You didn't state the context, in which this occurred. If this were in a facility, where CNA's were immediatly available at all times, and it was strictly in her job description to NOT do that, and would be disciplined if she did do that, it would be understandable.
You can become an RN and not have a degree. Many LPN's take the accelerated training in my state and become RN's. Two-year junior colleges also offer an RN program that does not come with an associate's degree.
For anyone who is curious, here's a link to the Nurse Practice Act for WA state, where the Op's beloved husband - due to tragic and sudden health crises - was in a rehab unit, the care setting involving this incident of shoddy RN behavior.
RN gave you a low blow and absolutely could have helped you do a diaper change on your husband. That person is acting like they are better than thou art. That is someone I would ask to leave and never come back. I am a nurse and that is such a low blow for that person to behave that way. I would call their employer and report that person!
I saw RNs doing this all the time when needed at my mom’s rehab. I was surprised. Maybe it was that rehab’s policy. That said, I would not think an RN’s time is best spent changing residents. It is a CNA’s job. Likely the nurse’s response was pent up frustration with the lack of CNA’s to do the job but sadly it came out directed at you. I’m sorry that happened.
Florence Nightingale would contradict you. As a nurse, that is your prime directive and you are trained to take care of a patient, period. If there are no CNA/HHA available, you as a nurse should help change the diaper. That is the best use of your time, taking care of a patient. These are basic for you. You should work outside of the US and see how other RNs do their job. You are just one of those 'not my job' hypocrites. You should not be in this field if this is your attitude. I can't wait for you to be in this predicament and you can use what you write as a justification for their failure to take care of you, ie let you swim in your own feces and urine.
Doesn't sound like the best place or at least not their best staffing choice. In my opinion so many are care staff that really don't have a calling, just a job, and they lack the #1 skill called compassion. At the least she could have said, "Oh, let me grab you a CNA." It makes sense that if the RN's time was better spent elsewhere and CNA's are around to help, that the roles should be utilized. Of course if they are under-staffed and no CNA can help, then seems the RN can do the human thing and jump in. Or if the RN is not busy, then why not? Some think that way, and don't mind at all. Some RNs simply will not do anything below their pay grade. That is another perspective. On the bright side, some nurses should never being doing the personal care. They lack the bedside care. Great nursing know how, but too rough! However some CNAs also lack this compassion. Try to find the best ones for your hubby, and bond with them, ask for them regularly.
I'm torn about this because nurses go to school and do their "time" doing the dirty parts of caring for someone while gaining experience to be a nurse. I think as a student you look forward to knowing when you won't have to do this type of work and are just doing the easier and cleaner things for a patient. And then theirs the nurses that never had to do any dirty work and somehow managed to slide through years of training never getting their hands dirty either by means of having financial support or just sneaky enough at a job to avoid it. Either way, i leave it as their choice when it comes to diapers. A good, hard working, kind nurse that isn't their for the big bucks would likely help or even tell you to step aside, but someone you probably don't want coming back to your house or where other patients have complained about her not helping..you got stuck with this one. Complain to company sending her because you are paying for her directly or indirectly she needs to help you where you need it. I personally have cleaned up my mother's mess but if it was happening all the time..i can't do it. I just can't take the smell and the disgust of it. Some people have stronger stomachs. If i don't look and can't smell it i can do it but personally, i would rather clean up after a sick animal than a human. So they need to send you someone who is okay with this if you can't do it or don't want to. You are paying for this. CNA or not she is there, and it happened on her watch, a professional would do it since she has the training to do it way faster and easier than you can.
Absolutely nurses change diapers. My mom was hospitalized for a month and the nurses with the assistance of the CNA's changed my mother's diapers. I would clarify with the company that's providing the nursing services what each staff members' responsibilities are. Get it in writing, and if nurses are supposed to change diapers, show it to them when they refuse. Also report them to the company.
These people who decided to become a nurse knew exactly what this job entails. You are totally correct - they should change diapers especially if there is nobody around to do it. That is what they are trained for. Unbelievable that these type of nurses exists.
Let me be perfectly clear. It’s everyone’s responsibility to change a patient’s brief. No one is exempt from such task in the nursing field. I’ve worked in the nursing field for over thirty years. that is a pet peeve of mine, for as long as I can remember. It’s pure laziness, nothing more.
I am an RN myself and I would need to have more information about what happened here. Typically RN's are tasked with more and more complex care and also computer work, which was made to help us but in many cases becomes more of a job. I often say that I feel like I'm nursing a computer rather than a patient. With that said RN's usually have CNA's assigned to them and the mundane tasks are then delegated to CNA's, one of these tasks would be to have them perform cleaning, Hygiene measures. Did the RN flat out refuse or did she say I'll send in the CNA? Any good RN would explain that they would send in the assistant to help you. It is an unfortunate turn of events that RN's are often "timed" with certain aspects of their job or they will be penalized. Any RN knows some patients need more time, care, attention or health teaching, while others will need less but the computers and management do not take this in to account, and add to that a shortage of RN's overall that have been to war and back through Covid with little acknowledgment from management or the public. Think again about the situation that occurred, possibly there is another side to this story.
This was pre-Covid. I had a feeling she was it was just her. She wasn’t overly friendly and whatever I did for hubby she re-did. Hubby had to be sitting up at 45degrees and have heels raised off bed with pillows. No matter how small adjustment she adjusted.
Healthcare is a for-profit business and therefore needs to operate on efficiencies, just like any other business. It makes no sense to have highly trained, specialized people like RNs do a task that someone without much other training do.
The RN's response in this instance was unprofessional and compassionless, which is a separate issue.
All true. I've worked for a very large well known healthcare system and a small regional hospital - CNA's took care of changes at both. The other issue that comes into play are the various unions. The answer to the OP was thoughtless. She/he should have offered to get someone to help if she wasn't going to do it herself. and since my injury I've been in different facilities. CNA's routinely did the incontinence care or assistance.
Clearly, you need to report this person. As an RN with an RN daughter, I am ashamed that you would receive this response from a member of our profession. We have a Hospice RN who will do anything we ask of her, including changing a diaper.
My grandmother who had to be at least 65 yrs at the time worked for an hospice as an companion would text me saying that she just changed an 90yr lady’s diaper. Grandmother only has high school level of education but has spent a lifetime involved in helping others in one way or another. Many of her clients ask her by name. Now grandmother is 90 yrs old and it is her turn to be taken care of, soon, grandmother stubborn she may make 100yr.
Report her. Her correct answer should have been, I will send the CNA to help you because I have to do xx right now. Ridiculous answer. She was at the level of education/training as a CNA at one time when she started out so clearly she knows how. She now thinks she is 'above' the dirty jobs.
Did she send someone to help? If not, report her response and failure to send the person she thinks should be doing those jobs.
From what I understand, nurses are available for medical care and recovery and don't have time for anything else.too limited staffed. It's the caregivers who do the diaper changes, because it is custodial care
That's not exactly true. Visit a nursing home or memory care some time. You will always see nurses hanging around in the break room or offices and at the nurse's desk area on the floor trying to look "busy". Look closer and you'll find a cellphone in hand with a game or social media on it.
She's an RN with a crappy attitude. I am an RN and we can do everything that a CNA can do. If she said exactly what you are saying, "a CNA's job," I would report her to her manager.
I can understand if she was busy doing her RN duties such as giving/hanging meds, doing assessments, documentation, or other duties that only an RN can do and she was delegating the diaper change to the CNA. However, her delivery of that message sucked.
If there was a CNA nearby ready to help, it would have been reasonable for the RN to hand over. Let alone anything else, a CNA would make a better job of it - better result, more comfortable for the person - because doing these things well is all a matter of practice. But.
The best residential care manager I know of took in charge a resident that we passed and saw to it that the lady was looked after. The best PT, without comment or pausing the exercise she was helping her patient with, grabbed a wet wipe and cleaned up some soiling that had been overlooked on the lady's thigh. The best GP after examining his patient knelt down and gently put the man's socks and shoes back on.
There should be no job related to the wellbeing of the people you're paid to provide with professional care that you think is beneath you. You should be able to do it *better* than your junior or lower graded co-workers, and you should be prepared to demonstrate it in practice. Once you start thinking you're too good for the basics you've forgotten what you're for and you're actually no good to anyone.
I have had physical therapist and occupational therapist help me change hubby diaper while he was in rehab. When we had home therapist somewhere in the conversation the therapist made the point out that all the therapist on staff have changed diapers and it was just part of the job. I think I mentioned hubby was concern about that area.
I think one of the biggest downfalls to healthcare is the requiring of way too much education. People have loads of diplomas and certificates but often don't know their own a$$ from a hole in the ground most of the time. Today this is more than ever. Experience and expertise in the field counts for nothing today. It's a real shame too. I've had many a dressing down from an RN who thought they knew it all. One time I remember in particular when I worked for hospice at home. She insisted that the patient get up into the wheelchair everyday and I refused. I told her that when the patient is having a good day, we get up. Not when she isn't though. The RN insisted, so I told her she could come and do it herself. That she pops in twice a week and doesn't spend five minutes a week with the patient. She'd come in, say 'hi', sit at the table and do her charting. I was in that six hours a day, five days a week. I knew the patient a lot better than she did and I was not going to force someone in that much pain at the end of their life to get into a wheelchair everyday to sit in another room. A CNA friend of mine who's a ways older than me was a CNA supervisor in a nursing home for 13 years. This woman knew her field inside and out. The CNA's she was in charge of did their jobs and the residents got good care because of it. Then one day the DON came up to her and told her that a new law came into effect in our state. All CNA's had to be supervised by an RN. So they gave her the choice of going back to being a regular CNA (at beginner's wages) or go. The resident care did not improve. In fact, it declined. Same thing with the hospitals in this state. No more LPN's. Everyone has to be an RN now. The care hasn't improved. They're cutting more corners than ever because a hospital RN here makes twice what an LPN does and God knows they're not going to cut into their profits. This is what it is today. People have so much education that it's washed away all common sense. They think because they have a framed piece of paper on a wall that they are experts in every kind of patient and resident care. They're not,
That's not just in healthcare. It's almost impossible to start at the bottom and work your way up as you learn on the job, and no matter how skilled you will rarely be offered advancement if you don't have that degree/certificate.
You asked if I knew many RNs who would change soiled pts and said (unfortunately) that you did not.
My generation of nurses - with the rare exception of exceedingly lazy and worthless ones, ppl I couldn't stand working with - ALWAYS put the pt's first. Back in the day, we didn't have all the PPE that is now the norm, we wore scrubs that we washed at home in bleach and if soiled while working, we'd borrow a change from the surgery suites and return them clean to the soiled bin for hospital washing.
I simply cannot fathom any RN passing the buck with a patient and / or family in need. When investing so much time, money and effort into obtaining a degree, why waste it by not putting it all into practice? I cannot ken an RN ignoring any needs, period.
I've worked in various critical care settings and assigned a small number of pts that we did everything for: bathing, teeth, hair, bed linens, toileting/bedpans, IVs, meds, nail cares, meals, water, catheters, I&O, enemas, central veinous pressure monitoring, telemetry cardiac monitors), to contacting the MD for orders; whatever was needed and, incl teaching to prepare them for the next step down in care and eventual discharge. Full cares is the very best opportunity to fully assess a patient and avert skin breakdown by doing a lotion massage and keenly assessing for edema, listening to breath and heart sounds, BP checks, etc. I loved the 'Golden Slipper' types of pts and liked blowing their demanding minds (it's truly just stress being expressed) by being a step or two ahead and anticipating their every need. Hospice was very much the same.
I cannot abide the people on this thread who are of the opinion that RNs are somehow exempt from basic pt care. It's truly what the job is all about and the most rewarding part of it, always was for me. I love restoring a person's sense of personal dignity and helping out a soiled pt was part of that.
You go Girl!! Im a RT, my job is lungs only but if some one is calling from a room I always check in, and if I CAN help I do. No I can;t lift or repostision, but I can sure move the bedside table,, or give you the call bell, or help the rn turn if they need a hand. Other things as well. I understand time may be a factor,, but we all got into this field to HELP others.
Many people have posted excellent reasons why they feel like the nurse should have helped you. I feel very much the same.
Of course, the answer is, ‘yes’ the nurse should have helped you or asked someone else to help you.
When I was a fertility patient I had to have blood drawn often.
One day the phlebotomist was out and my doctor said to me that he was going to draw my blood.
My doctor started off by saying, “This may hurt a bit because I haven’t done this since med school. He wasn’t very good at drawing blood at all. He did hurt me. I started to feel like a pin cushion! He apologized for hurting me. I understood that he did the best that he could.
But at least he got the job done. I did ask him when the phlebotomist was coming back!
Another time my daughter’s pediatrician’s nurse was out. She needed a shot. The doctor not only gave her a shot, he gave her a hug after she started crying.
The bottom line is that when a patient is in need of service, it helps when everyone pitches in to meet those needs. Ideally a team works together to serve the patient.
Twice I had to get IVs started. The goal was to put in hands but veins in hands wouldn’t get with the program. IVs ended in lower arms somewhere. Those needles are big and painful. Nurses tried to be very gentle and apologized over and over. One nurse thank me for not complaining. One event it took over four different people before they struck gold. Lol
When my daughter, a cardiac RN, worked at a large downtown Denver hospital, she changed plenty of soiled briefs, including blow outs and bloody messes that had her wearing a Hazmat suit to deal with.
The only time I was unable to help with hubby diapers when he had CDiff when everything was coming out of everywhere alot. At that time I was beyond exhausted and couldn't even think straight enough to breathe. Mom made me leave for a while.
I know it's not part of the subject but it's on my mind and since this is the place to come for emotional sharing: when I think back on all that happen from the 911 call to today. It's a wonder I'm sane. I am amazed that I question myself today with doubts of strength. We gone from working out of state far from home with no friends or family to help and support emotionally during a life changing tragic event (when doc at hospital came in to tell me that hubby had stroke I started shaking uncontrollably, doc got up and walked out. First person I called two seconds after doc walked out was my step daughter. Told her what happen. She yelled at me for not calling sooner and hung up because she was too emotional to talk. We were in Washington and she was in Florida. I spent $3000 to fly kids in so hubby could have his kids with him. Kids spent the whole time crying how hard this was for them. My aunt did come for the weekend. She was more worried about me writing thank you notes for the get well cards, her own menstruation problems and her daughter dating a girl), packing up auto and apartment to ship back home, flying hubby medi vac home ($352,000.00 plant ticket that I almost signed for), to reopening home house, keeping insurance and mortgage and truck payments paid, digging and finding all the important bank accounts POA paperwork, wrangling the family drama (doc at rehab wanted to do a DNR. I called and asked adult kids on their thoughts and keeping them in the loop. The son sent a text out saying all of us were horrible humans for voting for DNR. he never asked me what my vote was. I refused DNR), and oh yeah dealing with my own broken heart. One day outside the rehab I was crying hysterically and my body would just not move. I didn't want hubby to see me like this and effect him. I just went back to apt packing boxes for the movers. I felt like such a worthless wife.
As a retired RN, an old school one who never turned down any opportunity to provide cares, be of aid to my patents / clients and their families, and who, having worked critical care, and started as a CNA in my teens, I would strongly recommend that you report this 'RN' to the state board of nursing for failure to provide needed and necessary cares.
It is unconscionable for any healthcare worker to not provide the cares that training and licensure require they do. Get this nurse's name and do an online report. Period.
Also inform the facility Admin/CEO and the DON - Dir. of Nursing - of this untenable response and inform that you will have to transfer your beloved elsewhere if this is truly the level of care that their employees are expected to provide.
Basic human dignity requires cleanliness and personal hygiene is key to dignity and the prevention of complications due to skin breakdown and etc.; I could go on.
Absolutely unacceptable and actual grounds, per the Nurse Practice Act, for licensure disciplinary action from the state and, the facility will initiate its own discipline. If the SNF or AL fails to act on your very valid complaint, please consider moving your husband to a facility with a better standard of care.
On behalf of all the good nurses: I am very sorry that your husband was left in an uncared-for condition and that you were insulted by a nurse whose wages you and yours are, in part, paying.
Do not ever fear retaliation for reporting any instance of poor care. If it's facility wide and endemic to that place, get your husband moved and report the deficiencies to the state oversite agencies: Medicare, State Dept. of Health, and Medicaid, possibly also The Joint Commission, if hospital-affiliated.
My daughter is and RN with a BSRN degree, working in a major hospital. She will not hesitate to change someone in need whenever help is needed and will quickly say that’s part of her training. We should all be human enough to help those in need, none of us above any job, after all, none of us knows the position we may find ourselves in one day
Thank You!! “We should all be human enough to help those in need, none of us above any job, after all, none of us knows the position we may find ourselves in one day”
There are many duties that RN's can do even if not part of their job description. But CNA's cannot perform all duties that are done by RN's. In some hospitals RN's are expected to be available for their duties not doing something else.
@Bridget66, I'm not at all certain where you get your information, but it's false. Nurses cannot, by virtue of licensure, refuse to provide basic cares. Period.
I've had nurses who would not answer the call button when I've needed to get up to use the bathroom. I'd ring, get them to acknowledge me, and then after 20 minutes, just give up and take myself. Yes, it's a fall risk, but I did what I had to do. I remember poking my head out the door and there was some kind of party going on at the nursing station. Almost all the 'nurse call' lights were on--and they're eating cake and laughing away, oblivious to the job.
This same surgery (back) and the nurses didn't change my bandages and the doc came in to check on me and found that the ice pack had totally melted and the nurses had just slapped a new bandage on the old, wet one. He blew up! He got me up, changed the bandage and stripped the bed, got me set up in the recliner and went and got 2 (very humbled) aides to take care of me.
I could hear him just chewing out the nurses, CNA's, whomever was down there partying. He was a great doc and well respected and I was taken care of after that. I hated making a scene, but sometimes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
It can also backfire: you complain and the doc gets involved, angrily, and now you have RNs and CNA's who don't want to care for you.
I've also had nurses who were complete gems and so wonderful. More of those than the ones who act 'too good' for any job that requires actually touching a patient. We can't paint them all with the same paintbrush.
I too have been subjected to poor, verging on negligent nursing care when in for surgeries and it's miserable to be on the receiving end of it, esp for one, like myself , who was always an extremely attentive RN by nature.
I had intra-cranial surgery and had a bad inflammatory response to the deep sutures that caused a lot of serous drainage from my ear (had a tube placed to allow otherwise minimal post-op drainage). I called with the light but the place was just under-staffed. I got up in the evening and went out to the hall and grabbed my own bed linens, towels and gowns - only after washing my hands and donning gloves, mind you. And I asked a passing LPN for the specific dressings I needed and the plastic tape. I did my own drsg change and stripped the soiled and wet pillow cases and bed linens and did my own bathroom HS cares. I even noted my own intake and output for them. Geez, Louise.
I'm up for hip replacement surgery soon - saw the surgeon of my choosing yesterday - and I'm doing my research before deciding on which of the 3 hospital options to have it done in, my surgeon operates in all 3 and all have the same generation of operating room equipment so I'm basing it on RN to patient ratios, reviews and asking some of my daughter's RN friends. I'm glad to have the options.
Having family at bedside during most of the waking hours is key to survival nowadays.
The real question is whether a CNA came in and helped OP, and that wasn't mentioned. It seems OP is more concerned with being bent out of shape than respecting the jobs each employee is paid to do.
You may be the minority. My daughter also would have helped but I think the newer generation of RNs may think they are above that when there are CNAs and LPNs that can do the job.
Wrong Answer! I am a RN 28 years and have changed many! Never in any position is it acceptable to say “Not my Job” even if you didn’t know how to do something at least offer to get assistance.
Any other context, she's just being a B.
You can become an RN and not have a degree. Many LPN's take the accelerated training in my state and become RN's.
Two-year junior colleges also offer an RN program that does not come with an associate's degree.
This NPA for WA state but it's universal.
(copy and paste is the best option): https://nursing.wa.gov/support-practicing-nurses/practice-information/registered-nurse
That said, I would not think an RN’s time is best spent changing residents. It is a CNA’s job. Likely the nurse’s response was pent up frustration with the lack of CNA’s to do the job but sadly it came out directed at you.
I’m sorry that happened.
There is no care task that is 'below' an RN's paygrade!
The RN's response in this instance was unprofessional and compassionless, which is a separate issue.
We have a Hospice RN who will do anything we ask of her, including changing a diaper.
Did she send someone to help? If not, report her response and failure to send the person she thinks should be doing those jobs.
That's not exactly true. Visit a nursing home or memory care some time. You will always see nurses hanging around in the break room or offices and at the nurse's desk area on the floor trying to look "busy". Look closer and you'll find a cellphone in hand with a game or social media on it.
I can understand if she was busy doing her RN duties such as giving/hanging meds, doing assessments, documentation, or other duties that only an RN can do and she was delegating the diaper change to the CNA. However, her delivery of that message sucked.
The best residential care manager I know of took in charge a resident that we passed and saw to it that the lady was looked after. The best PT, without comment or pausing the exercise she was helping her patient with, grabbed a wet wipe and cleaned up some soiling that had been overlooked on the lady's thigh. The best GP after examining his patient knelt down and gently put the man's socks and shoes back on.
There should be no job related to the wellbeing of the people you're paid to provide with professional care that you think is beneath you. You should be able to do it *better* than your junior or lower graded co-workers, and you should be prepared to demonstrate it in practice. Once you start thinking you're too good for the basics you've forgotten what you're for and you're actually no good to anyone.
I think one of the biggest downfalls to healthcare is the requiring of way too much education. People have loads of diplomas and certificates but often don't know their own a$$ from a hole in the ground most of the time. Today this is more than ever. Experience and expertise in the field counts for nothing today. It's a real shame too.
I've had many a dressing down from an RN who thought they knew it all. One time I remember in particular when I worked for hospice at home. She insisted that the patient get up into the wheelchair everyday and I refused. I told her that when the patient is having a good day, we get up. Not when she isn't though. The RN insisted, so I told her she could come and do it herself. That she pops in twice a week and doesn't spend five minutes a week with the patient. She'd come in, say 'hi', sit at the table and do her charting. I was in that six hours a day, five days a week. I knew the patient a lot better than she did and I was not going to force someone in that much pain at the end of their life to get into a wheelchair everyday to sit in another room.
A CNA friend of mine who's a ways older than me was a CNA supervisor in a nursing home for 13 years. This woman knew her field inside and out. The CNA's she was in charge of did their jobs and the residents got good care because of it.
Then one day the DON came up to her and told her that a new law came into effect in our state. All CNA's had to be supervised by an RN. So they gave her the choice of going back to being a regular CNA (at beginner's wages) or go. The resident care did not improve. In fact, it declined.
Same thing with the hospitals in this state. No more LPN's. Everyone has to be an RN now. The care hasn't improved. They're cutting more corners than ever because a hospital RN here makes twice what an LPN does and God knows they're not going to cut into their profits. This is what it is today. People have so much education that it's washed away all common sense. They think because they have a framed piece of paper on a wall that they are experts in every kind of patient and resident care. They're not,
You asked if I knew many RNs who would change soiled pts and said (unfortunately) that you did not.
My generation of nurses - with the rare exception of exceedingly lazy and worthless ones, ppl I couldn't stand working with - ALWAYS put the pt's first. Back in the day, we didn't have all the PPE that is now the norm, we wore scrubs that we washed at home in bleach and if soiled while working, we'd borrow a change from the surgery suites and return them clean to the soiled bin for hospital washing.
I simply cannot fathom any RN passing the buck with a patient and / or family in need. When investing so much time, money and effort into obtaining a degree, why waste it by not putting it all into practice? I cannot ken an RN ignoring any needs, period.
I've worked in various critical care settings and assigned a small number of pts that we did everything for: bathing, teeth, hair, bed linens, toileting/bedpans, IVs, meds, nail cares, meals, water, catheters, I&O, enemas, central veinous pressure monitoring, telemetry cardiac monitors), to contacting the MD for orders; whatever was needed and, incl teaching to prepare them for the next step down in care and eventual discharge. Full cares is the very best opportunity to fully assess a patient and avert skin breakdown by doing a lotion massage and keenly assessing for edema, listening to breath and heart sounds, BP checks, etc. I loved the 'Golden Slipper' types of pts and liked blowing their demanding minds (it's truly just stress being expressed) by being a step or two ahead and anticipating their every need. Hospice was very much the same.
I cannot abide the people on this thread who are of the opinion that RNs are somehow exempt from basic pt care. It's truly what the job is all about and the most rewarding part of it, always was for me. I love restoring a person's sense of personal dignity and helping out a soiled pt was part of that.
Of course, the answer is, ‘yes’ the nurse should have helped you or asked someone else to help you.
When I was a fertility patient I had to have blood drawn often.
One day the phlebotomist was out and my doctor said to me that he was going to draw my blood.
My doctor started off by saying, “This may hurt a bit because I haven’t done this since med school. He wasn’t very good at drawing blood at all. He did hurt me. I started to feel like a pin cushion! He apologized for hurting me. I understood that he did the best that he could.
But at least he got the job done. I did ask him when the phlebotomist was coming back!
Another time my daughter’s pediatrician’s nurse was out. She needed a shot. The doctor not only gave her a shot, he gave her a hug after she started crying.
The bottom line is that when a patient is in need of service, it helps when everyone pitches in to meet those needs. Ideally a team works together to serve the patient.
I know it's not part of the subject but it's on my mind and since this is the place to come for emotional sharing: when I think back on all that happen from the 911 call to today. It's a wonder I'm sane. I am amazed that I question myself today with doubts of strength. We gone from working out of state far from home with no friends or family to help and support emotionally during a life changing tragic event (when doc at hospital came in to tell me that hubby had stroke I started shaking uncontrollably, doc got up and walked out. First person I called two seconds after doc walked out was my step daughter. Told her what happen. She yelled at me for not calling sooner and hung up because she was too emotional to talk. We were in Washington and she was in Florida. I spent $3000 to fly kids in so hubby could have his kids with him. Kids spent the whole time crying how hard this was for them. My aunt did come for the weekend. She was more worried about me writing thank you notes for the get well cards, her own menstruation problems and her daughter dating a girl), packing up auto and apartment to ship back home, flying hubby medi vac home ($352,000.00 plant ticket that I almost signed for), to reopening home house, keeping insurance and mortgage and truck payments paid, digging and finding all the important bank accounts POA paperwork, wrangling the family drama (doc at rehab wanted to do a DNR. I called and asked adult kids on their thoughts and keeping them in the loop. The son sent a text out saying all of us were horrible humans for voting for DNR. he never asked me what my vote was. I refused DNR), and oh yeah dealing with my own broken heart. One day outside the rehab I was crying hysterically and my body would just not move. I didn't want hubby to see me like this and effect him. I just went back to apt packing boxes for the movers. I felt like such a worthless wife.
As a retired RN, an old school one who never turned down any opportunity to provide cares, be of aid to my patents / clients and their families, and who, having worked critical care, and started as a CNA in my teens, I would strongly recommend that you report this 'RN' to the state board of nursing for failure to provide needed and necessary cares.
It is unconscionable for any healthcare worker to not provide the cares that training and licensure require they do. Get this nurse's name and do an online report. Period.
Also inform the facility Admin/CEO and the DON - Dir. of Nursing - of this untenable response and inform that you will have to transfer your beloved elsewhere if this is truly the level of care that their employees are expected to provide.
Basic human dignity requires cleanliness and personal hygiene is key to dignity and the prevention of complications due to skin breakdown and etc.; I could go on.
Absolutely unacceptable and actual grounds, per the Nurse Practice Act, for licensure disciplinary action from the state and, the facility will initiate its own discipline. If the SNF or AL fails to act on your very valid complaint, please consider moving your husband to a facility with a better standard of care.
On behalf of all the good nurses: I am very sorry that your husband was left in an uncared-for condition and that you were insulted by a nurse whose wages you and yours are, in part, paying.
Do not ever fear retaliation for reporting any instance of poor care. If it's facility wide and endemic to that place, get your husband moved and report the deficiencies to the state oversite agencies: Medicare, State Dept. of Health, and Medicaid, possibly also The Joint Commission, if hospital-affiliated.
Wishing you and yours the best moving forward.
“We should all be human enough to help those in need, none of us above any job, after all, none of us knows the position we may find ourselves in one day”
I'm not at all certain where you get your information, but it's false.
Nurses cannot, by virtue of licensure, refuse to provide basic cares. Period.
I've had nurses who would not answer the call button when I've needed to get up to use the bathroom. I'd ring, get them to acknowledge me, and then after 20 minutes, just give up and take myself. Yes, it's a fall risk, but I did what I had to do. I remember poking my head out the door and there was some kind of party going on at the nursing station. Almost all the 'nurse call' lights were on--and they're eating cake and laughing away, oblivious to the job.
This same surgery (back) and the nurses didn't change my bandages and the doc came in to check on me and found that the ice pack had totally melted and the nurses had just slapped a new bandage on the old, wet one. He blew up! He got me up, changed the bandage and stripped the bed, got me set up in the recliner and went and got 2 (very humbled) aides to take care of me.
I could hear him just chewing out the nurses, CNA's, whomever was down there partying. He was a great doc and well respected and I was taken care of after that. I hated making a scene, but sometimes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
It can also backfire: you complain and the doc gets involved, angrily, and now you have RNs and CNA's who don't want to care for you.
I've also had nurses who were complete gems and so wonderful. More of those than the ones who act 'too good' for any job that requires actually touching a patient. We can't paint them all with the same paintbrush.
I too have been subjected to poor, verging on negligent nursing care when in for surgeries and it's miserable to be on the receiving end of it, esp for one, like myself , who was always an extremely attentive RN by nature.
I had intra-cranial surgery and had a bad inflammatory response to the deep sutures that caused a lot of serous drainage from my ear (had a tube placed to allow otherwise minimal post-op drainage). I called with the light but the place was just under-staffed. I got up in the evening and went out to the hall and grabbed my own bed linens, towels and gowns - only after washing my hands and donning gloves, mind you. And I asked a passing LPN for the specific dressings I needed and the plastic tape. I did my own drsg change and stripped the soiled and wet pillow cases and bed linens and did my own bathroom HS cares. I even noted my own intake and output for them. Geez, Louise.
I'm up for hip replacement surgery soon - saw the surgeon of my choosing yesterday - and I'm doing my research before deciding on which of the 3 hospital options to have it done in, my surgeon operates in all 3 and all have the same generation of operating room equipment so I'm basing it on RN to patient ratios, reviews and asking some of my daughter's RN friends. I'm glad to have the options.
Having family at bedside during most of the waking hours is key to survival nowadays.