| DebbyC
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I am a nurse, out of clinical nursing 20 years because of the horrible staffing situation...but I have got to vent about this...if it only ever helps one person, it will be worth it. Here's something I'm working on writing to distribute locally, so it still needs some tweaking. What I want everyone to carry away after reading this diatribe [if you make it thru!!] is this - if you have a loved one in a hospital - watch them closely.
I know there are better facilities out there than this one, and I know that most nurses are better caregivers.
The problem is much bigger than the personal issue, but the story is one that can be told over and over by changing names and dates.
I have a very good friend whose grandmother was admitted to Southwest General Hospital [San Antonio] on 4/22 at 3 p.m. via the ER, we do not know for sure what she received, sources imply that she had an IV antibiotic and there was an order for an IV which was apparently started, then discontinued at some point. She did not receive any medical or nursing care from the time she left the ER at 2 a.m. until her grandson arrived on the floor at about 6 p.m. on the following day, the 23rd, to find that a physician had not evaluated her, she was nearly unresponsive, vitals signs "essentially normal," but very sick even to the untrained eye.
Only after he started to ask for assistance and tossed around the fact that his friend was a nurse and worked for attorneys, did she receive any care. Of course, within an hour, 3 doctors were there and IV/medications started. Through some very aggressive questioning, on the 24th, he finally had a chance to look at what existed of a medical record, but no one will give him or his mom any information about x-rays or lab work, saying they can't print them out for viewing. They were told last night that her lungs, kidneys, and heart were failing.
As I talk to nurses who have left clinical nursing, I am finding out that this is a very common scenario. It sickens me to know that our elders, and anyone without a professional medical voice in the family is subjected to substandard care. There is no policing or oversight for the individual case due to legislative caps on medical malpractice. I don't feel that lawsuits are the best answer in most cases, but at least the threat of one kept these facilities, nurses, and physicians on their toes a little bit better. Now, the facilities know that it is not financially feasible to file malpractice lawsuits, so they have abandoned even the semblance of providing appropriate standard of care to those without a voice.
What can we do? I am currently contacting health care advocates, lobbyists, and our representatives. These people need a voice. I am sorry that the nurses who choose to work in this facility are under such stress and heavy patient loads, but the fact remains that the standard of care being provided is not adequate.
Please be the healthcare advocate for your loved ones. Don't trust anyone else to do it. |
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Fri Apr 25, 2008 11:51 pm |
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| frustratedieter
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This doesn't necessarily transcend to the elderly. Last August I fell and broke both bones in my ankle and also chipped a bone in my heel. After being evaluated and sent to an orthopedic surgeon to have it surgically set I was hospitalized for the procedure. Everything went really well...the surgeon did an excellant job with 2 pins and a plate putting me together again and I was sent to a room overnight. The admitting nurse was very good and did ALL of the necessary post-op procedures. She told me that I would get the pain medication I needed AND TO BE SURE to let them know if/when I needed any as they wanted me to be comfortable and not go over the 4 or 5 on the pain scale. That was done very well on her shift. Then the "grave-yard" shift began and it was about 1 a.m. I was in agony and NEEDED my meds. I rang for a nurse....and rang for a nurse and not one responded right away. After many repeated attempts they came over the speaker near my bed and asked what I needed...and I asked for more meds. When the nurse came in around 2 or 2:30 I asked "where is my medication my pain is way over the scale of 1 being fine and 10 being VERY painful...I felt I was at the least, a 10. She answered with a snippy tone, "you've had surgery and you WILL have pain!" I insisted on something and told her what the previous nurse had said and she finally brought me something. The next day, midday I went through a very similar thing. Noone brought me my pain medication!!! I was left to keep ringing for someone to come and help me. Mid-afternoon I was being prepared to be released and I still hadn't been given the meds...but wouldn't be going home until my husband would pick me up after work around 5:00 or 5:30. The dismissing nurse told me "they couldn't give me anymore meds as I'd already "exceeded" the amounts they could give me!" I was taking only vicodin every 4 hours but hadn't had anything since the morning and it really didn't seem like I was abusing the system. I complained and told her what the evening nurse had told me...she left and came back with my pills! I've never heard anything like this before!!! I've had several surgeries in my life and always was given medication to "control" the pain and NEVER was ignored. I was blatantly ignored when I'd buzz the nurses. I could hear people chatting in the hall and at the nurses' station so it didn't seem to be that noone was around. When I was sent an evaluation of care by the hospital, you bet that I told them exactly how I felt about the care their facility gave. Don't know if it will make a difference or not, but one has to advocate for one's self these days!!!!
Oh...and the RX I had for when at home was 1 to 2 vicodin every 4 to 6 hours as needed. At home I did that regimine and found that I could go 6 hours before taking my dosage and wasn't in an abuse situation at all. What is up with hospitals that say "We can't give you over your "alloted" amount?" I've never heard of such a thing!!! |
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Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:45 pm |
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| Ditdah
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| I work in a hospital pharmacy. I can only clearly speak from my own experience, but I get SO frustrated when people are told "We can't give you more than your allowed amount." The ONLY limits we have at our hospital for pain meds are the physical safety ones. (One example is that you can't have too much Tylenol, which is in many of these meds, because it causes liver damage, etc...) Those limits are monitored by both the pharmacy and the medical staff, but are fairly high for most "normal" people with no drug tolerance. Other than that, the staff is all trained to watch for abuse signs and repeat offenders, but to control pain for the patients. There is no way for one person to know what kind of pain another is feeling - we shouldn't be keeping their pain meds from them!! It infuriates me to no end... |
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Sun Apr 27, 2008 9:02 pm |
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