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by smiley73

Last Post 5 days, 11 hours Ago


Negligent Nursing Staff or Demanding Patients?
May 6, 2008 | 10:56 PM
Category: News
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Nurse? Nurse? Nurse? PLEASE HELP ME .. she cried.  That she would be my 86 year old grandmother who is recovering in a local rehab facility.  I hear her faint cries as Im briskly walking down the hallway balancing her Dunkin Donuts coffee!
She said she needed help and no one came.  I asked why she didn't push her call light, well it was well positioned on the opposite side of the bed no where near where she could reach.  If this had been the first time, you'd say we all make mistakes, this was the 5th or 6th time that she was not given the call light.   
She called to ask someone to take her to the bathroom and no one came and she was left to demoralize herself and go in bed, sobbing no one cares.  
She's had issues where she is supposed to be in a chair for her meals due to her swallowing issues (which is why she is there) and we've found her leaning somewhat upright in her bed trying to feed.  
I tested today while I was there and called the call button to see how long it would take for someone to notice she needed something. Can you guess how long?  27 minutes.. you got that right nearly ONE HALF HOUR.  You tell me if she was having chest pain or choking on her food what the result of ignoring that call light would have been.  Im thinking as I write this that she isn't demanding.  She is expecting the care that she needs and deserves and that they are being negligent on her care.  Has anyone ever experienced this situation and how do you handle?  PS Fox there's an idea for a story eh? Ugh , Im disgusted!A not so smiley...   : (
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Member Comments Total Comments: 5
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JuneInMA read my blog view my photos
May 6, 2008 | 11:30 PM

Smiley,

Even worse is when you go over how well paid nurses are. Yes, their job is very stressful and they work very long days but they get paid VERY well for it too. There's no excuse for what your grandmother has been going through. Maybe I well written letter to the hospital Director is in order.
smiley73 read my blog view my photos
May 7, 2008 | 1:53 AM

Juneinma, you are the 2nd person to tell me to do that and I think Im going to! Sadly, if my grandmother is getting treated this poorly and she has family members visiting daily imagine the care to the poor elderly folks that dont have anyone looking after them? UGH! And oh yeh, you brought up a good point they are being paid, and paid well and this is the profession they chose, right? Thanks for stopping by!!......smiley
Valintyne read my blog view my photos
May 7, 2008 | 6:57 AM

Smiley, I feel awful about what happened to your grandmother. However, it's most likely not negligence. Nurse staffing on hospital floors is notoriously low, and getting worse as the number of qualified nurses decreases due to retirement. Hospitals are now run by HMO conglomerates, which place all emphasis on profit, and not nearly enough on patient care. On the average floor, you're likely to find a patient-nurse ratio that is absurdly high, and the nurses simply can't get to everyone in time. ERs are better, thank God, but staffing is stretched to the breaking point there as well. And because RNs are paid so highly, hospitals don't want to spend the money to hire the good ones, instead relying increasingly on LPNs and assistants, who often don't have sufficient experience or training (and who often aren't fluent in English). I definitely think you should write a letter to the hospital director, and to the head of whichever company owns the hospital - the more people who complain about this problem, the more likely it is something will be done about it! It would be better for the patients and the nurses.

And God bless your grandma - I hope she gets the care she needs!
smiley73 read my blog view my photos
May 7, 2008 | 3:27 PM

Hi Val..
Nice to hear from you.... Hope all is good w/you and the fam!
You have a great point. Most of the mistakes are made by the LPNs and Assistant .. but not caring for her is negligent, putting her health at risk is negligent. The charge nurse today told me that well, you know your gram is fiesty! Im like, your point? Yeh maybe she isnt the most pleasant on her floor .. but the things we are concerned about arent unreasonable! I went in there today and spoke to EVERYONE! I had her room moved across from the nurses station so that they can hear her cries .. We'll see .. Sad that its taking an army of my family to care for her when she is in a facility of supposed trained professionals .. just so frustrating...
Thanks for the well wishes!! Hope you are out enjoying the sunshine!!! ~ A little more smiley today....
Chip read my blog view my photos
May 8, 2008 | 6:15 AM

Purposeful or not, it's negligent. smiley, go immediately to the facility Administrator. Ask for the policy regarding aptient complaints. Begin the process of progressive complaint and don't give up until the issue is resolved. We have an absolute ethical obligation to care for the people who gave us our lives...gave us this wondrful world we live in...

Go get em, killer!!!
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smiley73

"Don't ask for an easier life, Ask to be a stronger person .."

Member Since: 2/17/2007


 

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