I've started working prn at a new hospital in a different county from my previous job. At my full time job (a med surg floor) we see our share of drug seekers. We may have one drug seeker as a patient every few shifts. They almost always have another underlying medical problem. But at my new job the amount of drug seekers is absolutely ridiculous. I will have 1-2 drug seeking patients every shift. And yes they usually have underlying medical problems. But seriously 8mg of morphine and 25mg of phenergan IV every 3 hours for a patient with DM? Where is your pain? Your abdomen? Well you're eating soup and drinking coffee so it must not be too bad. I guess because this hospital is the only hospital in that particular area we see more drug seekers than my other job. At my full time job the hospital is 1 of 2 major hospitals in that particular county.
I have never given narcotics like I am having to give at my new job. I have patients who are getting Morphine 4mg IV every 2 hours for SBO and this has been going on for over a week!! And you wonder why your bowels haven't started moving????? I had a patient 2 nights ago call for her morphine and phenergan and when I got down to her room she was snoring!! Then when she woke up 2 hours later she was furious that I didn't give her the medicine while she was sleeping?
These people aren't fooling me? How do they fool their doctors so easily? Or do their doctors just not care? The same people come into the hospital over and over every few weeks with the same issues and spend their entire admission higher than a kite. I know addiction is a disease but when doctors are enabling the disease they surely won't get better!!!
And the truely scary part is this hospital is full of new grads... These new grads don't even blink an eye about giving large amounts of narcs over and over every 2 hours.... This is a serious accident waiting to happen......
not all of us moan and text and eat burritos when we hurt.
kathy
shar pei mom:paw::paw:
sorry you didn't get the care you needed. it's been my experience that sometimes those most in need complain the least and get overlooked the most like yourself. i go by what the patient says is their pain level. it's imperative we don't judge our patients for fear they might be seeking when they really might just be in horrible pain and not getting the relief they need.
Batman25
686 Posts
sorry you didn't get the care you needed. it's been my experience that sometimes those most in need complain the least and get overlooked the most like yourself. i go by what the patient says is their pain level. it's imperative we don't judge our patients for fear they might be seeking when they really might just be in horrible pain and not getting the relief they need.