Comments on: The Maddest Family I’ve Ever Seen

By: faith pridgen

faith pridgen — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 23:19:46 +0000

What a story. I have been in those shoes a time or two. I am an experienced ICU nurse from a MICU. I recently transferred to a CCU and will have to take fresh heart soon. I have no experience with heart surgery. Several of the nurses I work with compare a fresh heart with like playing pinball. I understand what they are talking about but not really. I know there is a receipt out there somewhere and i am anxious to find it. Come on all you CCU nurses out there. Help a sister out.

By: Suze

Suze — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 21:33:29 +0000

geena, I am feeling your pain!!! I am an OR nurse ~ small community hospital that does a lot of general/vascular/ortho/urology, and some GYN/ENT, very few eyes. No peds, no neuro, and no hearts.
You handled this awful situation very well, even though it a) was NOT your fault or mix-up, and b) I am SURE what you would have LIKED to have done is dragged Dr. A in by the ear to deal with the family…
We have this kind of situation happen in our OR occasionally. Doo-doo happens. Dr. forgets he has a case, or their office scheduler mixed something up. Sometimes the surgeon shows up on time ~ at the wrong hospital… When you’re dealing with multiple surgeons who go to multiple hospitals (sometimes back and forth between them!), it amazes me the schedule runs as well as it does. If the first case of the day runs over its alloted time, the rest of the schedule is behind. Families don’t particularly like to hear that, either… But would they like the surgeon to rush through THEIR loved one’s case to stay on time? I thought not! ;-)
This mix-up was between two surgeons in the same group. Period. Had NOTHING to do with the hospital/staff. Dr. A booked the case for Dr. Z, and failed to tell Dr. Z. Obviously the OR was ready for the patient. When Dr. Z didn’t show up, they went looking for him. I don’t blame Dr. Z for being upset, either. This was all Dr. A!
It is frustrating when the family vents on us… Especially when it is absolutely NOT our fault… And I have yet to see a family member dress down a doctor the way they berate nurses and other staff.
I feel sorry for Cathy, who posted she hopes never to be in a US hospital, and I am wondering where the perfect system exists? I would like to go work there!

By: cathy

cathy — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 04:42:18 +0000

As the wife of a heart patient, I can tell you that I would have been quietly screaming along with the family of this patient.

Where the heck was the doctor? Out playing golf? Running for office?

Seriously, I truly hope I drop dead before I’m ever admitted to a hospital in this country–that being the US. I know that I’d never survive given the horrid conditions I’ve seen.

By: Jenn

Jenn — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 14:42:59 +0000

I did post-op open heart for three years. I love them, but man, you’re right, that couldn’t have been more stressful.

By: Nanner

Nanner — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 02:06:28 +0000

I don’t work in a critical care unit but have had similar problems with difficult family members and or patients. Seemed as if you handled it well!

By: billie

billie — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 12:38:18 +0000

Oh my. That was a fabulous story. I love the way you write! I have felt all those emotions exactly like you have described.

By: heather

heather — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 19:04:27 +0000

You did an outstanding job under the circumstances. I think the family had worked hard to get themselves psyched up for surgery, and then to not have it as scheduled was an enormous shock–and put in question the competency of those running the show. Many times those in the medical field don’t understand this–to them it was just an unfortunate mix-up, but to the family it was devastating. Trying to screw your courage up to the possiblity of losing a loved one is never easy. I’m glad things were resolved and things worked out in the end. You certainly did have quite the horrible first “heart” experience, but pulled through with flying colors!

By: Vasha

Vasha — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 12:27:29 +0000

About stable patients in the ICU — a friend of mine who has hydrocephalus was admitted for surgery when her shunt clogged up. The night before the surgery they put her in the ICU even though she was apparently fine, cheerful, walking around and so forth. The neurosurgeon wanted her there because he thought her condition might deteriorate very suddenly, so she should be where she could get emergency treatment on the spot. No such thing happened before the scheduled surgery, though. The ICU nurses seemed rather amused by how much she seemed not to belong there; it apparently made a nice change for them to have a patient who was not only talking but joking and all.

By: DP

DP — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 11:43:09 +0000

Wow, I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes in this situtation . . .but I REALLY wouldn’t want to be the patient.

By: Keith Carlson

Keith Carlson — Sat, 15 Oct 2005 13:07:35 +0000

I have never been a hospital nurse—although I work with very sick and complicated patients at home and in clinic. This type of situation is incredibly stressful, especially when you feel empathy for the family and patient but are still seen as “one of the them”. Ouch. Sounds like you handled it with grace. Well done.