Nursing care during hospital stay

[JenniferG]

Amanda, I didn't have anybody stay with me and it was fine. Actually, it had some benefits. I was able to sleep or watch tv if I felt like it, rather than try to make conversation when tired or in pain. If I'd had someone there, I'd have felt obliged to ease their boredom rather than sleeping, reading or watching tv.

I did have a few dud nurses and I don't think overwork was the reason they were unhelpful. It's just that every profession has its duds, I suspect. Mostly the nurses were great.

One night, overdue for meds and in pain, I buzzed for a nurse. None was forthcoming and when she finally did, half an hour later, I was upset and in bad pain. (I actually think getting upset worsens the pain, and vice versa.) When she showed, she breezed in, saying "You can always bet that just when I've made a cup of tea and some toast, someone buzzes." I was speechless. Lucky I wasn't having a heart attack - I was only in pain!

[loves to skate]

Amanda, I was alone in the hospital most of the time due to some bad snowstorms preventing my husband from getting in to see me. I insisted he not try to drive in the snow and ice because I would be too worried. I was fine even though a couple of times when the nurses were very busy, they were a little late getting my pain meds to me. They were very sweet and very careful to make sure I got the correct medication; how important is that! I slept a lot and really didn't call for the nurses unnecessarily, and when I did call them, I made a point to let them know that I realized how busy they were. I never had a bad nurse.
Sally

[Karen Ocker]

Nursing care: about the same all over

Currently, only very sick or newly operated patients stay overnight in the hospital. Insurance companies refuse to pay for stays over their set limits.--cuts into profits.

That being said, scoliosis surgery is very complex and painful. Before my revision 7 years ago I used another forum and members there recommended hiring one's own private duty nurse/practical nurse/ or nurse-aid. I did that and my former insurance covered it provided the doctor wrote: "may have private duty nurses". As a matter of fact, every time I need to stay overnight after surgery, and I've had many assorted surgeries not scoliosis related, I always hire someone, especially overnight. That person, even just a nurses aide, can make one more comfortable and run out to the nurses desk to ask for your pain meds.

My niece had hip surgery at Columbia-Presbyterian and stayed just 2 nights. Her roommate was an elderly lady who needed a blanket and no-one came. So she gave the lady her own blanket.
Rehab hospitals are a different story; care is better there.

[Back-out]

One night, overdue for meds and in pain, I buzzed for a nurse. None was forthcoming and when she finally did, half an hour later, I was upset and in bad pain. (I actually think getting upset worsens the pain, and vice versa.) When she showed, she breezed in, saying "You can always bet that just when I've made a cup of tea and some toast, someone buzzes." I was speechless. Lucky I wasn't having a heart attack - I was only in pain!

One of an increasing number of posts on this forum that make me want to leap into the monitor screen and boarding a time machine, throttle someone. Mercilessly. HARD.

[jsully]

My problem with the nursing care was that they simply did not understand why I was in so much pain. One nurse said, " I do know how it feels, I had a disc fused". OK lady, I had 12! Then another nurse asked, " what pain meds did you take at home?" I answered "none, only Motrin". Then he couldn't understand why I needed so many now. I think maybe scoliosis surgery is so rare, they simply do not understand, being a nurse myself, that is all I could figure. One time my husband had to text my MD in the middle of the night so I could get pain control, and moments later it came. Lucky for me, my DR gave us his personal phone number. I did not like feeling like a drug seeker mainly and I definatly know how it feels to be on both sides of the bed. (However, I never withhold pain meds, if it's ordered, the patient wants it, they get it, end of story. No one can judge another persons pain.

[titaniumed]

Karen Ocker offers valuable advice here. I always read her posts. Proper nursing is so important!

After I came out out of ICU, I was a little rough with the nurses, the male nurses, not the female nurses. Its hard for me to explain this one, but its true. I was just run over by a train, and they had me tied down as I was a hose puller, and didn’t remember too much. The pain was very intense while I was awake. It seemed that the only relief I got was when I was knocked completely out. My shoulder was also broken, and they didn’t know it, neither did I at the time.

I think that by the time I made it to the orthopedic wing, they "knew" Ed was coming. I'm sure that Dr Menmuir prepped them. I was by the nurses station.

If anyone was exited, it was me. Finally, a graveyard nurse and I had a long talk. I guess that’s all I needed, she said the right words. I realized that even though I was being "bombed", I was going to have to tough this one out. They were giving me the strongest meds they had. I feel that meds are overrated, and expected more from them. I now know this, and yes I was pretty beat up. I'm always telling people to take care now, don’t get into an accident, and don’t get hurt!

I later found out that she moved on, that she was a "hopper" and had worked at many hospitals all over the country. When I rang that nurse bell, she would come quickly. I would try 5 minutes early for a shot, and she would make me wait the 5 minutes. We eventually came to an understanding, or maybe it was just me. It was really new to me. Communication is very difficult when lightning is striking.

They rotated Morphine, Dialuid, and a very powerful Lortab through multiple Ivs and shots.

Please remember that I had serious work done. Extensive corpectomies and grafting on each level from L1-Sacrum from the front. My vascular surgeon also did exploratory looking for cancers as I've been exposed to metals and elements most of my life. Ileus, and drains and tubes everywhere. I hated my NG tube, but was necessary.

I always pay attention to posts here from nurses. Proper nursing is necessary in our recoveries, and I thank you all. It was a very scary time for me and I was also alone. I had friends who came against my wishes, who really couldn’t help all that much. I had many who came down, and I don’t remember them coming at all.

There would be nothing better than to have a scoli to talk to, or a scoli nurse.....It would have made ALL the difference for me. Having a private room and at least someone there (significant other) would have helped.
Ed

[naptown78]

patient care

I just wanted to jump in here and say that I had wonderful nurses and also patient care techs during my 5 day hospitalization in Indianapolis for my recent revision. My husband stayed in my room during the day but went home at night. I was sleeping so much anyway.
Everyone was responsive to me, and my pain control was tended to in a professional manner.

[sccrm08]

I had someone with me the whole time. My husband was waiting for me in ICU and between him, my sister in law and other family members I was never left alone. I was in so much pain I would of never been able to find the call button let alone use it.

[debbei]

I agree with Karen--it's nice to have someone there in the middle of the night. Right after my surgery when I was in the ICU, there was no need to have a private nurse--there were always there. THe first night I went to my (private) room, I told my husband I didn't need a private nurse as I thought i would sleep. I was awake crying most of the night and it seemed to take forever for someone to come. After that I had a private nurse at night after my husband left. She was able to do everything the normal nurses could do, including giving me meds. When I couldn't sleep at night she'd keep me company and chat with me. She knew what I wanted before I needed it. She gave me a sponge bath every morning before my husband and the doctors arrived. She was an angel and I couldn't have done it without her.

Paying her was cash and totally out of pocket, but worth every cent. I must say though, even though I was at another NY hospital, it was half the cost as Debra mentioned for HSS.

[leahdragonfly]

Debbei,

How did you arrange for your angel-nurse? Did you just have to ask and the hospital provided her, or did you arrange it ahead of time?

My husband will not be with me during the night, so I am starting to wonder if I need someone.

[debbei]

Debbei,

How did you arrange for your angel-nurse? Did you just have to ask and the hospital provided her, or did you arrange it ahead of time?

My husband will not be with me during the night, so I am starting to wonder if I need someone.

Hi,

I asked ahead of time through my Dr's office, and the hospital provided her. It was the smartest thing I could have done.

[Susie*Bee]

My husband stayed the first few nights, but then we decided he could come back and forth when he wanted-- it was a 2+ hour drive and he needed to get some work done too. I was fine during the night (and day) by myself, although hubby did manage to come most every day at some time. The staff took good care of me. Rush is also a teaching hospital and there were 2 "fellows" working on their spine/scoliosis fellowships who would stop by occasionally (actually, sort of often) too. I did not feel neglected. BTW, one of them was Dr. Cahill who now works (or did a couple years ago) with Dr. Betz at Shriner's in Philly. He did his fellowship at Rush under Dr. H. He was such a nice young doctor! (I have a pic with him and me in my scoli scrapbook...) See, I have such fond memories of my time in the hospital, even though the surgery was grueling.

[KathK]

I'm trying to understand the role of the overnight support person when it comes to pain medications. The first several nights, you are not yet taking oral pain medication, right? So, is the pain medication in the form of shots, an IV or a PCA (or all three). Would the overnight support person then keep track of when the pain medication should be delivered and contact the nurse of your behalf for shot or IV? Or does the support person wake you up so that you can push the PCA pump? Or both?

Thanks!

[jsully]

I had a pain pump 1 day, then switched to oral meds. I also had shots ordered as needed. That is what I had to beg for, they didn't want to give me the shots for some reason. I assume they though I was "drug seeking".

[Singer]

I was on a pain pump for a couple of days and nights and was able to push the button, but I was so drugged up I couldn't find the button half the time. Also, I was completely helpless after my surgeries and needed help to turn over or change positions -- which I wanted to do a LOT in the beginning. Once I switched to oral meds, the night nurse made sure I got dosed every four hours so the pain didn't get ahead of me.

I checked my records by the way, and I did have a nurse's aide, not an RN. Aides cost a lot less than nurses and are really all you need.