Compassionate Care
Yesterday, I got a disturbing call from an Administrator at the hospital. They had received a report that one of the nurses we had for Shelbie's infusion had started crying and that I slipped Shelbie something that had not been approved by the Physician.
I was surprised that she was going here. Our conversation lasted well over a half hour as I explained to her that yes, indeed a nurse we had a month ago, cried when she couldn't get the IV started after 3 tries and took her even 7 tries before she got it. We had a nurse last week who also cried when she couldn't find a vein on the first try. She left the room and sent in someone else to try. Apparently another co-worker had filed a complaint against them.
The Administrator was all over the place apologizing that they did not act professional. I interrupted and said, "Hey, wait a minute. We were not mad, we weren't even mildly annoyed in fact, both Shelbie and I were crying too! It was a moment when we truly felt taken care of, like we actually mattered to them rather than being just another annoying patient with stupid complaints. I loved those two nurses for being human, caring, loving and doing their job to take care of my daughter. It was a tender moment."
"Well, it's unacceptable for a nurse to not be able to get an IV started after one try." The Administator retorted.
"Shelbie has become an impossible stick. Two years of chemo therapy have all but destroyed her once plump, big veins. Add to that weekly blood tests, monthly infusions, there is hardly a place left for nurses to find a vein not filled with scar tissue. Until we get a central line, it is going to be hard. Shelbie knows that and is prepared for the challenge that comes with starting an IV. Please don't discipline these nurses! They did nothing wrong and are probably the best nurses in that hospital!"
The other problem was that Shelbie had such horrible reactions this past infusion and it took the Doctor's office over 2 hours to get the orders faxed up for a medication that would help the horrible side effects. They had to stop the infusion because Shelbie was so sick. The order was suppose to have been for a controlled substance so the hospital needed the doctor to come up and hand deliver the orders, or they needed to find a doctor already in the hospital willing to over-write the faxed orders for Shelbie. After an hour and a half, I asked the nurse what the hold up was and she explained that she had called the office more than three times and still hadn't received a response from the doctor. I asked what medication they were going to give her and it was Ativan. I knew I had a couple of Ativan left from when Shelbie had chemo earlier this year so I ran home to get what we had left.
When I got back to the hospital, I told the nurse I had Ativan and was giving it to Shelbie. I was not going to continue to watch Shelbie suffer and a doctor's office drag their feet. Once it took effect, the pain and nausea subsided and she was able to get through the rest of the transfusion. I was pretty frustrated with the red tape but didn't lose my temper or get angry at anyone, I simply took matters into my own hands to resolve the problem. I am still a little miffed at the doctor's office staff for not getting their act together but we've become accustomed to this kind of nonsense with them.
To make a long story short, I got in trouble for doing that. I told the Administrator that I am not just going to stand by and wait for medical staff to get their act together. I can be patient to a point but they weren't the ones sitting there, helpless, listening to her say over and over that she just can't go on living! That's crazy and unacceptable. I'm not scared of the hospital, if they can't take care of my kids effectively, I will have to do it myself.
The most annoying reality to me is that a nurse could lose her job over being so kind, so human! What is this world coming to? Have we seriously lost that human touch, the ability to genuinely care for one another? We have to walk around numbing ourselves the to suffering of others? Ridiculous. Sad. They better figure things out because things are not getting any easier and Shelbie is signed up for another year of transfusions and possibly more chemo. Blech.
I was surprised that she was going here. Our conversation lasted well over a half hour as I explained to her that yes, indeed a nurse we had a month ago, cried when she couldn't get the IV started after 3 tries and took her even 7 tries before she got it. We had a nurse last week who also cried when she couldn't find a vein on the first try. She left the room and sent in someone else to try. Apparently another co-worker had filed a complaint against them.
The Administrator was all over the place apologizing that they did not act professional. I interrupted and said, "Hey, wait a minute. We were not mad, we weren't even mildly annoyed in fact, both Shelbie and I were crying too! It was a moment when we truly felt taken care of, like we actually mattered to them rather than being just another annoying patient with stupid complaints. I loved those two nurses for being human, caring, loving and doing their job to take care of my daughter. It was a tender moment."
"Well, it's unacceptable for a nurse to not be able to get an IV started after one try." The Administator retorted.
"Shelbie has become an impossible stick. Two years of chemo therapy have all but destroyed her once plump, big veins. Add to that weekly blood tests, monthly infusions, there is hardly a place left for nurses to find a vein not filled with scar tissue. Until we get a central line, it is going to be hard. Shelbie knows that and is prepared for the challenge that comes with starting an IV. Please don't discipline these nurses! They did nothing wrong and are probably the best nurses in that hospital!"
The other problem was that Shelbie had such horrible reactions this past infusion and it took the Doctor's office over 2 hours to get the orders faxed up for a medication that would help the horrible side effects. They had to stop the infusion because Shelbie was so sick. The order was suppose to have been for a controlled substance so the hospital needed the doctor to come up and hand deliver the orders, or they needed to find a doctor already in the hospital willing to over-write the faxed orders for Shelbie. After an hour and a half, I asked the nurse what the hold up was and she explained that she had called the office more than three times and still hadn't received a response from the doctor. I asked what medication they were going to give her and it was Ativan. I knew I had a couple of Ativan left from when Shelbie had chemo earlier this year so I ran home to get what we had left.
When I got back to the hospital, I told the nurse I had Ativan and was giving it to Shelbie. I was not going to continue to watch Shelbie suffer and a doctor's office drag their feet. Once it took effect, the pain and nausea subsided and she was able to get through the rest of the transfusion. I was pretty frustrated with the red tape but didn't lose my temper or get angry at anyone, I simply took matters into my own hands to resolve the problem. I am still a little miffed at the doctor's office staff for not getting their act together but we've become accustomed to this kind of nonsense with them.
To make a long story short, I got in trouble for doing that. I told the Administrator that I am not just going to stand by and wait for medical staff to get their act together. I can be patient to a point but they weren't the ones sitting there, helpless, listening to her say over and over that she just can't go on living! That's crazy and unacceptable. I'm not scared of the hospital, if they can't take care of my kids effectively, I will have to do it myself.
The most annoying reality to me is that a nurse could lose her job over being so kind, so human! What is this world coming to? Have we seriously lost that human touch, the ability to genuinely care for one another? We have to walk around numbing ourselves the to suffering of others? Ridiculous. Sad. They better figure things out because things are not getting any easier and Shelbie is signed up for another year of transfusions and possibly more chemo. Blech.
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