Venting about pt. care-

[lpn1313]

My mother was admitted to the hospital with pancreantitis Monday night. Here's my beef- I was right at the bedside, and I know they didn't tell her what was being given. They just came in and grabbed the IV line. My mother was in a lot of pain, but she was still very coherent the entire time. That was the ER.

Moving right along, Mom goes up to the floor-by now it's 5AM. A really nice nurse comes out to talk with me to get info since my Mom said it was OK. Nicest nurse I've met so far. I leave thinking, Maybe just one bad apple. Come back around 11:30 that morning, Mom's not a happy camper. "No one ever answered my call light" OK floor must be busy. I can relate. Spend afternoon with Mom, assisting to BR, help her try to find comfy position. Only time I see Nurse-and only knew she was nurse because she was hanging ATB- was when IV needed to be hung. Never told Mom what the ATB was, I read it off the bag after the nurse left. Getting a little upset now. :uhoh21:

Mom asks for run to house for underwear, so when my Sis-in-law gets there I figure it's OK to run out. After I leave, Sis said nurse came in to hang IV ATB. When I return 45 minutes later, IV pump alarming that there's air in the line. My Sis and brothers say "It's been ringing like that for the past 40 minutes, we called them three times- no one's come." I, trying to stick up for my profession say " Shift change" and go to the unit sec and ask her to find a nurse to help with IV. 15 minutes later, I get tired of waiting and fix it myself :angryfire No one ever came in to check it.

So, Mom's upset-'Damn IV won't shut up'. Hurting- PRN meds-can't find the nurse. I tell her I'll stay late to be with her. Nurse cames in and tells us I have to leave now, visiting hours are over. Mom tries to get me to stay- nurse says no. I write Mom a note as to when she can ask for pain med, as I watched nurse give at 2100. Go Home.

Wonderful nurse form night prior calls me at 6AM. Moving Mom to ICU. Tell her thanks for calling. Go in to see Mom that AM. She tells me that she asked for PRN at 0100- Q4H order- told she couldn't have it. ICU nurse does the same thing ER nurse did. Come in push med-have to ask to find out what. I find myself reading IV bags and explaining what's going on to Mom. Still saying to myself- 'Mom's not that unstable, there's worse here' Nurse looks at me as though I have three heads when I ask questions. Mom's wondering how people who can't keep track of med times ever get any, because it takes 30 minutes for her to get meds after she asks.

Next morning, same nurse. Same ' Who the hell are you?' attitude. No mention of what's being done. I'm reading IV bags again. Finally I tell nurse that I am also in healthcare- never said nurse. Suddenly I'm supposed to have social conversations with her? I don't think so. Meanwhile I'm helping Mom with positioning, mouth care etc.(Gotta love toothettes). Next shift comes on. I can hear report from the room-confidentiality anyone? Outgoing tells incoming "She has an order for demerol Q3H PRN and she knows exactly when she gets it" and didn't say it nicely, either. Oncoming nurse assesses Mom. Seems nice, tells Mom she can't have pain med, but she'll bring it when it's time. Mom finally dozes off- can't sleep for longer than 10 minutes at a time. Nurse wakes Mom up for something Mom again requests med. Nurse says "You can't be in that much pain, I just woke you up" :angryfire :angryfire I figure I better leave now, because if I open my mouth it's gonna get real ugly real fast.

Fast forward to this AM. I'm going to be nice today, it's Nurses' Day. I stop at the local bakery and get munchies. Walk into ICU- no Mom. They moved her in the AM. OK by me. Go to her new floor. Mom's comfortably sleeping. Give goodies to new nurses. Every person that came to her room told us who they were, what they were doing, what Mom was getting... Am I in the same hospital? Nuse Manager for unit stops in as Mom's roomie trying to settle in, helps her adjust, listens to roomie's concerns, and actually does something about them. Pops over to see Mom too, just to be sure she's OK. Mom gets meds when requested, staff comes in just to see if she needs anything. Even roomie who was also in ICU said that staff was much more attentive on this floor than in ICU.

So am I overreacting to the way she has been treated? Because if that's how they treat patients when there is someone with them how do they treat the ones with no one around???? I am of course not referring to the staff today. I do also realize that I don't know what else was going on at any given time, and it is my Mom as the patient.

Whew, this got really long. :chuckle But I just had to vent about it. By the way, Mom's much better- they might let her have water tomorrow

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Yikes!! I think I would bring this up to someone? I work LTC, so not sure who? The nurse manager? Definatly would put it in the survey.