Good evening everyone. I just arrived home from the Grantsburg Hospital. A friend of mine that lives in Milwaukee called and asked me to drive over to the hospital and stay with his mom for a while. His mom lives in Webb Lake, Wisconsin. She was involved in a vehicle/motorcycle accident. She passed out at the scene. She has some lower back pain so they did x-rays, which all came back negative except they noted that she has hardening of the arteries. There is arteries that run down along the spine and were visible on the x-ray. So she will need to follow up with her primary doctor for a cholesterol test. She is now resting comfortably at home. Now I am going to explain why it is that I drive into the city to work. Nursing care is so half assed backwards in small towns. First of all they don't have the equipment they need or it is out dated. Then I could tell her back was really hurting so I went and asked the nurse to give her something for pain. The nurse said she would have to ask the doctor. Okay, I waited for an hour still nothing. So, I made a trip to the desk this time the doctor was sitting there and I loudly, and clearly said why does some one have to wait an hour for pain medicine. The doctor pops his head up and says I am waiting to read the x-ray result. Well, they have been sitting there for almost an hour. What the hell does an x-ray reading half to do with giving some one something for pain. I am a firm believer in not making some one wait for something for pain. If your patient tells you they are having pain, the nursing staff need to respond. I had to ask for an ice pack, and had to help her change her position and prop her with some pillows. Come on people these are all basic nursing things. A little common sense goes along way. They did not even have a portable x-ray machine. She had to get up from the bed with no help from the nurse. She came in disconnected the I.V. and left the room. That is when I lost it and said look this is an elderly patient who is complaining of low back, coccyx pain, the least you could do as a nurse is help her into the wheel chair. Yes, I went one step further and made the comment that I can't stand piss poor nursing. Listen up people if your here for just a paycheck, nursing isn't the place you belong. Having a little compassion goes along way. Okay I am done rattling. Have a safe evening. We will chat soon.
