Frickin' nurses at the outpatient surgery unit!

[Sara]

Joe had to have another catheter placed on Friday.  We never really got the whole story from his doctor's office, so all we knew is they'd be putting something in on Friday, and it may or may not be the permanent access also being put in.  So I did some calling around and all I was told was "We don't know, ask the vascular surgeon.  It's up to the vascular surgeon."  So fine, we get to the outpatient surgery unit at the hospital just before 9am and find out, no we don't have an appt at 9am, we just had to be there at 9am to sit and wait with all the other unlucky souls who were told to be there at 9am.  2 hours into waiting Joe is called up to the front desk and they whisk him away into the back without even being able to say good-bye.  I go up there, ask where he went and was told they are just putting an IV in.  I tell them we need to talk to the surgeon together BEFORE any procedure/sedation is given.  They say they'll come get me after his IV is in.  45 minutes later I get to go back to where Joe is sitting with 2 other guys in hospital gowns.  The nurse says "He needs to fill this out" and throws a clipboard at me and leaves.  OK, fine.  So I fill it out for him and sit and wait.  Another nurse (we'll call her Ogre) walks in and says in her fake-nice, over the top Southern voice, "Well, heeeeey, who are you waiting on?"  I point to Joe, she says OK and leaves.  Comes back 1 minute later.

Ogre: I was elected to be the ogre (hee hee hee -irritating laugh- ) and I have to ask you to leave.  This is a men's unit and there's not supposed to be anyone back here.
Me: Oh, I'm sorry.  I was told to come back here and fill out paperwork.
Ogre: I think we should step outside to discuss this (menacing look)
Me: (WTF?) Uh, ok.  We were also told we could talk to the surgeon TOGETHER before the procedure, so I need to make sure that's still going to happen.
Ogre: STEP OUTSIDE PLEASE!
Me: (holding myself back from slapping the witch, we go outside the room) Ok.
Ogre: Yes, you see this is a MEN's unit and they are in hospital gowns and we don't want them to be uncomfortable.  You need to go wait in the waiting area.
Me: (voice raising a little) That's FINE!  I was just told to sit there, so I sat there.  I need to talk to the surgeon to find out exactly what's going on. 
Ogre: Betty, help her find out what's going on (and walks off)
Betty: They are putting in another catheter (goes back to work)
Me: Great, but I need to know more than just that.

Enter Avis, the only helpful person in the place.  She actually spends a few minutes trying to call the vascular people to find out when they'll be coming down for Joe.  I tell her I need to know exactly what's going on b/c no one at the Dr's office seems to know.  Betty pipes up with "I already TOLD her what's going on."  I answer with, "Well you said he was getting a new catheter, but we were told he may be getting his perm. access placed, so you didn't actually answer my questions." Betty walks off in a huff.  So Avis tells me that the perm access would be more involved and they wouldn't be doing that there, today.  Also that it would probably be after 2pm before they were ready for him.  I had to leave to go to work before then (my mom was picking Joe up) but they are so.....UGH. 

Sorry, this was kind of a meaningless rant, but I had to get it off my chest.  I was so pissed.

[geoffcamp]

Why did they have to place another cath?  Was there something wrong with the first one?  They seem to be running you around in circles that really sucks.  Get used to the waiting in outpatient surgery.. I just had my access "fixed" I won't even go into what fixed means right now, but I had 5 out patient surgeries an th appointment was set for me to be at the hospital at 6am and I never actually went in for a procedure until the earlyest 11am had to wait in a waiting area for 2 to 4 hours then in a holding room where they put in the iv for another at least 2 hours then they wheel you in to surgery and everybody wonders why you are in such a shitty mood as they joke with each other and have music playing in the background on some boombox and they are singing along while you are freezing your ass off in the backless gown!  I feel your pain.. but I wonder why you had to get another cath in the first place and why they are not deciding on a permant access for dialysis.

[Sara]

They said this is another temporary one and this one is supposed to last longer (up to 6 months) than the first temporary catheter they put in (which was in less than 1 month).  I asked why didn't they put in this "longer-lasting temporary one" first instead of making him have another surgery and they said oh they rarely do that.  Sounds like BS to me, but what do I know?  This is yet another thing I plan on asking the nephrologist about.  Along with bandage changing, visiting during dialysis, etc.

[geoffcamp]

Has a surgeon evaluated him for a permant access?  A fistula or a graft?  I suggest you push as hard as possible for a fistula.  they told me my veins were too small for a fistula so they put what I was told was a state of the art graft in my left lower arm, it lasted less then a week and could not be unclotted or removed so I now have a state of the art tube running along my lower arm along with the scars from putting it in, then another surgeon said he could do the fistula and it is a better choice because it lasts longer and is better at blood flow and other things important in dialysis.. so he did it but he cut me from the inside of my elbow to under my arm ,a VERY large scar, but it worked looks ugly but worked.

[Epoman]

Sara this is what this place is all about, feel free to rant and get your frustrations out. We are here to listen. So never apologise for letting off some steam.

RANT ON!

[4ptcare]

Sarah, Hi.. I am new here. I am also, with hair standing on edge, as I read your post. It is this type of delivery of care that needs to be reported. I have, as a family member of a dialysis patient, written letters to hospitals, etc.. callled and complained to supervisors, etc. Can you write a letter w/ your experience in the sugery center to someone in charge, of course, mentioning there was no full disclosure of information related to what was being done by staff/physician. Also, it infuriates me the way staff speak to patients and their family members. I have been known to educate staff at times and, as a matter of fact told a nurse recently that I wanted to make an appointment to avoid another hospitalization of my loved one.  Perhaps these staff need to experience being a patient ,themselves. They need to know what happened.