I've been a telemetry nurse since I graduated in may of '07. In my short time and experience, I've witnessed several senseless tragedies on my unit, and I'm wondering how our rate compares to other hospitals.... in the year and a half I've been on the floor, there have been at least three situations that come readily to mind that seem like they could have been avoided. How often does something that shouldn't have happened occur where you work?
Sarah
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February 14th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
“Senseless tragedies” should never occur in a hospital. Could you give a bit more detail?
February 15th, 2009 at 9:42 am
I used to work in a large, inner city ER in a very large city in NJ. Access to the ER is at worst, a sieve, at best, mildly delayed. The ER staff complained quite a bit that due to gang activity, belligerent patients and family members, et al, it was a tinderbox waiting for a spark. After an incident where a gang member decided to finish his job of unsuccessfully offing someone who “dissed” him in our trauma bay, the main entrance to the ER was made encoded ID access only. The ambulance bay has a security officer or college police officer as a gatekeeper. Still, it’s not difficult to wait til the door is unlocked and walk in behind someone, and the ambulance entrance is usually left unmanned if security is needed for an incident.
I can go on ad infinitum about staffing in the ER. There were days I was surprised I walked out with my license intact. Unfortunately, the corporate culture in the institution is such that nothing will happen until someone dies. Sad, but true.
February 15th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
by senseless tragedy, i mean patients who should not have died (in my opinion) at least not in the fashion that they did.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
If you feel that patients “should not have died” (and you are aware of what was going on during the day to day care of that patient, their risks and complications, and have some degree of confidence that their death should not have occurred), or that they should not have died “in the fashion that they did”, then I’m going to assume that their deaths were either d/t a mistake or some form of negligence. I’m not saying that YOU made a mistake or were negligent, but any “senseless” death where someone dies unexpectedly is suspicious in my opinion. Have you spoken with your NM about your concerns? If your NM is aware and you feel that these “senseless” deaths are still occurring, then take it to the next level – talk to his/her boss.
February 18th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
I’m a new telemetry nurses as well. Graduated in December 2007. I have had several situations come up in which I felt the wrong choices were being made for the patient by family, physicians, etc. One of my goals as a nurse is to always be an advocate for my patients. I have had several strong disagreements with a few doctors related to their choices for care or lack there of. When my gut says something is not right, I have to speak up. When I don’t get the answer I want, I move up the ladder. Each time it resulted in a better outcome for the patient. The doctors I work with were skeptical of me at first and after we developed a relationship I can tell they respect my opinion.
February 20th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
each situation was unique in the way things transpired, and management was all over it each time. not to place blame on shifts, but most of them happen on nights, or shortly after day-shift gets on. but the original question is how do other tele floors fare?