Friday, September 10, 2010

Is There A Nurse In The House?

I read this on the Internet.  Don’t know if it is true or not, however I would not be at all surprised! 
 
“ERRORS BY DOCTORS, DRUGGISTS AND HOSPITALS ARE NOW AMERICA’S FOURTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH!”
 
I do know that my experience with the Medical Profession has been somewhat less than desirable.  I have not been hospitalized, in the last few years, without problems.  Some of those problems could have been devastating.  A good many were lack of care.  Once when an intravenous solution was put in my arm and was to remain there all night, my arm was not secured to a board, and so, during the night, when the needle came out of the vein, I was asleep and for a while did not notice.  When I did awaken, my arm was about the size of a football.
 
On another occasion, the attendant who was supposed to give me my medicine, did not, as he did not want to wake me.  Duh!  By the time I got him back to my room, I was about an hour off schedule.  Also, I could not call for the nurse as my buzzer was not plugged in.  I had to use the phone and call the hospital and get the nurses station on my floor, in order to talk to a nurse. 
 
My son came very close to dying when a Dr. prescribed an antibiotic that shut down his ability to produce white blood cells.  My son was extremely ill, but could not be taken to a hospital for fear of picking up something there that would kill him, since he could not fight off infection.  He came very near death and it was such a scary time for us.
 
My Mother died as a result of a Dr. puncturing her intestine and peritonitis killed her.  Also, as she was in intensive care, we were not allowed in to see her except every two hours.  When I was allowed to go in, the monitor read that her temperature was 107 degrees.  The monitor had not sounded an alarm.  No idea how long she had been like that!  I called the nurse and we packed her in ice to lower her temperature, but, of course, the damage had been done. Had she survived, I doubt she would have been mentally normal again.
 
The one exception has been Nurses. (With the exception of the Nurse in my Mother’s case.)
Most Nurses that I have come in contact with, have benefited me in so many ways.  A Nurse taught me to do a breathing exercise!  A Nurse developed a set of exercises that has helped me to regain some of my stamina and improved my breathing!  A Nurse instructed me regarding the timing and staggering of my medication, which enables me to even cut back on some, with no ill effects.  Doing a lot better now, as a result of listening to those Nurses! 
 
Often wonder if the Nurse tries to tell their Dr. about these good results, and if he looks down on her as if she were intruding onto sacred ground.  I worked for a Dr. years ago, and he told me the reason he would not hire an RN to assist him, was because they got to thinking they knew as much he did about some matter………….”  How dare them, try to help!  After all, it is very offensive to a Dr. to be advised of anything from the underlings below His pedestal!

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