Patients

As a nurse I deal with A LOT of different people. I knew I wanted to work with people & have variety everyday. Well, boy did I get it. I love being a nurse. Absolutely love being a nurse. Wouldn't change it for the world. No matter how BAD my day is, I am thankful for my career choice. However, I have learned a lot about being a patient. There are certain things that I feel make a fabulous patient. If people listen to me, they think I never had a good patient, but I do. I have thought about patients a lot this week & what advice I can give people to help be a fabulous patient. I hope I don't get fired for this & for that reason I won't tell you where I work:):):)
1. When you make your initial apt with a doctor & they ask you to bring a list of your medication with you. Do it. Don't think you know it by heart, because 99% of the patients think they do & don't. We need name, dose, frequency & route. When you are on like a thousand meds, you don't know these things. If I had a choice and a patient didn't bring it with them in detail, I would have them rescheduled or tell them not to come back. Why? Because if you can't obey the one simple thing that we ask, you aren't going to be compliant.
2. PLEASE come with a list of questions. I can't tell you enough how much it bothers me, when I go to give someone their check-out slip & they say, oh wait I forgot to ask about this one thing. My response is that the doctor is with another patient at this time, you can wait or ask at another apt. They of course want to wait, WHICH ties up a room for another patient & throws off my clinic grove. What I would like to say is, tuff.
3. Pain meds. DO NOT CALL SAYING: I AM ALL OUT & CAN'T GET THOUGH THE NIGHT!!! Again, I want to say tuff. Please!!! I say that again PLEASE call at least 2-3 day before you think you will run out. And when the answering machine says it will take up to 48 hrs to return your call, don't call again & again & again & again. Because what I would like to do is NEVER call you back. If you call & say that you lost them or they were stolen, we think you are lying, even if you are telling the truth you can blame the drug seeking people out there that use that excuse over & over again.
4. Appointment times. If you are seen at your apt time & get out of the office at a quick & amazing time, that is great. But realize you are probably the only patient in that entire clinic. Please give yourself at least 2 hours at appointments. Yes I am guilty at this with my own appointments. My appointment is at 11 am & I think I should be out of there by at least 11:30 & in reality I don't leave until 12:30. My advice: bring a book, a magazine or something to keep you busy. I had a patient watch TV on there phone to pass the time. If you are crunched on times, reschedule. You are only jipping your appointment that your insurance will probably only pay $10 of a $300 bill. This is the only time you will be with your doctor, take advantage of it.
5. For the medicaid patients. I think that it is great you have coverage. Be thankful for it. My advice for you. Pay your $3 copay. And if you can't pay it, don't come in with a fancy coffee from down stairs with all the fun stuff that goes with it, that cost at least $4.
6. For the medicare patients. I am sorry. You are being SOOOOOOOOO screwed. I am sorry that you work your entire life & in the end we screw you. I am sorry that the government doesn't show you the appreciation that you deserve.
7. For the Tricare patients (Military people). I am REALLY sorry. While the doctors are over seas protecting us & there are no military doctors to serve you here & you end up at my clinic. I am sorry. There are so many loops & swirls & everything possible to go through & to get seen is a miracle. Thank you for you Patience's & we support you.
8. I think I will make this last, you have rights as patients. My biggest pet peeve while working in the hospital is when a patient would say, oh the doctor knows what he is doing, I will agree. No questions asked nothing. Please ask. Always question your doctor decision. The doctor doesn't always know what is in your best interest. If you don't want it, say no. But make sure you have all the facts. Seek another opinion. There is nothing wrong questioning them. My doctor in fact encourages them too.
Like I said, I love being a nurse. I deal with all of this on a daily bases. You keep my life interesting. Thank you. I hope I didn't offended anybody, but that is the ugly truth. Hope you have a great time at your next doctors appointment.

Full House

I feel I have video cameras in my house videoing me right now & how chaotic it is here. My house consist of 4 adults, 2 kids, 3 dogs & 2 cats. Crazy!!! My brother's family is staying with us for about 2 weeks until they can move in a condo this Thursday. They are actually building a house in Eagle River and it won't be done until Aug/Sept time & they sold their old house & hence the 2 wks with the Thomas'. We have a had a great time. My nieces are absolutely wonderful & I couldn't have asked for a better sister-in-law. Abigail & Chewy (their dog) get a long fabulously & Lucy is in love with the cats. She just thinks they are the neatest things in the world. She loves to lick them on the face. If you see AK Thomas the Reality Show, now you will know why.
Other then that, things are going pretty well. We are enjoying the summer so fare & looking forward to our cruise in about 2 months. That is if I can find my passport. It is killing me that I can't find it. I think I need to look harder. But I need to find it quickly or just get another one. Which I don't want to spend the money on, when I know I already have one. But where oh where can that thing be.
Brad is on duty this week & I don't know if I really told anybody but he was asked to be the new Lieutenant. Which he is excited, but also scared about. A new responsibility. He is trying to get a better job at FedEx & that isn't going as well as he hoped. He applied for a job in Eagle River & it was offered to him. After they offered him the job the next day they realized that he didn't have 18 months of customer service experience. They told him he couldn't have it. We were really bummed, especially since they didn't specify that in the job qualifications & he was the only one that applied. He is ready for change in FedEx we just don't know how long it will take for the change. Time will only tell.
As for me. Same old, same old. I go to work deal with lovely patients, come home & do my things & repeat it the next day. I love being a nurse, but sometimes I would REALLY love to yell at my patients. I have wanted to post something about patient etiquette's. Or just want to vent about patients. My BIGGEST advise would be, please bring a list of questions & wants with you, I really hate it when the doctor leaves & I go to give them what ever and they ask me some stupid question or say oh, I have one more thing to ask. Bring a set of question & call it good. Because you know what I want to say to you is, too bad you had your chance. Especially when it comes to pain med refills. That is the worse, they are too afraid to ask the doctor & they think if you have the nurse ask the doctor he will be nicer. WRONG!!! I want to tell the patient, nope you can ask in 7 days when I forget about this moment. Oh I can go on & on. But please bring a list & ASK!!! I really do like being a nurse, I mean love!!!
Hope everyone is enjoying there summer of fun & please be safe...