Having recently visited a local ER it has become apparent to me that the medical staff of today has lost some of its compassion and the ability to listen to the patient. When the nurse that was going to start an IV was looking at the arm, they were informed that the patient was a difficult stick, the veins were deep and full of valves. It was requested not to have the IV started in the AC (bend of the elbow). The nurse only looked at a crooked vein in the AC and that was where they started the line. Last year when a person was going to have surgery the staff in the pre-op area was informed that the patient was a difficult stick and if they could not get a peripheral line in one or two sticks to put in a central line. When the anesthesiologist resident came to do their pre-op assessment the same information was passed to them. Was the patient’s request followed? No! After approximately 20 attempts in both arms and IV was established for surgery. This was done after the patient had been sedated and when surgery was over the patient was horrified to see their extremities had been used as pincushion’s. The hands were bruised the arms were bruised and the IV that was started infiltrated. A formal complaint was made to the hospital and to the surgeon and that’s as far as I know, as far as it went.
What ever happened to the patient knows their body better than the medical staff, and their rights to have procedures done per their wishes seems to be ignored. I understand that sometimes it is more important to establish IV access to be able to administer emergency medications, but to directly ignore the patient that knows their body and knows the condition of their vessels better than the nurse trying to start the IV I think is a severe lack of professionalism and borderline malpractice. I say this not as a layperson, I say this not as someone who is angry and upset. I say this as someone who has been in the medical field for 40 years, worked in the emergency room, been a paramedic on an ambulance, been a nurse in the ICU/CCU, thoracic intensive care unit, and has been trained as a hemodialysis nurse. I understand the physiology of the vessels and how to cannulated a vessel that is considered fragile and difficult. But to see the results of what I have stated above and the total disregard for the patient’s wishes horrifies me.
United States had in the past been known for having the best medical care system worldwide. Not to be political, but since the government has decided that they know how to take care of patients better than the professionals and regulated reimbursement the quality has declined. Doctors and nurses are leaving the field because it’s just too difficult to maneuver through the regulations and try to do what’s best for the patient without being sued. It used to be thought that physicians made millions of dollars a year, I spoke with my cardiologist and discovered that his practice barely broke even for the past five years because of the changes in reimbursement from Medicare and the insurance companies.
Everyone has heard of the affordable care act. It is anything but affordable, you were lied to when you were told you could keep your Dr. and your premiums would go down! Of course when you have to pass a bill before you can read it, what do you expect? You may agree with this or not. You may be able to relate to this or not. You may think I’m crazy, but my favorite saying is you’ll get over it! Next time you go to the emergency room and they come in to do a procedure and you asked them to do a specific task in a specific way like don’t start the IV in my right arm because if I’m admitted I won’t be able to eat and they started in your right AC means you can’t bend your arm and it means you’re going to eat left-handed if you can, think about this post.