09-14-2008, 04:30 AM
Is it just me?
I took one of my not so unusual falls yesterday and went to the ER.
After 4 hours (not really a bad wait as ER's go), three CT scans and a set of X-rays they determined that my neck was clear, my pelvis only bruised and my knee not broken. Good so far.
Knee was swollen up like a softball so they put me in an immobilizer... been there, done that.... not the best product but adequate.
They even listened to me regarding pain meds and steered away from the original plan for morphine and dropped it down to Fentanyl in small increments. Great~
Then they discharged me. Asked if I could walk on crutches with my severe back pain. I said "I will... this back won't last and I have to move". Great they say, we'll write you a prescription for them.
HUH? It's Saturday night, I can't walk, have been told to bare no weigh on my leg... a prescription? They don't have crutches at the hospital?
After a couple stops (all pharmacies in town are closed) we find Longs. Pharmacy is closed but store has some "on the shelf".
Now I am a trained nurse and know how to size adjust hem and use them but what about the average person? No instructions to go up and down stairs? No fitting to protect the underarm? Am I missing something? Is this not incomplete care?
Then there are the discharge instructions... all in writing.. no one talks to you. Standard stuff spit out by the computer without thought... so:
For back injury, very important to be up and walking within one day.
For knee, very important to maintain bed rest and put no weigh on it for three to five days.
So what is it? What do they want the patient to do? I know what to do to care for myself, but judging by the behaviors of most of the people I saw in the ER, one can not assume they will do anything but create more problems/injuries for themselves and be back in the ER...
Methinks here is a management issue here... I would be interested in your comments.
I took one of my not so unusual falls yesterday and went to the ER.
After 4 hours (not really a bad wait as ER's go), three CT scans and a set of X-rays they determined that my neck was clear, my pelvis only bruised and my knee not broken. Good so far.
Knee was swollen up like a softball so they put me in an immobilizer... been there, done that.... not the best product but adequate.
They even listened to me regarding pain meds and steered away from the original plan for morphine and dropped it down to Fentanyl in small increments. Great~
Then they discharged me. Asked if I could walk on crutches with my severe back pain. I said "I will... this back won't last and I have to move". Great they say, we'll write you a prescription for them.
HUH? It's Saturday night, I can't walk, have been told to bare no weigh on my leg... a prescription? They don't have crutches at the hospital?
After a couple stops (all pharmacies in town are closed) we find Longs. Pharmacy is closed but store has some "on the shelf".
Now I am a trained nurse and know how to size adjust hem and use them but what about the average person? No instructions to go up and down stairs? No fitting to protect the underarm? Am I missing something? Is this not incomplete care?
Then there are the discharge instructions... all in writing.. no one talks to you. Standard stuff spit out by the computer without thought... so:
For back injury, very important to be up and walking within one day.
For knee, very important to maintain bed rest and put no weigh on it for three to five days.
So what is it? What do they want the patient to do? I know what to do to care for myself, but judging by the behaviors of most of the people I saw in the ER, one can not assume they will do anything but create more problems/injuries for themselves and be back in the ER...
Methinks here is a management issue here... I would be interested in your comments.
I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"
hit the floor each morning, the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"