What is appropriate?

[kat29]

Hi! Im a first year nursing student in Missouri. Ive been working part time at a physicians office as an assistant. While giving a "prep" to a patient for her upcoming colonoscopy, I let her know that she needed to make sure she'd have someone to drive her home from the hospital because she'd be sedated. When I told her this, she became upset and began to cry. She said that she lost her husband a couple years ago (shes in her 70's) and she had no one that could drive her. I felt terrible. I want so badly to help her. The physician I work for is rather harsh and abrupt and he told her shortly that shed have to cancel the procedure if she couldnt get a ride home. Just talking to her made me want to cry and Im now wondering if Im going to be able to handle nursing at all. My question is this, is it okay for me to offer to drive her home from the hospital if I have time that day?

[hypnotic_nurse]

It is probably better if you contact social services at the hospital and see if they have someone who could drive her, or you could contact a senior center, or a church. Or you could arrange a cab for her.

Your MD's manner was inexcusable -- not all MDs are like that.

[RNPATL, DNP, RN]

kat29 .... you asked a very important question in your initial post .... you asked if your crying would make you not be able to handle nursing ..... here is my response to this:

We need more nurses that are willing to cry and feel with their patients. We need more nurses that are human beings and feel for people that have pain and suffering in their lives. We need more nurses that are not afraid to get close to people and risk their feelings to help someone. We need more nurses that are truly in the profession because they want to make a difference in another human being's life.

You ask if you can do this and my response to you is ..... Yes, I am certain that you can! Please don't stop crying and feeling the pain that your patient's feel .... even after you have been a nurse for 40 years! Bravo! for having the courage to even ask the question!!!! BRAVO!

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

It probly isnt in your best intrest to get personally involved in her transportation issue even though i understand you compassion. There have been patients that i have fleetingly thought i could go beyond the call of duty for. I agree with the above posts however, cabs, senior transportation, social services, a neighbor or friend is more in line of who maybe could transport her. Someone drove her to the Dr. office correct? Someone drives her to the grocery store? There has to be another alternative.

[ratchit]

At one of my past jobs, I gave sedation for colonoscopies and recovered the patients afterwards. We frequently had problems with doctors office staffs telling people "you need a ride home" when what the doctor wanted was for the patient to not be alone all night- to have someone immediately available to the patient in case of sedation or procedural problems. We had to cancel some procedures if we found out in advance that "a ride home" meant "I called the Senior Van to pick me up" and that the patient would be alone all night afterwards. But the docs could never seem to get their staff to give out the right message- don't know if they ever did anything about it except yell at us. :)

I would check on whether the doc means "no driving today" or "need to have someone stay overnight," but either way I second what other posters said- your compassion is admirable but you'd be crossing the line between professional and personal relationships. Could be awkward with this patient, with other patients, with the doctor... Best to offer other resources as others have suggested.