night care

jams67
jams67 Member Posts: 925 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Did anyone read the article in the June Reader's Digest about "night care in the hospital"? I remember being able to tell a big difference in the staff. Not saying there are no good nurses and doctors on duty, but there weren't as many good ones at night. Even in ICU there was a nurse that still gives me nightmares.
Jo Ann

Comments

  • fedester
    fedester Member Posts: 753 Member
    #2
    Hi Jo Ann,
    When I was in Columbia in NY in dec, the overnite was terrible. Everyones monitors were beeping and no one came to check on us.
    Be Well
    Bruce
  • shmurciakova
    shmurciakova Member Posts: 906 Member
    #3
    Try at night and on the weekend! When I was at MD Anderson for my lung resection a couple of years ago my pain meds were not working out. They had me on Fentanyl and I was having these terrible dreams. It also was not controlling my pain. I kept going out to the nurses station and my nurse was so worried about disturbing the doctor in the middle of the night that she would not get orders for anything else. She just kept telling me to calm down. I was miserable all night long until the morning nurse came and gave me Ativan of all things, and that solved the problem! I don't have any idea why the other nurse was unable to do that!!
    -Susan
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #4
    Yes, I did. And remember it well. Luckily, I was never beyond pain treatment...although, I remember 'shift change' from day to swing was awful too...I asked when this was, and timed all my requests for mid-shift...
    It also helped that my surgeon was Chief of Surgery at that point...lol!
    I have spent all nights that my beau has in the hospital WITH him...I wake up when anyone comes in...sort of like when my kids were young and nighttime feedings.
    I will be staying with my friend when she has her resection....she is already setting this up so there will be no surprise...comfort chair in the room, etc...
    I am getting a list of meds that will be perscribed by the anesthiologist, and the surgeon, any others MUST be ok'd before they will pass by ME!!!
    Also, I will have a log of when something was done, what was done, and who it was done by...and I will make myself known immediately.

    Hugs, kathi
  • lfondots63
    lfondots63 Member Posts: 818 Member
    #5
    Hi Jo Ann,

    I wanted to agree with the others. The minute I could get out of bed to help myself, I did. I didn't have another person there to fight for things sooo. I also learned real quickly how to turn off the pump alarm which drove me nuts. I guess it helps to know a little bit about technology. I even helped others that were in my room (changed rooms 3 times). LOL. I think the problem is that there are less nurses to take care of so many. Also there is sometimes a nurse that is just not as caring as others.

    Lisa F.
  • kathleenss
    kathleenss Member Posts: 49
    #6
    On the first night after my surgery, the night nurse didn't close the catheter correctly, so it leaked all over the floor. She called housekeeping, but decided to clean it up before they came. She JERKED my bed around the room so she could get to the puddles! When I cried and asked her to stop, she explained that she had to do it. She was pushing towels around the floor with her foot.

    When she left, she left my bed in the center of the room in front of the open door, and left my table (with the call button) across the room! Luckily my husband was sleeping there, so I woke him.

    Housekeeping finally came and gently moved my bed while they mopped, and then put everything back in place.

    Meanwhile, the nurse brought me some pain pills, and mentioned that they had codeine in them after I swallowed them. I'm allergic to codeine.

    The day nurse said that the meds had no codeine, and that I was approved for a pump to relieve the pain, but the night nurse didn't want to do it.
  • jams67
    jams67 Member Posts: 925 Member
    #7
    kathleenss said:

    On the first night after my surgery, the night nurse didn't close the catheter correctly, so it leaked all over the floor. She called housekeeping, but decided to clean it up before they came. She JERKED my bed around the room so she could get to the puddles! When I cried and asked her to stop, she explained that she had to do it. She was pushing towels around the floor with her foot.

    When she left, she left my bed in the center of the room in front of the open door, and left my table (with the call button) across the room! Luckily my husband was sleeping there, so I woke him.

    Housekeeping finally came and gently moved my bed while they mopped, and then put everything back in place.

    Meanwhile, the nurse brought me some pain pills, and mentioned that they had codeine in them after I swallowed them. I'm allergic to codeine.

    The day nurse said that the meds had no codeine, and that I was approved for a pump to relieve the pain, but the night nurse didn't want to do it.

    That sounds like a living nightmare! Funny how most of these incidents happen at night.
    Jo Ann

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