Dear Dialysis Nurse

[PrimeTimer]

Hubby will be calling his neph Monday morning. Meanwhile, here's what I wish I could really send: 


Dear Dialysis Nurse,

I am writing to you today because you have been found to be out of compliance with my husband's dialysis treatment. YOU, not me, not my husband nor his doctor but YOU. For the third time YOU have failed to follow doctor's orders. For the third time YOU have failed to order and/or administer a patient's medication as prescribed by their doctor. This is not in compliance with the patient's treatment plan.
 
Since you have failed to comply with the doctor's orders and also chose to not take action when reminded by the patient, my husband will once again have to spend time calling the doctor himself and reiterating the conversation. Meanwhile, this will not only cost him time but also a lot of undue stress. Now we will wait (with anxiety) for the results of his next lab results to see how much damage you have caused. You must not have a loved one suffering from a chronic or life-threatening disease because if you did, surely you would know the stress and anxiety they already suffer. You would know that your actions or lack thereof, cause more suffering and anxiety. Why? Because your mistake can affect the patient's health and well-being.     
 
My husband holds a job in which his employer requires a formal training. Interesting, for just this past week at their monthly employee meeting his company reminded the employees that if they do not stay in compliance and too many mistakes are found with their work, they will be required to take additional courses and/or repeat some classes. Perhaps your company should require the same. And you can start with the chapter titled, "It's A Big Deal". What's that you say? You've never heard of that chapter? Please do go and ask your peers or better yet, your patients if they have heard of the chapter titled, "It's A Big Deal". And please, listen very closely to their response. I bet the patient who flat-lined in the clinic this morning had heard of it.
 
In summary, I hope you take this letter with a grain of salt because my husband sure can't. If he did, he'd be out of compliance. But honestly, please try to do your best to return to the professional you sought to be and help your patients, not hurt them.
 
Sincerely,
The spouse of one of your dialysis patients

[Charlie B53]

Doesn't your Husband have the right to refuse that Nurse from touching him or the dialysis machine?  Seems we should be able to refuse services by certain individuals when that persons conduct fails below standards.

Your Husband maybe needs to put this complaint into writing, and hand it in.

This Nurse maybe should have ANY patient contact.

[Michael Murphy]

Besides letting the facility manager know, let the manager know that  the next time his orders are not followed you will file a formal CMS complaint.  That threat should get the managers attention since CMS takes complaints seriously.  Also if the nurse won't follow medication orders if the medication is part of the Medicare bundle CMS will be even more outraged.  That could cost the provider money.  Good Luck.  I would think of going to a different center,.

[cassandra]

I would write a complaint too, and I do hope he can refuse that nurse coming anywhere near him or his machine.

Love, luck and strength to the both of you, Cas

[PrimeTimer]

Well....instead of calling his neph Monday morning, hubby decided to first try the center's charge nurse. Again. The other day they said she was out and that they were unable to reach her by phone. She answered the phone Monday morning and the "problem" was remedied by his next treatment (today). What helped was that his neph also showed up today and reiterated her orders to the nurse only this time, the nurse followed through. I am so glad that my husband didn't let this go. Don't let anyone (not doctors, nurses, FA's, etc) put you in a box. Sometimes the "one size fits all" idea does not work. When your doctor orders specific medications or instructions, don't let anyone tell you that it is not "their" policy. My husband is not a piece of paper, he is a humanbeing. You ALL are. What works for one person or even for several may or may not work for you! Remember that. Sheesh...you really do have to be your own advocate. But speaking up for yourself DOES pay off. And hubby didn't even have to get nasty about it. Thank goodness for that because he's been through enough crapola already.

[Michael Murphy]

Being a dialysis patient is hard enough without having to deal with techs and nurses who think they know what's the best treatment for a patient, if they are concerned they should speak to the doctor instead of withholding a medication.  Hopefully we are all going to doctors that we trust,  whose judgement about our treatment we have confidence in.  A nurse should not break that trust by substituting her or his judgement for that of the doctor.  If the nurse is un happy or lazy they should call the doctor.  This is a serious disease and requires patients to follow a course of treatment.  We rely on our doctors not the nurses.

[iolaire]

Glad you were able to work it out. 

When your doctor orders specific medications or instructions, don't let anyone tell you that it is not "their" policy.

Clinic policy has no barring on doctors orders.  The clinic must follow doctors orders, they have no ability to change those orders.  If they don't like the orders they need to discuss it with the doctor and until some other decision is reached they need to follow those orders.