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Monday, November 10, 2008

A PSA

I haven't gotten to talk to y'all in the longest time. (ahem-Sunny here-but I bet you knew that from proper spelling and grammer....) Mom wanted to talk about hospitals, nurses and staying with loved ones in the hospital.
Mom has worked just about every floor in the hospital.(Not here) ED-better known as ER and ICU were specialties but she also "floated" when needed. (The one she could not take was NICU or OB. She says the highest of highs and lowest of lows are there. She tips her hat to those that can take it. Just an aside and not germaine to this post at all...)
Ok, bear with me-Mom thinks this is really IMPORTANT for folks to know. The point of my filling you in on the above is ,that while Mom loved her job and most do, there are two reasons she stays with a hospitalized loved one. One is nurses, except in very few instances, are overburdened. To cut costs, fewer RNs are on the floor. (I am in no way knocking LPNs) It is just that by most state laws, LPNs are not allowed to do certain things-ie IV meds, etc. Sooo-the one or maybe two RNs on the floor are resposible for more than the patients assigned directly to them for total care. They are ultimately responsible for all the patients their LPNs are assigned to. This makes for not only burn out, but it can be near impossible to get to your patient in a timely manner no matter how hard you try. Some hospitals have gone to different sorts of "techs". Don't get Mom started on that. She loved her good NAs(nurse's aides) that helped. She disagrees with giving more and more over to techs. MED techs (dispense medicine and are becoming abundant) are a sore spot. Oh, and guess where the buck stops again? Yep, the RN. All to save money.
The second is that unfortunately, like any other profession, there are lousy nurses. Some are lousy because they never really had what it takes to be a nurse. Some because of burnout have just given up except on what they absolutely must do to stay employed. (It doesn't help they don't get paid enough. Ask just about any nurse this. Do you have mandatory overtime? If you do not, and even if you do, do you request overtime, volunteer when someone is needed to help your income? She doesn't have national statistics, but where she has worked the answer to both is YES in the majority. They do have a law that you cannot work 2 12's back to back and Mom has seen that broken in one of the hospitals. You want someone that has been up for over 24 hrs?? And they do not get naps like interns. They shut their eyes and they are fired.)
She always says folks don't realize how well RNs are trained. They used to be the doc's handmaidens. Now, that is not the case. More than one doc used to talk to Mom about cases. After all, she spent 12 hours with them. But of course, some did not. The newer docs are better about this.
Good grief, I have heard Mom talk about this so many times she has got me on her soapbox. So she stays to advocate and make sure everything gets done right. She is not frequently very popular!! LOL LOL
By the way, you thought I was longwinded on the above subject, you should see how long MOM can go on....Sorry, (if you read this far), for boring you. I have been listening to Mom go on and on about it lately!
Hugs
Sunny
pee ess Mom said to say that there are LPNs out there who have been nurses a long time and she would trust more than some of the RN's she has seen. Whew. I nearly missed that!

21 comments:

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

Nice to see woo bakhk with some good news!

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
PeeEssWoo: Mom says isn't khorporate greed one of the worst things in the universe? Yet hospitals MAKE money and reward their CEO's???

Petra said...

My fingers are crossed and my eyes are closed and I'm praying that your Grandma comes home tomorrow!

Eduardo said...

I'm snuggling for your grandma! My Mommy says the nurses were the most helpful people at the hospital. My grandma shirley was some kind of nurse not sure which...but my Mommy knows those nurses work so hard!
Hugs & Snugs
Eduardo the Snuggle Puggle

Coco Bean - The Princess said...

Welcome back! Ill pray for your grandmom to come back tomorrow.

My mommy has been a CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) since June of 1996 (12 years) and she completely agrees with your mommy about the nurse issue.

Cuddles & Puppy Kisses,

Coco - The Princess

Lacy said...

w00f's pups, me iz glad u g-ma iz feelin some better...and mama says in this day n time, the medical profession iz one of the bestest professions to git into..and like u saided, those hoomans hav a hard job...mama saided when she was in the hospital they loved her cause she was able to do things fur herself..and didnt need them except for meds, and the vampires da5t stoled her blood..

b safe,
~rocky~

Gus said...

OOOh wow. Muzzer says sht thinks Lawyers can be pretty rough when they advocate for family members, but your mom just might have them beat.

paws crossed
gussie

Scruffy, Lacie and Stanley's Place said...

Sunny
Thank dogness fow hoomans like youw Mom!!!
I think she has evewy wight to complain about those things..I hope youw Gwama gets home!!!
(twy to distwact youw Mom so she doesn't notice that Scootew is you know whewe, hehehe)
smoochie kisses
ASTA

Mack said...

We are crossing everything we have that grandma will come home tomorrow!

PS: We know how hard RN's work because our auntie is one!

Dewey Dewster said...

Gee Sunny....yer Mom sounds stressed out fer sure....havin' a sick loved one is no easier on the family than the patient...hope all is well soon....

Dewey Dewster here....

Lorenza said...

Paws crossed your Grandma will be at home tomorrow!
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza

Scruffy, Lacie and Stanley's Place said...

Dear Sunny...

Mumsie here...first of all I hope ur Grandma is home soonest as Lacie would say! Oh, and do we ever know bout the family member in the hospital and all the driving, visiting and exhaustion that goes with it! The squeaky wheel gets the grease in any hospital room, doesn't it!! We did get the whole zebra reference thingie...love those hoofbeats!

Um...have you heard from Lacie? We're on vacation and um...I've tried callin' Lacie's cell but she won't pick up. She did text me that she and her brothers are BEING VERY GOOD and are even doing some community service projects while we are away...I am delighted that they are being so reponsible....and with the blender still broken, at least I don't have to worry bout that....

Give hugs to your mom...sorry we've haven't been around much...still catchin' up on blogs after the Halloween Pawty ee Party...

Hugs, Sunny!

Mumsie...

P.S....I'm so glad that Lacie has found an new mature responsible friend like you...and little Scooter seems like such a sweetie!

Scruffy, Lacie and Stanley's Place said...

Sunny...hey Sunny...can't you stop by for a bit? We need another player for this game? I'm sure your mom and grandma won't be there for a while....Please???

And bring more ice...we're runnin' out!!

Barkies...Lac

Peanut said...

We hope your Gramma comes home tomorrow.

i said...

Hope you are giving extra wags and licks to your mom. Her job sure isn't easy there.

Keeping paws crossed that your Grandma will be home tomorrow.

Molly the Airedale said...

We hope your grandma comes home today! Paws are crossed!

Love ya lots,
Maggie and Mitch

The Oceanside Animals said...

hello texas sun dogs its dennis the vizsla dog hay my grammy is an rn and has wurkd for hospiss for yeerz dada sez he duznt no how nurses do it so hats off to yoo ok bye

Dexter said...

My Momma says you are absolutely right and it is very sad that cost cutting has put the squeeze on nurses and compromised health care (whew, that was a lot of words).

In fact, Momma had considered a second career in nursing, but decided against it because it seems to have turned into yet another sweatshop kind of gig where the bottom line rules.

There is a better nurse / patient ratio at the doggie hospital.

Slobbers,
Mango

Anonymous said...

Hi everyone!

Wow, that was so serious. Mom says that nurses are under appreciated across the board. I'm glad there are nurses like you who will act as advocates.

Paws crossed for your Grandma!

Barklove,
Rusty

Misadventures of Widowhood said...

My Daddy spent 8 months at the hospital and Moomie was there every day to be with him. She says she knows how hard the nurses work. You are appreciated a lot.

Love Levi

Misadventures of Widowhood said...

My Daddy spent 8 months at the hospital and Moomie was there every day to be with him. She says she knows how hard the nurses work. You are appreciated a lot.

Love Levi

Agatha and Archie said...

Well sorry this is late but we are VERY VERY behind in all of our reading because of Archies hot spots( and lack of sleep because of thtem) Ah yes PL2 says she whole heartedly agrrees with you People have no idea of what we do until they need us....!!! And then they realize what we really do!!! AHwell!!! It is fuuny though how some of us say We could never work there! ( like me in the OR!!!) Hugs and kisses A+A+PL2