My boyfriend was a patient in the hospital where he works recently and we both had a terrible experience. Besides giving him coffee with curdled milk in it and refusing to make more because "that's just the way cream settles" and "we're out of coffee" and "we only have one CA". And no, they would not let me make a pot either. We were mistreated in a dozen ways, including holding back meds assuming he was a drug seeker, employees telling us we were "a big issue on the floor," refusing to page the doctor and requesting that I do it from my cell phone, not returning when they said they would, asking him if he was "refusing treatment" when he said he didn't want IV Depakote for what they thought was a migraine because he had taken it PO before and it didn't agree with him, etc... ARGH! He ended up trying the IV Depacon at their request and he broke out in a whole body rash and they kept him another day. He returned to the ER 2 days later with complications from the rash and the doctor said "I'm not giving you prednisone." I told her, "the doctor who was just here just gave him a dose." She said, "OK I'll give you prednisone but only if you promise to follow up." I don't understand the "care" at all!! IT was awful! When we asked for the charge nurse, she was awful to us too, saying people had more important things to do because there was a code.
After he was discharged and went back to work, his manager said she received an email from that unit saying he had questionable behavior during his hospital stay. It was totally exaggerated. For example, I had brought his badge to the hospital so I could park in the garage, and he put it on as a joke while laying in bed. It stayed on maybe 10 minutes. They complained about this saying he was misrepresenting himself. They said he tried to get into the medicine room, which isn't true (he was admitted with altered mental status so how could they judge his behavior anyway!)
Is this ILLEGAL that they told his manager he was in the hospital? And talked about his behavior? I would think that is a breach of HIPPA and that they are also damaging his reputation without cause!
The manager actually did not know because he did not have to call out. He does not work full time there. Also the milk was already in the coffee so we could not ask for more milk. My boyfriend was frustrated that he had migraine pain and they would not treat his pain because a specific doctor had left a message not to order anything for pain. We found out later this was a mistake. The coffee would have been acting as his medicine because of his migraine pain, so I consider that to be somewhat of a priority. i'm quite sure YOU understand the priority of pain control when someone is virtually crying in pain. What they were telling us was that they would not make coffee, not that it would take time, but that it wouldn't be done at all, so I calmly asked for the charge nurse to ask if it could somehow be gotten somewhere else. It was nighttime so the cafeteria wasn't open. What do you mean something "trival?"
Nightshift nurses MOSTLY live by coffee- it would not have taken anyone but a minute to pou you a cup from the coffee maker. Was an attitude involved in requesting this?
From some of the threads I have read, I have come to realise that people are mostly not truthful in narrating events, they tend to phrase words in such a way that is self-serving and the deeper truth only comes out with more probing.
Even if the nurses did not like you they would have respected you enough to get you the coffee. If your bf was so out of it- I too would not give him coffee until a diagnosis was made.
Nightshift nurses MOSTLY live by coffee- it would not have taken anyone but a minute to pou you a cup from the coffee maker. Was an attitude involved in requesting this?
From some of the threads I have read, I have come to realise that people are mostly not truthful in narrating events, they tend to phrase words in such a way that is self-serving and the deeper truth only comes out with more probing.
Even if the nurses did not like you they would have respected you enough to get you the coffee. If your bf was so out of it- I too would not give him coffee until a diagnosis was made.
He came back enough to request coffee?
Since none of us besides the OP was there, how can you say that they're not truthful? Nurses CAN be horrible. And yes- if they don't like someone, they blow them off. BTDT. I worked nights for years and still stay up at night. I've never had a cup of coffee- the taste is horrendous w/the few sips I've had in my life.
You don't need to be ready to give a graduation address at Harvard to request coffee- especially if you know it might help pain. THere are different levels of AMS. Nowhere did it say he was out cold.
After rereading the thread, it came across as genuine enough to be unacceptable care/blabbing about an employee as a patient to people who were not involved in his care. :)
Ideally speaking, this should not in ANY way impact on the superb service that one should recieve. Realistically speaking, it COMPLETELY impacts on the care- they like you, good care, they don't like you, bad care.
Seems your bf fell into the latter.
And that is wrong- a patient is a patient. While some may be annoying (don't know that the bf actually was), they don't receive less care as some sort of nurse 'revenge'..... that's just sick.
I cannot for the life of me understand why a patient's hopsital stay would be reported to a manager...I dont care if he was hitting nurses, throwing his stool, or swearing his head off, it is not appropriate to contact his manager for any reason regarding a legitimate hospital stay...just doesn't make any sense (especially b/c it was r/t AMS!!)
I'd love to see the email....I wonder what the complaints were. "this patient wanted coffee with new milk, and he is an employee here! omg! and oh, his stupid girlfriend was asking all these questions when she isn't even the healthcare proxy, and OH she used his badge to park!" LOL i don't get it...maybe i'm missing something
So he probably shouldn't have had any caffeine anyway.. since he was a neuro pt with AMS.. And since it was the middle of the night he should have been asleep
I really think there is more to this story than we're being let in on.
Patients ask for coffee all the time at night, because they don't sleep well in hospitals (evidently for good reason). If there were no specific orders for no caffeine (like an EEG), then there's no reason to not give it to a patient who requests it....
Why do we need to be let in on more? This is what the OP has decided is pertinent. It's none of our business . :)
Since none of us besides the OP was there, how can you say that they're not truthful? Nurses CAN be horrible. And yes- if they don't like someone, they blow them off. BTDT. I worked nights for years and still stay up at night. I've never had a cup of coffee- the taste is horrendous w/the few sips I've had in my life.
You don't need to be ready to give a graduation address at Harvard to request coffee- especially if you know it might help pain. THere are different levels of AMS. Nowhere did it say he was out cold.
After rereading the thread, it came across as genuine enough to be unacceptable care/blabbing about an employee as a patient to people who were not involved in his care. :)
For you, I WILL refrain from commenting on this:).
1) You know how it is after a code. You've got upset family, trying to get a funeral home decision if it was unexpected, maybe waiting for someone to get there before the family will let the body go down to the morgue, foot and a half of paperwork to fill out. Sometimes, you're the one that has to wake up people and listen to them cry when you tell them someone's passed away (out of state, not someone local that you could tell they needed to come ASAP). Someone's got to inventory and restock the cart for the next go around, the nursing supervisor is either helping or flying around messing everything up, if the code didn't go well -- drugs in the cart out of date, etc., -- then everyone's being interviewed and you're having to dig up who was the last person who checked the cart, etc. Plus, I make and bring in coffee/juice for the family, assist with helping them notify others, etc. If the patient was a frequent flyer well loved by the staff, you've got upset and grieving nurses who can't take the time to cry, but desperately need to. Someone wanting coffee who's a nurse and is wanting to complain about curdled milk when they can walk to a vending machine is way, way, way down my list of priorities at that moment. I'd have told the person to notify dietary when they came by.
2) Email. I don't rat. EVER. The only thing that might make me think of sending someone's manager an email would be if their stay was directly tied to something that was something you are legally mandated to report. If that was the case, they did their job. If it wasn't, they broke HIPPA.
3) I don't care if the patient is an employee, homeless, or the President. The sickest people get the most of my time; if I've got a person with 3rd degree block I'm trying to ship out to save their life, I don't give a rat's rump if someone else wanted sweet tea and got unsweet with lemon. Those after action customer reports don't take into account that maybe you spent all night fighting to keep someone alive, all they care about if "fluff" -- if "fluff" is going to determine our pay, then hospitals need to hire some folks from hotels to run around and coddle all the walking well so that the nurses can actually concentrate on keeping people circling the drain from going down it.
Yes, I had a bad night, with someone writing notes that she wanted us to go buy her softer sheets, and threatening to report us to the CEO because we wouldn't all go in and buy her 500 count egyptian cotton. Honey, if you're in ICU with every pressor in the house hanging, your sheets are the last thing on my mind as long as they're clean.
You don't lose your rights to privacy because you are an employee of the hospital! Frankly we should have the choice of going elsewhere to be admitted without it costing a fortune to the point where you really don't have a choice just because the bean counters are safe in the ivory towers.
Anyone else work for a place that has a medical monopoly on the area? and you are basically forced to either go there/see their providers or pay completely out of pocket?
I think a more diplomatic way of saying "there is more to this story" would be that, as with any kind of conflict, there are always two sides to the story. We all have our own perceptions of situations, the behavior of others, and how our own behavior comes off. We have only heard your version of events, and make no mistake, there is another side to this, which surely you must be willing to acknowledge. Since we don't know how others who were present perceived the situation, it would be futile to comment on most of the events, except to just say it's regrettable that you and/or your boyfriend felt treated poorly.
As to the email sent later, that is most certainly a HIPAA violation, and in my opinion, that is where your boyfriend's energy should be focused. The rest of it is small potatoes in comparison. I would MOST DEFINITELY encourage him to follow up on this terrible breach of law and his privacy. Those involved with violating his privacy should be held accountable for their disgraceful behavior. Make sure that any correspondence he sends regarding this issue is sent via certified mail with signature required. Make copies of all correspondence, get full names of anyone with whom he speaks on the phone, etc.
I hope he follows up on this and that you come back and let us know the outcome.
Patients ask for coffee all the time at night, because they don't sleep well in hospitals (evidently for good reason). If there were no specific orders for no caffeine (like an EEG), then there's no reason to not give it to a patient who requests it....
Why do we need to be let in on more? This is what the OP has decided is pertinent. It's none of our business . :)
OP made it our business when she posted the thread. And I guess it would be the nurse's discretion but I would be holding stimulants for this patient until he was discharged home, or close to it. Like a tele patient.
OP, you can always make coffee at home, place it in a thermos and bring it to the hospital (as long as it does not contradict pt's care plan)...that way you can make sure it is fresh...
I have taken care of probably two dozen "coworkers" of the same hospital where I have worked. It's generally pleasant.
In one specific instance it was definitely not pleasant, and it was so out of line that I strongly considered communicating with my manager about it. The way that that patient/coworker spoke to me, and spoke about his plan of care ... I do not tolerate from anyone. And yes, it was particularly grievous coming from someone who should know better.
I ultimately decided against pursuing the matter, although the patient's manager did address it because the patient continued the behavior throughout the hospital stay. The patient is no longer an employee of the hospital.
OP, you clearly seem surprised by most of the reaction here to your tale. Does it make you rethink the experience - that you've presented what you believe are legitimate complaints to a group of nurses, and gotten feedback that indicates otherwise? Or do you feel it's just more of the world being mean to you/your boyfriend?
Katie5
1,459 Posts
Nightshift nurses MOSTLY live by coffee- it would not have taken anyone but a minute to pou you a cup from the coffee maker. Was an attitude involved in requesting this?
From some of the threads I have read, I have come to realise that people are mostly not truthful in narrating events, they tend to phrase words in such a way that is self-serving and the deeper truth only comes out with more probing.
Even if the nurses did not like you they would have respected you enough to get you the coffee. If your bf was so out of it- I too would not give him coffee until a diagnosis was made.
He came back enough to request coffee?