Many of us know how to be good nurses, but are unaware of the actual patient experience. I wanted to share some of the good/bad aspects of health care from a patient's view. Moreover, I believe that having both the patient's and the nurse's point of view enhances my nursing ability. I tried to be both humorous and honest in my article.
As healthcare professionals, we may forget how to be a patient. We love our patients, we sometimes get frustrated with our patients, and occasionally we will BE patients. I had the opportunity to be an inpatient at the hospital I worked at. I found out several things during this experience I would like to share with you. Perhaps you can relate.
The ER is scary, and while my nurse was pleasant, the doctor intimidated me. The waiting room was busy with frightened patients, angry patients, and crying children. I could barely concentrate on my forms and felt terrible and dizzy and nauseated. I had just found out my H & H was very low when I attempted to donate blood. The doctor looked at me like I had lost my mind, which is understandable. I had just thought I was
I admired the amazing IV and bloodwork skills, but finally understood how uncomfortable the IV catheter is in the antecubital space. It was like a huge splinter that annoyed me whenever I made the mistake of moving my arm. Once I was on the floor, I had my RN re-stick me in the forearm. She said she understood how I felt-she'd had IV's placed in the AC too.
It is very embarrassing when the hospitalist ordered an occult blood sample x 3. I did not want my caretakers to see my poop. I never thought twice when I collected stools from patients, but I felt embarrassed.
I didn't want food before the NPO status, but as soon as I knew I couldn't eat, I felt ravenously hungry.
Everything and everyone looks different from a supine position.
Hospital gowns are horrible. The prep for my procedure was horrible. Having funny, compassionate nurses and nursing assistants make the most awful things a little better.
The IV "colonoscopy cocktail" is the best thing ever-except it makes you tell the whole truth to whoever will listen. If there's something you don't want everyone to know, plan your visitors accordingly.
Having a list of medications you're taking makes life so much easier for everyone involved.
Laughter is good medicine. I know everyone differs, but I loved laughing with my coworkers. It calmed me down and made me feel normal-even in the horrible gown, even when I was choking down
It is very hard to look good in the hospital. My hair was a rat's nest, I was very pale, and and my skin felt oily. I worried about how I smelled. I wished I had a razor, or had taken care of shaving my legs before my hospital visit. I wanted my teeth brushed before anyone assessed me, every day. As you may know, assessments happen all the time.
You can't lie about your weight when you get weighed daily. Nor can you hide the smell of your GI bleed poop.
I realized that to be a good and competent nurse, I needed to "practice what I preached". I took better care of myself because I was aware of how easily health can slip away. I know it seems obvious, but I also know I'm not the only nurse that does this.
I realized how truly exposed you feel as a patient. I still get nervous going to the doctor-even for check-ups. Kindness, professionalism, and humor matter. I think that my experience as a patient made me a better nurse.
Oh yeah and zofran is a joke. Even though I had a Dilaudid PCA doesn't mean my pain is being well controlled. I was so loopy that I didn't really speak up plus I used almost the whole syringe by the next morning. Toradol worked so much better for me.
I had a L total knee replacement in Feb 2015 and I was really pleased with the doctor, the OR staff, the nursing staff and PT. while the doctor never told me to start doing PT weeks before the surgery, I had done my research and started water aerobics and gym daily the month before surgery. Consequently, at 4 weeks post op, I was doing better than most of the doc patients at 6-8 weeks.
i had have an IV placed in my R hand prior to surgery....not a good thing when they're pushing pain melds every 3-4 hours. Also, I had a nurse tech stand at the sink, rinsing out my washcloth and handing it to me to help with my bath. I had to tell her several times to just fill the basin, I could bathe myself. Jeez!
the nurses were really good about stressing don't get out of bed by yourself. So when I called, they came. They were also really good about handling pain Meds.
One of my coworkers was admitted a few years ago. I found out that they were extremely shy, but it was ok, I would call into the room and say "Nursey, your left arm limb lead is off!" At which point they would fix it and say "How's that Carlsey?" Problem solved
Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.
I have multiple major medical problems and have been hospitalized between 15-20 times in the 9 years I have been a nurse. Being a patient is humiliating, frightening, and when you know you are either not getting good care, or you're getting appropriate care but the caregiver makes it obvious they couldn't care less about you, it makes you angry. And you feel like you don't matter. And it makes you stop talking and acting like you're better just to get OUT of the hospital. Of course I want to be a competent, safe nurse first and foremost. But I never want a patient to feel like they do not matter to me. If they feel like they aren't getting the right care, I want them to tell me. If they feel like no one cares about them, I want them to know I do. That their life is worth saving. Because you really do get to a point where you feel like it's not. And that is a terrible place to be.
When I was hospitalized a tech had started to take my blood pressure in my forearm. Since there was no need for her to do it there, I asked her ( in my dilaudid- induced slur) why she was taking it there and not on my upper arm...and she said that she can take it anywhere where there is a pulse.. So I said something like, " Well that's not best practice to take it where you are and your reading won't be as accurate as it could be !... And I'm a nurse ...!"..and on and on I went ... I was so irritated, like who is training these people?! It's funny now, because I'm sure I sounded like a drunk as I was trying to school this tech.
OK, so here goes my question but first: I am not in the medical field but have been treated often in the last 3 years. Inpatient for hip replacement - 4 days/3 nights. Outpatient for HDR Brachytherapy, Prostate Cancer, Prostate Imaging, IMRT - 25 sessions, Prostate Biopsy and tons of office exams. Mostly female doctors and nurses office staff.
My question(s) relate to how you interact with a male patient. How does a female medical work with a male that will be exposed, poked and prodded internally or examined?
Modesty - yes. Consider their feelings - yes. How about if they are just nice and positive in how they interact with you or the other end of the scale? Some men are closed in their feelings, some are open.
Me personally? No issues with my care. Always was necessary and explained. But I am interested in more than the above. How did you learn to be the way you are with patients?
I had my knee replaced 3 months ago. Oh my God, the pain. I was not prepared for how much it was going to hurt and how long I would have no energy. They don't really tell you that in the beautiful book the surgery center gave me. They did some pretty good medication teaching. Except they gave terrible advice on laxatives. They aren't kidding about the constipation. Senokot is what worked finally, for me. I had hallucinations on oxycodone. I thought there was a fire in my living room. And physical therapy pushing you to do your exercises. I hated my therapist because he had no compassion. After a couple more weeks I realized he was compassionate. I think it's hard for them to push knee patients. I had my surgery in a new surgery center. It was pretty innovative. They gave lots of meds pre-op and in the recovery room. Great job, I felt pretty good waking up. Used a bedpan for the first time in my life in the recovery room. I didn't appreciate being put out almost immediately after I got on the operating table. I would have liked to look around a bit. Greatful for lots of information on the web. It helped me to know what to expect. This nurse practitioner who thought she knew everything needed more comprehensive information.
I ended up teaching the staff how to draw labs off my central line: the first time my nurse said she was calling the oncology floor to see how to do it (I was in isolation, not the onc floor)(dingblasted flu&cellulitis). So I walked her through it, next morning had 6 people around my bed.
Also made several of my nurses very nervous, as they were supposed to come do start of shift assessments, and I was their assessment teacher in school. Just told them they weren't getting graded on it :)
Had my wrist cuff there, still on chemo post double mastectomy, and they didn't have one. So come VS time, I would just hook mine up and run it while they did the rest.
Worst was when my call bell fell off the bed, and I couldn't reach my oxygen after getting back in bed after using the bathroom, and was too dizzy to get back up. Had to wait for someone to do rounds (contact isolation, door shut, etc.)
Purely PO'd at the lab tech that barged in at 0430 (I had finally dropped off at 2), flipped on all the lights, banged the door open with no iso on, and announced loudly she was there to get my AM labs. I swear she had a look on her face that was enjoying my being startled awake and jumping. Told her off, we do labs at 0630 and the NURSES do it off my central line. Dang!
I know lab has to start early to get the whole hospital's AM labs done before morning rounds, but there are better ways to do it.
Tried to stay off the call bell, but sometimes ya just gotta call....
I have multiple major medical problems and have been hospitalized between 15-20 times in the 9 years I have been a nurse. Being a patient is humiliating, frightening, and when you know you are either not getting good care, or you're getting appropriate care but the caregiver makes it obvious they couldn't care less about you, it makes you angry. And you feel like you don't matter. And it makes you stop talking and acting like you're better just to get OUT of the hospital. Of course I want to be a competent, safe nurse first and foremost. But I never want a patient to feel like they do not matter to me. If they feel like they aren't getting the right care, I want them to tell me. If they feel like no one cares about them, I want them to know I do. That their life is worth saving. Because you really do get to a point where you feel like it's not. And that is a terrible place to be.
As an inpatient it is very humiliating, frightening and degrading at times. When nurses or doctors make comments such as I've seen it all or we do this all the time, it does not help. It does not make the modest or shy patient feel better at all. I often wonder what happened to the stool that was always in the room that the doctor sat on to talk to a patient rather than looming over them at the foot of the bed. It is very scary when the patient or family member can tell the caregivers don't seem to care or they are an inconvenience.
As an inpatient it is very humiliating, frightening and degrading at times. When nurses or doctors make comments such as I've seen it all or we do this all the time, it does not help. It does not make the modest or shy patient feel better at all. I often wonder what happened to the stool that was always in the room that the doctor sat on to talk to a patient rather than looming over them at the foot of the bed. It is very scary when the patient or family member can tell the caregivers don't seem to care or they are an inconvenience.
When my Mom (a nurse) first met her pulmonologist, she was a patient in the hospital. He came in, introduced himself, pulled up a chair, and sat back with his legs crossed.
Mom & I both relaxed. I realized that it was the first time I had relaxed since she had been admitted! Here was a doctor who was going to listen without rushing her through the H & P. Someone who would take the time to be sure she actually heard him. And he stayed until all her questions had been answered.
weirdscience
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Love Toradol!