AAARRRGGGHHHH!!
Can I please vent again??? Please,please please?
In the last two days I have had some teeth grinding experiences that I didn't mention in my previous rant.
Case study #1
73 year old woman, looks early sixties, we suspect she paid a pretty penny to look that way. Comes to us from the unit (we are a step down unit....too sick for the regular floor, not sick enough for the intensive care unit....supposedly)where people are frequently spoiled by the staffing ratio and attention they get to almost every need and want. It is much easier on them to come to our area, because the staffing ratio is still much more favorable than it would be on the regular floors, but for a number of reasons, we cannot cater to every whim. The night goes fairly well for her, she is getting her sea legs back, still weak, but able to motor mostly on her own. Just needs help with the IV pump and such. I assist her to the bathroom, then place a chair in front of the sink as she has requested to brush her teeth. I then assist her to the chair so she can brush her teeth safely, as I am not able to stand by her side for the whole event, nor do I need to. She then asks me if someone will be able to help her bathe later, and I tell her yes, there will be a patient care tech available to help her with her bath. Later, she asks another nurse "When will you be able to bathe me?" This is AFTER she has motored herself to the bathroom, sat for 30 minutes while she brushed her teeth, AND THEN applied her 40 pound duffle bag full of makeup to her face and who knows what else. The nurse again told her that a patient care tech would be there to help her set everything up so she could bathe. She then says "she won't bathe me?" and the nurse replied,"No, you are capable of bathing yourself, but she will be glad to help." the patient then gets a very pained, very pitiful look on her face and says,"oh, I don't think I have the strength to bathe myself, and they bathed me every day in the unit!" The nurse then tells her that she will have a chance to rest up from her morning strain and maybe she will be able to bathe, if not the PCT will evaluate the situation with her. The patient seems somewhat mollified, and 5 minutes later is observed putting a bra on, reaching around in back to fasten it! I CAN'T DO THAT, HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO, MY ARMS DON'T BEND THAT WAY!!! But she needs help to bathe..........Just issue me my little black polyester uniform with the little ruffled cap and white apron, so I can get on with my work....would you like me to start in the upstairs bedroom, or the downstairs?
Case study #2
65 year old man, noncompliant in every way in his life, confused just enough for staff to write off his bad behavior for several days. Now able to tell us where he is, what day it is, why he is there, and in the last 2 days has grabbed body parts that our mothers told us was off limits to anyone that we didn't want touching them, of at least 3 staff members, all female. Then commenting on what body part he got to touch, and laughing.
Now.......if I reacted the way I would react out on the street to both of these people treating me that way, I would be fired in a heartbeat!!
I want somebody to tell me why this is okay. I know no one can, but I feel better after having put it "out there" for the universe to deal with.
Thank you very much, and I still can't imagine doing anything else with my life.
In the last two days I have had some teeth grinding experiences that I didn't mention in my previous rant.
Case study #1
73 year old woman, looks early sixties, we suspect she paid a pretty penny to look that way. Comes to us from the unit (we are a step down unit....too sick for the regular floor, not sick enough for the intensive care unit....supposedly)where people are frequently spoiled by the staffing ratio and attention they get to almost every need and want. It is much easier on them to come to our area, because the staffing ratio is still much more favorable than it would be on the regular floors, but for a number of reasons, we cannot cater to every whim. The night goes fairly well for her, she is getting her sea legs back, still weak, but able to motor mostly on her own. Just needs help with the IV pump and such. I assist her to the bathroom, then place a chair in front of the sink as she has requested to brush her teeth. I then assist her to the chair so she can brush her teeth safely, as I am not able to stand by her side for the whole event, nor do I need to. She then asks me if someone will be able to help her bathe later, and I tell her yes, there will be a patient care tech available to help her with her bath. Later, she asks another nurse "When will you be able to bathe me?" This is AFTER she has motored herself to the bathroom, sat for 30 minutes while she brushed her teeth, AND THEN applied her 40 pound duffle bag full of makeup to her face and who knows what else. The nurse again told her that a patient care tech would be there to help her set everything up so she could bathe. She then says "she won't bathe me?" and the nurse replied,"No, you are capable of bathing yourself, but she will be glad to help." the patient then gets a very pained, very pitiful look on her face and says,"oh, I don't think I have the strength to bathe myself, and they bathed me every day in the unit!" The nurse then tells her that she will have a chance to rest up from her morning strain and maybe she will be able to bathe, if not the PCT will evaluate the situation with her. The patient seems somewhat mollified, and 5 minutes later is observed putting a bra on, reaching around in back to fasten it! I CAN'T DO THAT, HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO, MY ARMS DON'T BEND THAT WAY!!! But she needs help to bathe..........Just issue me my little black polyester uniform with the little ruffled cap and white apron, so I can get on with my work....would you like me to start in the upstairs bedroom, or the downstairs?
Case study #2
65 year old man, noncompliant in every way in his life, confused just enough for staff to write off his bad behavior for several days. Now able to tell us where he is, what day it is, why he is there, and in the last 2 days has grabbed body parts that our mothers told us was off limits to anyone that we didn't want touching them, of at least 3 staff members, all female. Then commenting on what body part he got to touch, and laughing.
Now.......if I reacted the way I would react out on the street to both of these people treating me that way, I would be fired in a heartbeat!!
I want somebody to tell me why this is okay. I know no one can, but I feel better after having put it "out there" for the universe to deal with.
Thank you very much, and I still can't imagine doing anything else with my life.
posted by Mommanurse at 6:37 AM
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