Well well, this weekend was my turn in the ER as a patient. Yes, the dreaded ER of the hospital I refuse to be admitted to because I once worked there (for a very short time) and know things that I simply cannot share due to confidentiality but let me say this....mortality rate...uh....high. Errors....uh...high. One of the worst rated hospitals in the state..yes public knowledge. I can say these things because these are public knowledge however for my career and reputation in health care I got the hell out of there before that place brought my reputation to a screeching halt!!!
I could not stop telling my daughter to watch, listen, and do not leave my side. I was very ill. So ill that I did not care where I went I just wanted to the pain to stop. I have to be very very ill to go to the hospital as most health care workers seem to follow this trait. So when 'E' goes to the ER....especially this ER...'E' is very sick.
I must admit the attitude has changed and many of my caregivers were very nice and friendly. At times too friendly as my head was about to explode and all I needed was a dark and quite room. The baby crying next door non-stop had me ready to go across the hall with my ass exposed and say PLEASE KEEP IT QUIET! I understand babies crying but the mom kept raising the volume on her TV louder and louder to drown out her baby's cries....OMG! Woman get a grip!
So, miss younger than all get out nurse comes in to start my IV...yes...I think I must have been her first IV because there is not a damn thin thing about me and she kept saying my veins are thin...no they aren't. After a very painful (never in my life has it hurt so bad) stick she tries to draw blood...oh..hee...heee...sorry Erica your vein has collapsed! Bish. Um...it hurts...like hell. She proceeds to say oh well we can use it for your IV fluids and Morphine. Ah ha. Are those air bubbles I see in there??? As my arm swells up and hurts all the more I think the stuff is going in my arm and NOT my vein! Damn.
Then....student PA walks in...younger than miss nurse. In fact she looks younger than my 21 year old daughter. Giggly and happy she explains that they are going to send me for a CT scan and then do a Spinal Tap. Um...what about my incredible pain and the vomit that continues to come out of my mouth??? Where is that morphine and the anti nausea med? Giggle giggle...we forgot...Shit.
Another student PA walks in and gives me what I need to take that pain away. Off to the CT scanner...the CT tech asks my daughter to stay behind yet I inform her under no circumstances is she going to stay behind...she MUST come with me because this place....this place..scares me. She laughs. Good lord if she knew I worked here at one time I think her laughter would change to understanding.
She continued to drop my IV bag...about four times. One time totally stepping on the bag and almost ripping it out of my arm...nice. Lord help me. She was apologetic and giggly too but come on now...get a grip. Hold on to the DAMN BAG!!!
Now time for my Spinal tap because I am feelin' NO pain. Scared? Yes. Two student PAs and one doc all aboard. Now, I don't mind teaching as I have been there so I have no problem with that as long as the doctor is there and she was and she was good. Not enough numbing because as the student proceeds I about jump off of the gurney. Yo that freaking hurts! She hit some arthritis...mhmm. Well the doc injects more numbing and we are now talking no pain ...well...at least reduction in pain. Under wonderful guidance the doctor talks her through and she does well...bravo student PA!! I only had slight pain this time... now send off my CSF for some testing and get me the hell out of here...almost five hours into my ER visit!
I knew the CT and the CSF would come back negative but because of the intense pain, the vomit, and everything else I was experiencing they had to cover all bases...good. I am still alive and in the hospital where most roll out dead. Well, let me say the young nurse who continued to take my BP on the arm with the IV...umm...no no. And then raised my head AFTER my ST...hell NO! Last thing I want is a ST headache! I was kind...told her to please take my BP on the other arm (giggle giggle - oh its okay she says) and asked her kindly to put my head back down for at least an hour. AND recapping that needle...bad habit...isn't that basic teaching for today's health care? Risky girl.
After reading a fellow blogger's blog on how patients need to respect what she says and respect her as a nurse and not argue....I beg to differ. As a patient if you don't advocate for yourself you can end up in a pretty sticky situation. I am glad I have some knowledge because in a place like the hospital I was in...you can seriously end up critically ill! Dropped sterile gloves need to remain dropped and not picked up OFF THE FLOOR AND REUSED!!!! so sorry my fellow blogging nurse but I will be a pain in the ass and speak up if I don't like or am uncomfortable with what you say or do. I have that right. My visit this time to the hospital from HELL gets a 3 out of 5 score from me. This is because of the nurse not because of the PAs, the doctor, the CT tech, or the Aide...but because she seemed to be doing it all wrong and did not apologize once. Friendly yes...knowledgeable...no.
~E
I could not stop telling my daughter to watch, listen, and do not leave my side. I was very ill. So ill that I did not care where I went I just wanted to the pain to stop. I have to be very very ill to go to the hospital as most health care workers seem to follow this trait. So when 'E' goes to the ER....especially this ER...'E' is very sick.
I must admit the attitude has changed and many of my caregivers were very nice and friendly. At times too friendly as my head was about to explode and all I needed was a dark and quite room. The baby crying next door non-stop had me ready to go across the hall with my ass exposed and say PLEASE KEEP IT QUIET! I understand babies crying but the mom kept raising the volume on her TV louder and louder to drown out her baby's cries....OMG! Woman get a grip!
So, miss younger than all get out nurse comes in to start my IV...yes...I think I must have been her first IV because there is not a damn thin thing about me and she kept saying my veins are thin...no they aren't. After a very painful (never in my life has it hurt so bad) stick she tries to draw blood...oh..hee...heee...sorry Erica your vein has collapsed! Bish. Um...it hurts...like hell. She proceeds to say oh well we can use it for your IV fluids and Morphine. Ah ha. Are those air bubbles I see in there??? As my arm swells up and hurts all the more I think the stuff is going in my arm and NOT my vein! Damn.
Then....student PA walks in...younger than miss nurse. In fact she looks younger than my 21 year old daughter. Giggly and happy she explains that they are going to send me for a CT scan and then do a Spinal Tap. Um...what about my incredible pain and the vomit that continues to come out of my mouth??? Where is that morphine and the anti nausea med? Giggle giggle...we forgot...Shit.
Another student PA walks in and gives me what I need to take that pain away. Off to the CT scanner...the CT tech asks my daughter to stay behind yet I inform her under no circumstances is she going to stay behind...she MUST come with me because this place....this place..scares me. She laughs. Good lord if she knew I worked here at one time I think her laughter would change to understanding.
She continued to drop my IV bag...about four times. One time totally stepping on the bag and almost ripping it out of my arm...nice. Lord help me. She was apologetic and giggly too but come on now...get a grip. Hold on to the DAMN BAG!!!
Now time for my Spinal tap because I am feelin' NO pain. Scared? Yes. Two student PAs and one doc all aboard. Now, I don't mind teaching as I have been there so I have no problem with that as long as the doctor is there and she was and she was good. Not enough numbing because as the student proceeds I about jump off of the gurney. Yo that freaking hurts! She hit some arthritis...mhmm. Well the doc injects more numbing and we are now talking no pain ...well...at least reduction in pain. Under wonderful guidance the doctor talks her through and she does well...bravo student PA!! I only had slight pain this time... now send off my CSF for some testing and get me the hell out of here...almost five hours into my ER visit!
I knew the CT and the CSF would come back negative but because of the intense pain, the vomit, and everything else I was experiencing they had to cover all bases...good. I am still alive and in the hospital where most roll out dead. Well, let me say the young nurse who continued to take my BP on the arm with the IV...umm...no no. And then raised my head AFTER my ST...hell NO! Last thing I want is a ST headache! I was kind...told her to please take my BP on the other arm (giggle giggle - oh its okay she says) and asked her kindly to put my head back down for at least an hour. AND recapping that needle...bad habit...isn't that basic teaching for today's health care? Risky girl.
After reading a fellow blogger's blog on how patients need to respect what she says and respect her as a nurse and not argue....I beg to differ. As a patient if you don't advocate for yourself you can end up in a pretty sticky situation. I am glad I have some knowledge because in a place like the hospital I was in...you can seriously end up critically ill! Dropped sterile gloves need to remain dropped and not picked up OFF THE FLOOR AND REUSED!!!! so sorry my fellow blogging nurse but I will be a pain in the ass and speak up if I don't like or am uncomfortable with what you say or do. I have that right. My visit this time to the hospital from HELL gets a 3 out of 5 score from me. This is because of the nurse not because of the PAs, the doctor, the CT tech, or the Aide...but because she seemed to be doing it all wrong and did not apologize once. Friendly yes...knowledgeable...no.
~E
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