I am shocked and saddened by these posts about poor treatment in the hospital. There is a lesson to be learned here for everyone who comes along and reads this thread. I know a patient is in a difficult position when you're in the hospital, hurting, and people aren't helping. But it is important when things like this happen that either you or an advocate for you (friend, family member) does it. TimeBuster did the right thing.
When you are in tremendous pain and no one is helping, you can ask to see a nursing supervisor. If that doesn't work, you can ask that they contact your doctor. If that still doesn't work, most hospitals have a patient advocate number you can call when you're having problems. Then afterwards, report everything that went wrong on evaluation forms and, in the case of the "wiped off IV" write a letter of complaint to the hospital with a copy to the state medical board.
Doctors prescribe several levels of pain management for patients. It is not up to the nurses to arbitrarily determine that you're not hurting enough to have the higher level of pain relief. That is poor treatment and it should not be tolerated. If you were asking for medications over and above what has been prescribed, that's one thing that would be between you and your doctor. But you all HAD the prescriptions....they were just denying you the pain relief.
I know it goes against what we're taught to believe to challenge the medical "experts." But these days a person must be their own advocate (or have someone help with this). Not everyone in the medical field is a top flight caregiver and you have the right to ask for a supervisor or other person to help you when things aren't going right.
When you are in tremendous pain and no one is helping, you can ask to see a nursing supervisor. If that doesn't work, you can ask that they contact your doctor. If that still doesn't work, most hospitals have a patient advocate number you can call when you're having problems. Then afterwards, report everything that went wrong on evaluation forms and, in the case of the "wiped off IV" write a letter of complaint to the hospital with a copy to the state medical board.
Doctors prescribe several levels of pain management for patients. It is not up to the nurses to arbitrarily determine that you're not hurting enough to have the higher level of pain relief. That is poor treatment and it should not be tolerated. If you were asking for medications over and above what has been prescribed, that's one thing that would be between you and your doctor. But you all HAD the prescriptions....they were just denying you the pain relief.
I know it goes against what we're taught to believe to challenge the medical "experts." But these days a person must be their own advocate (or have someone help with this). Not everyone in the medical field is a top flight caregiver and you have the right to ask for a supervisor or other person to help you when things aren't going right.