Surviving a hospital admission part 1
Oh, boy, have I just opened a bag of worms!! This could take years and a jillion posts to even come close to having a comprehensive list.
I am forever perplexed at how many people come into the hospital with NO idea what a dangerous place it is! And I am not talking just about the kind of knowledge that only insiders would have, I am talking about having basic knowledge about their own condition, medicines, family histories and any other issues that might impact what happens to them while they are in our care.
So, let's start with the basics:
BRING A LIST OF YOUR MEDICATIONS
Include in your list ones that you may not be allergic to, but did not sit well with you, such as, made you sick at your stomache, made you feel jittery, etc. Make sure this list goes with you when you leave the ER to go to your hospital room.
ALLERGIES
To medicines, food, scents, lotions,cleaning supplies, on and on. If it makes you sneeze, itch, breaks you out, makes you have trouble breathing, gives you a headache, we want to know about it.
SURGERIES
We don't want to waste time looking for your gallbladder if you don't have one. We don't always tell you what we are looking for in the x-ray we are taking. An MRI can't be done if you have metals in your body, pacemakers, defibrillators.
WHO WE SHOULD CALL
Give us more than one contact, but keep in mind that we will be telling these people your business. Things happen very quickly, and if we cannot reach your main contact, we need to get someone else, preferably someone who might know how to reach your main contact. We need to know who it is okay to give your info to, as there are laws that prevent us from telling anyone how you are, even if they are family. We get cussed alot......
IF YOU HAVE A LIST OF ALL THESE, KEEP IT UPDATED!!!!
If your doctor took you off a beta-blocker because it slowed your heart too much, but it didn't come off your list, you may get it before your primary doc knows because the ER doc saw it on your list and ordered it for you.
IF YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED A SPECIALIST THAT YOU WOULDN'T TAKE YOUR DOG TO, ADD HIM TO THE LIST, WITH A NOTATION "DO NOT CALL OR CONSULT".
IF YOU HAVE A LIVING WILL, FILE IT WITH YOUR MD, HOSPITAL, AND KEEP AN ABBREVIATED COPY ON YOUR PERSON.
You need to understand that a living will is not, at this time in many, maybe even all, states a legal document that would prevent the paramedics from doing CPR, it is only a form that lets your MD, your family, and anyone else who sees it, know what your wishes are. Legally, unless we have a valid "DO NOT RESUSCITATE" order, we have to do what we can.
ASK QUESTIONS
Don't put anything in your mouth unless you know you are supposed to have it. Don't let any procedures be done unless you know what, why, what it is to accomplish and what may happen after. Many procedures can't be done unless you sign a consent form for them. Don't sign any papers until you have had a chance to read them, or have a complete explanation of what they say, should you not be able to read at that time.
AND MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL!!
Remember that the doctors work for you, you have hired them to direct your health care. The nurses keep you alive, comfortable, fed, clean, and hopefully, spiritually and psychologically content, based on the MD's orders and their good common sense. If you hire someone to mow your lawn, and you look out the window and they are leaving a 3 foot swatch of unmowed area between each row they mow, wouldn't you say something about it, or even fire them? Your health care is no different. Don't go shouting "off with their heads" unless you have a good idea that you need to, but don't suffer suboptimal attention to detail because you are intimidated. YOU ARE THE BOSS!
Remember that the people caring for you are human. And usually overworked, undersupplied, and who knows what personal baggage they brought in the door with them that day? I tell my patients, "I walk into my kitchen, stand there for a minute, and think ' now, what did I come in here for?' JUST LIKE YOU DO!"
I am forever perplexed at how many people come into the hospital with NO idea what a dangerous place it is! And I am not talking just about the kind of knowledge that only insiders would have, I am talking about having basic knowledge about their own condition, medicines, family histories and any other issues that might impact what happens to them while they are in our care.
So, let's start with the basics:
BRING A LIST OF YOUR MEDICATIONS
Include in your list ones that you may not be allergic to, but did not sit well with you, such as, made you sick at your stomache, made you feel jittery, etc. Make sure this list goes with you when you leave the ER to go to your hospital room.
ALLERGIES
To medicines, food, scents, lotions,cleaning supplies, on and on. If it makes you sneeze, itch, breaks you out, makes you have trouble breathing, gives you a headache, we want to know about it.
SURGERIES
We don't want to waste time looking for your gallbladder if you don't have one. We don't always tell you what we are looking for in the x-ray we are taking. An MRI can't be done if you have metals in your body, pacemakers, defibrillators.
WHO WE SHOULD CALL
Give us more than one contact, but keep in mind that we will be telling these people your business. Things happen very quickly, and if we cannot reach your main contact, we need to get someone else, preferably someone who might know how to reach your main contact. We need to know who it is okay to give your info to, as there are laws that prevent us from telling anyone how you are, even if they are family. We get cussed alot......
IF YOU HAVE A LIST OF ALL THESE, KEEP IT UPDATED!!!!
If your doctor took you off a beta-blocker because it slowed your heart too much, but it didn't come off your list, you may get it before your primary doc knows because the ER doc saw it on your list and ordered it for you.
IF YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED A SPECIALIST THAT YOU WOULDN'T TAKE YOUR DOG TO, ADD HIM TO THE LIST, WITH A NOTATION "DO NOT CALL OR CONSULT".
IF YOU HAVE A LIVING WILL, FILE IT WITH YOUR MD, HOSPITAL, AND KEEP AN ABBREVIATED COPY ON YOUR PERSON.
You need to understand that a living will is not, at this time in many, maybe even all, states a legal document that would prevent the paramedics from doing CPR, it is only a form that lets your MD, your family, and anyone else who sees it, know what your wishes are. Legally, unless we have a valid "DO NOT RESUSCITATE" order, we have to do what we can.
ASK QUESTIONS
Don't put anything in your mouth unless you know you are supposed to have it. Don't let any procedures be done unless you know what, why, what it is to accomplish and what may happen after. Many procedures can't be done unless you sign a consent form for them. Don't sign any papers until you have had a chance to read them, or have a complete explanation of what they say, should you not be able to read at that time.
AND MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL!!
Remember that the doctors work for you, you have hired them to direct your health care. The nurses keep you alive, comfortable, fed, clean, and hopefully, spiritually and psychologically content, based on the MD's orders and their good common sense. If you hire someone to mow your lawn, and you look out the window and they are leaving a 3 foot swatch of unmowed area between each row they mow, wouldn't you say something about it, or even fire them? Your health care is no different. Don't go shouting "off with their heads" unless you have a good idea that you need to, but don't suffer suboptimal attention to detail because you are intimidated. YOU ARE THE BOSS!
Remember that the people caring for you are human. And usually overworked, undersupplied, and who knows what personal baggage they brought in the door with them that day? I tell my patients, "I walk into my kitchen, stand there for a minute, and think ' now, what did I come in here for?' JUST LIKE YOU DO!"
posted by Mommanurse at 11:41 AM
1 Comments:
Thank you
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