Wednesday, March 2, 2011
"Oh, we don't assign students to him anymore..."
A quick story because I am heading out to clinical soon -
Patient has been in hospital for several weeks now, post op for a diabetes-related amputation. Side effect is HUGELY swollen genitals with some really awful skin breakdown. Guy is in a lot of pain. He is both needy and withdrawn. He is not handling the patient role very well. He wants his control back.
He's had a student with him for several shifts. Student has the time to be with him constantly. Student talks to him, gets to know him, works to understand and resolve his concerns. Turns out there's a lot of underlying stuff about him that no one knew about. Patient is super grateful for the care. Patient calls student (note - I'm not the student!) an "angel from heaven".
Next shift, staff balks at allowing a student in his room anymore, stating that the 1:1 care of a student is "making them look bad".
What say you?
Patient has been in hospital for several weeks now, post op for a diabetes-related amputation. Side effect is HUGELY swollen genitals with some really awful skin breakdown. Guy is in a lot of pain. He is both needy and withdrawn. He is not handling the patient role very well. He wants his control back.
He's had a student with him for several shifts. Student has the time to be with him constantly. Student talks to him, gets to know him, works to understand and resolve his concerns. Turns out there's a lot of underlying stuff about him that no one knew about. Patient is super grateful for the care. Patient calls student (note - I'm not the student!) an "angel from heaven".
Next shift, staff balks at allowing a student in his room anymore, stating that the 1:1 care of a student is "making them look bad".
What say you?
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3 comments:
That's a shame that the staff would put their image ahead of something that is obviously beneficial to a patient. :-(
Wow. Really?
That's just sad.
The nurses should appreciate the extra helping hand and attention given by the student and tell the student so...I know I would! The staff should explain to the patient that the student is there in a learning capacity - Realistically speaking it's impossible for regular staff on a regular ward to give 1:1 attention - that still shouldn't mean that he shouldn't have a student.
Sounds like a patient who could actually use a good care plan...!
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Thanks for your thoughts :)