Interferering with Darwin's progress

[tudorpot]

For the most part the people I take care of do the best they can to get better. Yesterday, I had two who are doing their best to interfere with their health and the health of their loved ones

Comments

[madamsnape]

Idiots! Ah well, I know it's hard, but I guess you're going to have to try and forget them if they want to be like that, and work harder on those that are willing to actually get better asap!

[tudorpot]

It's hard to have a good attitude when someone whines that it's all your fault for the whole time you are caring for them. want to stick them with big needles and twist them

[madamsnape]

Hehehe... just think of that whilst there ;p if they ask what the smirk is on their face... just tell them how you normally look, and it's nice that they've noticed.

Yes, it doesn't make that much sense. However, this should hopefully stun them into a SILENT internal WTF?!

[tudorpot]

I have a hard time as it is from revealing my thoughts. We have such a lot of pressure- people complain and then nurses lose work- for the stupidist things, one time I visited a woman, her dog's hair was on the lower leg of my trousers- well the next woman complained, I hadn't seen it- not as if I was using my legs to check her bp.

[duniazade]

Oh yes, I do understand! And did you move his IV earlier? I hope you don't have to do that.

[tudorpot]

I got his message at 1030 am- I had previously booked the 4pm appt - that canceled later-about 2:30, that was in L, he lives in M, forty km away and on my way home. His dose was given at 5pm the first night and 4 pm the next two days- I had planned my day based on travel and when certain patients had time specific treatments- injections, iv's etc. I could have moved him to 3pm, but that would mean driving back and forth- wasted time and gas. Even if I had known, I can only move a drug an hour. Orders are Q24 hours, not 'when it suits the patient's whim.
I'm off his last two days- breath of relief- so someone else can sort him.

[duniazade]

Oh God. Breath of relief indeed!

It reminds me of something a friend had told me. She was an anesthesist and worked in Garches - a hospital specialised in polytraumatisms. The whole team had worked hard on this guy who had got himself smashed to pieces on his motorbike. He wakes up and says "good, with the insurance I can buy myself a bigger motorbike." So my friend tells him "Next time you turn up here, I'm switching you off."

[tudorpot]

laughs, it would be nice to somehow get them to think about what they are doing- it's not going to happen. Woman at last visit- kept smoking while I was doing my work on her stepson. Come on- it's 2008- you don't smoke in the house with a kid- and you don't smoke when you have someone there without asking-

[dichroic]

The one thing I can think of that would make sense for the two-year-old is if his parents are split up and he's on a sleep-over at his father's. And if the father is the sort who would refuse to bring him back early.

[tudorpot]

Not in this case- dad is long gone sadly. No, just a flaky mum.

[pigwidgeon37]

I'm sure you know best, but the boy's mum sounds rather dodgy to me. Could there be child abuse involved, with her trying to cover up for the abuser?

[tudorpot]

NO, I don't think so- I'm going to make sure that other visits have not been canceled, she lives with her mom- bio dad disappeared so she's a single mom- which doesn't mean she's bad- but some make poor choices. I'm more concerned about another child- barely any food in the house, garbage all over the yard and in the house, and other stuff that's concerning. He's healing slowly and has other issues, ADD and flaky mum who has him on weekends. Stepmum is ok, but not too bright re nutrition. Expensive store bought cakes in fridge but little else- it's scary.

[pigwidgeon37]

I certainly don't envy you - seeing patients in their 'natural habitats' certainly helps you to see whether it's just poor choices or active abuse/negligence, but deciding when to act must be extremely tough.