will be all I have to say about it.

I also have been a patient, as well as a staff nurse (including the one my daughter was in). I have received a wide range of care, from excellent to 'I wouldn't let them take care of my pet cockroach's broken antenna (also in the same hospital). I didn't jump to any conclusion, mainly because I have been a patient in all three hospitals in my county, in two in another and in one in a third. And my admissions covered a twenty year period, with multiple admissions for surgical, as well as medical problems. My daughter has been in the hospital a total of five times, in three separate states, in four different hospitals, with the exception of the birth of my grandchildren. There have been times when both I and my daughter have been label unco-operative or extremely demanding. And there have been times when I deserved such a label but more often then not, I did not. I have also been label a frequent flier, which I readily admit I am. Asthma tend to make you one. But I do not suffer fools easily and neither does my daughter. Explain what or why, if it is reasonable, you get our immediate co-operation. It was something I learn as a young nurse, patients will accept a reasonable explanation. And there are a few that will not. Those get passed to a supervisor or their physician, after I explain my reasons-it has saved me a lot of problems. And I make sure I chart the incident.

Regarding the patient with the complaint about the IV. I have had K IVPB. It burns like **** and it is barely tolerable. If she was complaining because she couldn't wear her bracelets, you will never change her mind. Chart it and be done. And make sure you tell the powers to be.

I don't believe my daughter was unreasonable. I think some reacted to her questions for an explanation. She did not take her issues to the nurse manager or supervisor, but she also felt she would not get a response to her issues. Her surgeon questioned her as to why she had demanded the removal of the IV and foley. They nursing staff apparently did not share her complaints, only her demands. I take issue with the staff for doing this. When she had a problem with one of my nurse's during a hospitalizations, she took her concern to the supervise and spoke to the DON, as well as the nurse manager.

In general, the nurses at this hospital are good to excellent. They provide explanations and attempt to resolve issues. There are a few, who do not. And they apparently are all on the surgical unit. Nurses who failed to meet their patients needs, generally patients go home without complaining. They do complain to the members of their community. And those people come in, watching for mistakes. And they get label. It becomes a vicious cycle. There have been threads where nurses complain about their facilities make sure there is customer satisfaction. They and their facilities fail to see that those problems can be satisfactorily resolved if staff worked with their patients, instead of expecting everyone to follow their directions without question.

GrannyRN65

I would have said nothing, but since the people sent a survey form several weeks later, I suggested that the PCU staff be up to speed on pain control (the hospital has a policy of erring on the generous side with pain. Was practically a gork on Demerol during a stillbirth there, once). And I did gently suggest to the nurse in charge of my son that I agreed with her coworker. So it's not as if I was ratting on her.

But . . . this is hijacking grannyRN's thread, so this will be all I have to say about it.

No, you are sharing your experience. And an illustration as to how one'sa words and actions can be misunderstood.

GrannyRN65

Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

I've read a few more of these posts (not all of them).

I as a RN would NEVER interfere with someone's dressing until the surgeon or their intern/RMO/registrar had seen it, and I never remove sutures without a Dr's order, even if the patient demands it. I've seen nurses do this and get into huge amounts of strife. I've also seen wounds split open and it has caused infection, more IVAB's, more time in hospital, discomfort, etc.

And granny, it doesn't matter what was happening with the nurse, or whatever was going on. Ur daughter has a right to complain and if she thinks she received substandard care, then that is her perception of the situation. It all doesn't sound very good to me to be honest, from what u have posted.

I always explain to my patients what I am about to do, so they know what is going on, ie with wound checks etc, and I always say to them if you aren't happy with something, tell me and we can try & fix it. Everyone has the right to complain if they aren't happy, but I always say tell me first so I can try to rectify the situation.

Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

ADD: This why I have been putting off my hysterectomy for so long. I've worked in hospitals where women were lying in pain and the nurses were in the nursing station, not doing post-op washes, on the internet, laughing and carrying on - it really, really put me off (this was a public hospital). The lack of care sometimes - from nurses and Drs - was deplorable. I sometimes think women's surgical problems are not taken as seriously as they should be.

To answer the question about the packing, which my daughter did ask, 'it was falling out, it would have continued to do it.' end of explanation. When I worked on a floor, I never removed a dressing, an IV or a foley, unless I had an order. The exception to the IV was when i was infiltrated, it was removed and restarted.

I do admitted I pulled a foley, re-inserted a new one; started two IV'; drew a number of labs; ordered two stat x-rays, while I was waiting for the attending to call me back. I knew him, I trusted him, and I knew he would give me the necessary verbal orders. I did it to a male patient who was a direct admit from home and who was circling the drain as I worked on him. I did it thirty years ago and have not done it since. I have never met a physician I could trust as much as this one.

What happen to my daughter happens, sometimes with too much regularity. Nurses and physicians are rude, to patients, to families, to one another. I can accept rudeness from a patient and a family. I cannot accept it from other nurses or physicians. As I posted, I do not suffer fools well, especially when they are caring for me or a love one. I will let a student practice starting an IV or passing a foley or a nasogastric tube. But if a peer causes me pain and continues, after being asked to stop, I will not lie there quietly and suffer. No patient has to tolerate or accept sub par care and treatment. Nor should patients be label because they are upsetting us for some reason. I left my problems at home. I expect my peers to give me the same courtesy. I learn a long time ago that I cannot satisfy everyone but I can sure try, as long as I am the one providing the care.

GrannyRN65

Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

OP you have been firm and fair. The worst thing in my exp. is to be a nurse, not able to be a nurse with a family member at the bedside getting care that we may feel is not in line with how we practice.

My daughter has recently been a patient, and I've been comfortable enough to go when she was on life support, and then felt ill at ease to not leave her for a second. So I DO, DO understand, in my own way.

I learned through a lengthy recovery, that there are good with the bad and I never left with the bad. In fairness, you have been given excellent alternatives such as packing falling out and being yanked... packing DOES fall out and you want it yanked quickly. My patient last shift, had a perfectly good IV I drew labs from at 5am. day shift came in and it was infiltrated. I felt like crap, but it really happens and you do know that, an IV assessment could have occurred and you all didn't see it.

I have no intention of minimizing your issues and beefs, you are absolutely allowed them with your concern as to "is care slipping on the floors?" I hear you, if it was my daughter I'd be all up in it, and I was too.

My point is that now, we can't change the experience. What value can you bring to talk to a manager about the staff to inhance better patient outcomes in the future. We can't fix yours, and I'm very sorry about that. BUT if you can think of specific examples that staff needs to do to improve further care, I'd schedule an appointment with the manager and clinical instructor and be prepared with a solid list of improvements to be gained for the future.

Sure a beef session, which you don't seem to need can make a person feel better... but the goal is to improve the next patient, so when your family is a patient again, it's different, more comfortable and it feels safer.

There are excellent ways to make changes that you have spoken to, here is not one of them that will make any difference. Just a suggestion and a prompt. If you feel this strongly, have the meeting, as a nurse, you are the BEST person to change practice knowing how to go about it.

The part about your daughter being handled roughly sounds like a pt. rights violation which can be reported to the department of health immediately. Needs to be investigated. Situation can be reported to the nursing boards as well.

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