hospital rant

I am sure there are good nurses in the world, very few of them have made it to J-ville. I have been in the hospital for 6 days, and there have been only 3 that have not been hateful, nasty or stupid. I have to ask for pain meds when I need them, then they act like I am bothering them if I ask. I am supposed to get morphine every 2 hours, and they either give them when they get around to it, sometimes up to 3 hours late, or withhold them completely. I have been told "I'm sorry, we started talking and I completely forgot about you, we had an emergency, I was off the floor and did not hear you call," among other ridiculous excuses. One told me that she did not think I needed it because my she thought my blood pressure was not high enough, and she was not giving it until it went up. I though the purpose of the bp pills they gave me was to keep my bp down. Then she came by several times asking me if I wanted anything, knowing I cannot eat or drink until they decide if they are doing my surgery today. She finally managed to drive my bp up from 98/43 to 127/67.
Then to top it off, my DH's former employer's wife is a nurse on this floor. I really do not care to have my personal business spread around, and I am sure she will run her big mouth to everyone we know. I know she has already read my charts, even though she has not been my assigned nurse. I spoke to another nurse about confidentiality, and she said nurse's are the same as doctor's. One peep from her and I will have her license.
All this comes after I had been admitted a few days before, and had been accused by a doctor of trying to get drugs. He said I had between a month and a year to live, and he was putting me in hospice care then "you can lay around all day and take opiates." He had done no tests, no treatments, nothing. Another doctor looked at my chart and said I was not nearly that bad and could not imagine why that doc would say that. A patient advocate came in right then and filed a complaint.
Sorry to be whining like a big baby, but I can't even talk to dh about it, I just can't watch him go ballistic. I know he would just be trying to take up for me, but I have to keep calm if I can. Thanks for letting me rant.

See if you can get a hold of any of the higher up hospital admins? Definitely take this up with them when you get out, especially concerning the matter of the former employer's wife.

I hope you can get out soon. I know one can get a bit stir crazy in there, and dealing with other people's BS doesn't help.

You definitely need to talk to somebody in charge. It sounds to me like the nurses are considering you not an emergency patient, so they can get to you when they get to you. You don't deserve to be treated that way.

The nurse who is the wife of DH's former boss shouldn't even be involved in anything. There are people like that, though. I hope she doesn't say anything stupid to somebody. If she does, you can get a lawyer.

My brother says it is a real problem these days with nurses putting in the chart that they gave medicine, then keeping the drugs themselves. Hard to prove, though.

as if it weren't bad enough just having to be in hospital.
I hope you get your surgery soon.

I would def say something about the nurses and doctors that you have been to. There is no reason to treat people like that. I understand that SOME people will try and scam drugs but so do doctors and nurses so do tell me why just patients should be treated like crap instead of doctors and nurses also!! This is why they should make mandatory drug testing for all hospital personal and if a doctor suspects a patient of scamming drugs request a drug test from them if they refuse well then there IMO would be reason to be suspiscious!

I am so sorry that you had to go through this, and that you weren't treated better. You CERTAINLY should have been.

My Mom is a nurse, and I don't know how it is there, but I do know that here, nurses are COMPLETELY short staffed, dangerously so. A lot of times they just don't have the TIME to help people properly because they don't have the resources to do so. That however, is a problem with the government, and not the nurses. They probably do get frustrated because they are exhausted. I'm not trying to make excuses though, you still shouldn't have been treated that way. I'm just trying to shed some light as to maybe why.

That is so terrible. If you are in Jacksonville NC, a friend of mine takes her state boards the end of this month, she will be a great nurse! I am so sorry you are having to put up with so much crap in the hospital. I would definately get in touch with someone higher up, they really need to be slapped down it sounds like!

When my gramma had her knee replacement in the end of January they wouldn't do her medicine right so I threw a raging fit for the whole floor to hear and I don't think they had a problem with keeping up with her the next 2 weeks. So get a hothead in the family to rage. Maybe things will get done! LoL!

I hope you get better soon!

God Bless.

Xoxo from all of us!

Oh my gosh, that's horrible!! That added stress is not helping your condition any, and you don't deserve any of it. I hope you'll be able to take some sort of action against the hospital or at least the nurses and definitely that first doctor! Maybe your husband could demand to see the administrator and report that doctor? Yeesh.

Sending vibes for you to feel better and go home SOON!!

It is a problem in a lot of hospitals. I was in the ER on a Saturday night with an attack of diverticulitis. They took my clothes, only gave me a gown. I had a fever and was freezing. I stood at the end of my bed until someone came by I could ask for a blanket. When the nurse put the IV in because I was dehydrated, she had a terrible time, got blood on me the sheet, my gown, etc. When I told her, she gave me a wash cloth and told me to clean it up. I was treated with a pain killer hydrocodone, which I should not have had because it causes constipation issues, which I didn't need. I was never given a c/t scan or checked for blockages and was given an antibiotic that was not strong enough. I was released early Sunday morning and sent home. On Monday, I was back in town at the doctors office in so much pain I could hardly stand to have my pants on. I was treated two weeks with 2500 mg a day of 2 different antibiotics. I won't ever go to the ER again unless I know I will die if I don't.

That's terrible. Why don't you keep a detailed account, i.e., with times and dates, of each incident, and email it to both the hospital administrators and your health insurance company? Make sure the hospital sees that the health insurance company is getting a copy.

It's a darn shame we can't even trust the nurses and doctors when we're stuck in a hospital bed. It's the worst time for any of us knowing we can't do much laying on our backs. If this bs continues, make sure the higher echelon hears about it. Hope you're feeling better soon and your bp drops and you can get the hell outta there.

I'm sorry that you are having a bad experience.

However, I'm going to offer you the perspective of a nurse.

Most hospitals are very short staffed, and the nurses on each ward are having to do mega amounts of overtime to keep these hospitals open so that patients can be admitted. This affects the quality of care because:

1. The nurses are burned out, big time;
2. The ward is still probably short staffed despite people doing over time
3. Short staffed means that a nurse could have anywhere from 6 to 11 patients on the ward I used to work on. And I'm talking a busy surgical ward with people going to the OR and coming back from the OR, not the mention pregnant women in labour etc.

So far as you order for Morphine ever 2 hours. That is one of the most stupid orders I see doctors write. When I see something like that I immediately have them change it because:

1. I don't have time to be running back and forth giving morphine to someone ever 2 hours;
2. If they need morphine that frequently then they don't have proper pain control and 1 of 2 things should be done:

a) Change the dose and frequency to something like 5 to 10 mg every 4 hours.
b) Give the person a PCA pump where they can dose themselves when they feel they need pain medication.

Given that I only have heard your side of the story and not the nurses, I really am not going to speak to what you say they said to you.

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

I'm sorry that you are having a bad experience.

However, I'm going to offer you the perspective of a nurse.

Most hospitals are very short staffed, and the nurses on each ward are having to do mega amounts of overtime to keep these hospitals open so that patients can be admitted. This affects the quality of care because:

1. The nurses are burned out, big time;
2. The ward is still probably short staffed despite people doing over time
3. Short staffed means that a nurse could have anywhere from 6 to 11 patients on the ward I used to work on. And I'm talking a busy surgical ward with people going to the OR and coming back from the OR, not the mention pregnant women in labour etc.

So far as you order for Morphine ever 2 hours. That is one of the most stupid orders I see doctors write. When I see something like that I immediately have them change it because:

1. I don't have time to be running back and forth giving morphine to someone ever 2 hours;
2. If they need morphine that frequently then they don't have proper pain control and 1 of 2 things should be done:

a) Change the dose and frequency to something like 5 to 10 mg every 4 hours.
b) Give the person a PCA pump where they can dose themselves when they feel they need pain medication.

Given that I only have heard your side of the story and not the nurses, I really am not going to speak to what you say they said to you.

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I understand that it can be frusterating for patients who do not feel well I know it must be frusterating for you that you feel you are not getting the attention/care you need in a timely manner, but I do hope that you will consider that the staff in your hospital might just be VERY overworked. It must seem tough because you're laying in bed, obviously not feeling well and you figure you're paying all of that $$, you should be well taken care of. That being said, I have to agree full heartedly with Linda on everything she's said. As far as your pain meds go, there is absolutely no reason that a doctor should prescribe morphine to you the way yours did. I think the PCA pump would be the way to go if I were in your shoes. Perhaps you can ask your doctor about that the next time you see him/her. (sometimes they're careful about who they give them to if they suspect a patient might "abuse" it, but if you have a medical need for it and your doctor understands that, that would be a good conversation to discuss with him/her.)

I am currently doing my clinicals at a local hospital for respiratory therapy (not nursing). Unlike nurses that are assigned typically one floor or unit and have the same 10-15 patients a shift (which is a lot!), RT's go all over the entire hospital. Just like nurses, we are severely undrestaffed, overworked, and stretched thin. My clinical shifts right now are complete chaos. By the time I get leave the hospital at night, I'm exhausted. We are constantly running around tending to patients, giving treatments, assisting with Harvey Teams (Code Blue's), anything you can imagine! I treat patients in the ICU unit all the way up to the psych ward. It's non-stop. Nurses, nurses aids, and doctors are ran just as ragged. I'm sure that your nurses are honestly just exhausted and don't really mean to come across as rude.Being in a hospital all day is just one exhausting job (but very worthwhile if your heart is in it!). As far as your medications go- all of your doctors orders should be recorded in your chart and on a set schedule. If they are not meeting your doctors orders in a timely manner, then I would discuss that with a patient advocate or manager. As far as our patient medications go- we chart everything electronically for the RT stuff at my hospital. Each new shift gets automatic updates and printoffs so that patients recieve things in as timely manner. One thing to keep in mind though is that hospitals prioritize things. If you're supposed to recieve a pill at 2:00pm and the staff has a serious emergency, the emergency will take priority. Once that's resolved, the other needs will be met. If the staff at your hospital is short, that may be one reason you're getting your meds a little late. (normally a few minutes or even an hour (just depending on your condition and what you're taking) won't make a major difference...but if they are skipping prescribed doses and not giving you medicine at all, there is a huge difference, and that needs to be addressed by the doctor and the staff.

As far as confidentiality goes, if anyone working in that hospital gives out your confidential information, you can sue them big time and have their lisences pulled. That is a BIG "nono". The only time I discuss anything to do with my patients is in the designated area of the hospital (nurses station most of the time) and only with doctors, RT's, or nurses who are treating that patient. Nothing else is said, that's a violation of patients rights. I would never risk it. People can loose lisences & careers over things like that. Hopefully that woman knows better and will not go sharing your infomration. If she does however, she needs to be held accountable for her actions.

I hope that you are able to get things resolved and get to feeling better soon hon Remember, as far as your health is concerned, you are your best advocate! (If I were you, I would also take notes of everything and also talk to your family so that you are all on the same page!)

I am sorry you are having a bad experience in the hospital! As a nurse, I often feel like I am unable to give my patients the level of care they deserve because of the workload I am required to carry. I worry that they feel like you are feeling now, like their nurse does not care about them.

I agree with the previous poster about your pain medicine. If you require morphine every 2 hours, I think you should ask your doctor about either adjusting your dose or getting a PCA so you can just push a button and give yourself your pain medicine as soon as you feel like you need it.

Regarding your blood pressure medicine, typically we will not give a particular dose if your blood pressure at that time is below a certain parameter set by your doctor. The reasoning is that if your blood pressure is already very low, we do not want to push it TOO low with more medicine. You said the bottom number in your blood pressure reading was 43, which is pretty low and may be below the parameter your doctor set for you. If this is the case and that is the reason your nurse did not give you that dose of medicine, then it was explained to you very poorly. I often think that if things were communicated more clearly to patients and they had a better understanding of the REASONS we do what we do, they would feel much better about their care.

Regarding your acquaintance who works on the unit: As nurses, maintaining confidentiality is a BASIC tenet of our profession. I really hope that she would not violate that trust, but if she does than you are well within your rights to take action.

I am glad you are working with the hospital's patient advocate. I hope your experience gets better, and that your condition improves.

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Give the person a PCA pump where they can dose themselves when they feel they need pain medication.

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that is the first thing I thought of but didn't know the name. that is what they do here at our hospitals. I have heard they are a godsend.

But I am sorry you are having such a hard time. for a speedy recovery

I absolutely understand that many nurses are very overworked because of a huge, long term shortage, and I understand that I am not the only patient on the floor that needs care. My big problem was the fact they told me that they started talking and forgot all about me, and I could see from my door that they were standing around drinking coffee and gossiping. I buzzed the desk and watched a nurse tell me she would talk to my nurse and tell her I needed something, set the phone back down and continue with her conversation. I was trying to be patient and not buzz them every few minutes, but 2-3 hours is just too long to wait. A lot of the problem did not even involve meds. I went in to the ER at 5am, and was not allowed anything to eat or drink until around 7pm when they decided they were not doing the surgery that evening, so they said I could have something then, but nothing after midnight. I began asking for something to drink then. By 11:45, I was begging for something to drink, could barely talk, and at 11:57, I had 3 of them racing each other bringing me something, all saying how sorry they were and to finish up as much as I wanted to drink.
There were 2 absolutely wonderful nurses there that found time to do their work, everything ran smoothly during their shift, and they were so nice.
I have been released after 6 days and still have not had my surgery. My platelet level is too low for them to safely remove my gall bladder without the almost certainty of complications. The doc is going to monitor me, and as soon as the level is high enough, they are going to take me immediately and do the surgery. The whole prospect of this scares me, but this is the only hospital I can get to.

Originally Posted by krazy kat2

My platelet level is too low for them to safely remove my gall bladder without the almost certainty of complications. The doc is going to monitor me, and as soon as the level is high enough, they are going to take me immediately and do the surgery.

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What was yours sitting at? Mine was 120 (that's 120,000) which is about 30,000 too low and I still had surgery. BUT I had been taking vancomycin.

And I completely understand the 'you can eat, no you can't eat' frustrations. I went through nearly 4 days of it - complete with people leaving it off my chart so that when meals were being delivered they would bring them into my room not knowing that I was not supposed to eat. Rather torturous.
I also had issues with nurses. When finally allowed some broth that made me sick I begged for something to be ordered to help. I had to bug three different nurses before one of them contacted a doctor.
I also had the vein they had the lactated ringer going in for 3 days (at that point) get very very irritated and turn red passed my elbow. I lost count of how many nurses ignore that. (it took over two weeks for the pain and redness from that to go away) Understaffed does not give people an excuse to do absolutely nothing.
In any other job people would be cussing and threatening to get a person fired. Many people do the bare minimum they can at their jobs - those that go beyond that are rare and exceptional people.

When I was admitted, my platelet level was 100, when I was discharged, it was 80. They want it at least 150, and then they are probably still going to give me transfusions during surgery. The whole prospect is beginning to terrify me.

Originally Posted by krazy kat2

When I was admitted, my platelet level was 100, when I was discharged, it was 80. They want it at least 150, and then they are probably still going to give me transfusions during surgery. The whole prospect is beginning to terrify me.

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Oh dear, that's very low. When you can get that back up, don't worry about the surgery. It's honestly easier than the time you spent in the hospital. You'll have different tech/nurses and a surgeon handling you and, barring complications, you'll be out the same day and home. The pain from the surgery will be less than what you have already been through.

Two suggestions, though:
Get a prescription for something to help with the nausea - there's a good chance that either the anesthesia or the pain meds they send you home with will cause it. You do not want to vomit...
If you cough, put a pillow against your abdomen to brace it. All that does it's makes it hurt a little less. It also helps to have that pillow in the car for the ride home.