OCD and dialysis

[keefer51]

I have two sisters and a brother with OCD so at dialysis it wasn't hard to spot the one who has it. She has stuck me twice and was successful. Someone else would take the needles out due to a shift change. I have been going in on the first shift M-W-F so that they wouldn't have as many at closing. Anything i can do to make things easier i will. There is a tech who is new and has OCD. She is very sweet but i can see the look on her face when something doesn't click right. I hope i say this right. The needle they use has a brand name i think called wingeater. It has a butterfly needle and at the end of the tube a plastic cover. Because she is new she follows everything by the book. This means she is the only one that wears that welders mask and the only one that wants to push the plastic protector up and then pull the needle out. She had successfully put one needle in good. The second needle took some time i could hear her counting under her breath at the same time she was feeling for the thrill. She took a breath and stabbed. The needle hit a nerve burned and sent an electrical shock through my arm. She quickly took it out and said she was sorry. She gave me some gauze and i sat and waited. One of the nurses saw what happened and pulled the tourniquet off my arm. The nurse then put the needle in herself. When it came time to pull the needles the new tech did it. I could just about handle the needle moving around my arm while she pushed the plastic protector up onto the needle. When it came time for the second one i told her to just pull it because it was sitting on the nerve. She looked me right in the eye and said she couldn't and that because of her OCD she had to follow procedure. I had to raise my voice and just about got the needle out myself before the head nurse came and did it for her. I talked to the nurse and she assured me i would never be in that techs station again. What a day!

[kitkatz]

These things happen unfortunately.  It is good to get that trusted tech that you know to take care of you on a regular basis. RAI was playing bounce the techs around, but now they have one tech and nurse in each area. I hated having a different person sticking me every day.

[jbeany]

Oh, I hate those stupid needles with the giant protector clips!

Sorry about your day, keefer!

[Hawkeye]

The wingeater fistula needles are much better than the newer ones they are trying to push now called SYSlock needles.  The plastic pieces at the needle are big and make it hard to postion them comfortably for the patients.

[jbeany]

They tried them at my center for about two days and went back to the regular ones.  Almost every patient had bleeding problems during the run because the weight of the protector made the needles wiggle or even slide out, no matter how well they were taped or how still we held.  They also make taking them out at the end of the run more dangerous, since the gauze tends to snag on the protector.  My nurse yanked the gauze right out of my fingers when she yanked the needle, and got blood splattered every where before I managed to clap down on my arm with just my hand.

[skyedogrocks]

For NxStage we actually prefer the Wingeater's as compared to the Syslock.  The Syslock are clamps are so hard to clamp down.

[Stu]

I have a mother-in-law and sister-in-law with OCD. It's a horrid, insidious disease, and my heart really does bleed for anyone afflicted with this illness.

On to the subject at hand, the nurse with the OCD really does need a kick in the ass for telling you what her OCD will and won't allow her to do. It's one thing for her to let you know that she has OCD, but it's totally unacceptable for her to tell you that it's going to affect your outcomes as a patient.

You are a consumer in this situation, the nurses foibles and insecurities ARE NOT YOUR PROBLEM

I had a nurse who could not get a needle in my arm properly to save herself. I have a big fistula, and I mean BIG (The other nurses used to joke that they could just throw the needle from the other side of the room and still get over 400 ml/minute flows)

I wrote a long letter of complaint to the owners of the unit, and the response I got was that it was my fault because I made her nervous. My simple response was that this is not my freaking problem if she can't handle the stresses of the job

Funilly enough, when I stuck to my digs, that nurse never needled me again

[keefer51]

My two sisters and brother are older so they are out on their own. I don't have to deal with it too much. However, when they are around or if i know someone who has OCD i will make every effort to oblige. If it makes them happy great. This tech paid allot of money to learn the dialysis unit. I noticed a few things about her. She likes to have the extra tubing from the needles hanging the same way. The clamps on the tubing must be exactly even with each other. She had her uniform pressed with the pants creased which does  herself. The tape she puts on the site after i clot is measured and each piece is the same length. I can see her struggle daily when the other techs do things different. there are many other things she likes to do but it would take up too much space. Today i have dialysis and i hope the word got to her that i really don't want her touching me. I know she is mad so i hope there are no repercussions.

[Earlinda]

Keefer I am so sorry that you are having to go through this.  I know what it is like to have nurses with issues.  I just had to have surgery on my fistula because of it.     I am thinking of you.

Earlinda

[keefer51]

Thank you Earlinda. I know the problems at my center can't compare to the pain and misery you have been through. I hope all goes well for you. Please keep me posted.