The wait time to be hooked up?

[TynyWonder]

I have just recently moved to TN from AL; therefore, I am at a new clinic and I have noticed more times than not, I have had to  wait to be called into the dialysis room and I am not talking about a few minutes, I am talking about 20-25 minutes.  I am sooooo sick of it and the other day I used a few foul words and told them that it was BS to have to wait every freaking time.  I can see every once in a while but every time?!!!!  Yes, I could go to another clinic but I just can't right now as I do not have my license right now as it was suspended for 6 months due to me having a seizure in my car.  Anyway, I guess for the most part I am venting here and I also wanted to know if anyone has had this problem and what did you do?  Oh one more thing, I am also (once I get my license back) going to look into seeing about getting a new kidney doctor because this one does not seem real interested in the patients, for instance, one day a patient was having a bad treatment and he came over and said, "what's your problem?"  OMG,  I am sorry but I would have had to ask him, what's his freaking problem!  LOL       How can any doctor say that to any patient, ya know?  Talk about NO bedside manner, ya know?    Anyway, thanks for letting me vent and I look forward to hearing anyone's responses to this issue.  Thanks!

Tammy

[kitkatz]

Waiting can be frustrating, and then they get mad if you are the tiniest bit late for it. Cannot win for trying.  Write a letter of complaint to the head of the unit, they have to respond to you.

[thegrammalady]

tammy, my scheduled "on time" is 5:30am. the center expects me to be there at 5:15. i expect them to have me on by 5:30 most of the time that happens, occasionally it doesn't. the reasons are varied. if i am late it's ok with me to put the 5:45 patient on first especially since i call if i'm going to be late. find out what time the center has scheduled as your "on time" and hold them to it. although i understand that some states the centers run on a first come first serve basis.

[flip]

My center is pretty good but there are always unavoidable delays that aren't the nurses fault. Today, for instance, my machine just wouldn't run properly. I had to take my blood back, unhook and wait for a new machine to be brought down. These things do happen. Many times patient emergencies require the attention of several staff members and slow down the whole center. I would be patient.

[Treasure]

I hate waiting... not just at dialysis...but just about everywhere!  (and yes, the world revolves around me, bad girl that I am, hehehe).

Since I hate waiting, I finally asked them what a more realistic time would be for me to arrive. So I arrive a couple of minutes before that. What really irks me, though, is that the guy who's on-time is after mine likes to come in early...like 30 minutes early. And if he is there before me, they will put him on first-- which means that I get put on a little rushed so that I make my on-time, on time.

[TynyWonder]

   I hear ya girl!  Patience is not one of my best traits either but especially if it is like every freaking time, ya know?   LOL

[bioya]

I hope you can understand that there are (more than not) times when delays are unavoidable. If something goes wrong in the water room in the morning, it puts the whole day behind. If someone bleeds too long, that chair is tied up longer, if someone bottoms out, that puts delays in front of you. If there is a machine issue between patients, and it does not pass checks for a few mintues, it slows you up, if the machine has alarm issues, that slows you up, if someone called off, that will slow things down.
What i am trying to say is, deal with it. No one, including me, likes to be kept waiting, but thats life. How many times do you get in to see your doctor at the time your appointment is? How many times when you go to your dentist are you in the chair at your appointment time? When you go get an x-ray at the hosptial, do you get right in when you get there with your Rx?
Come on, I am all for patient rights, and as a FA we tried really hard to keep on schedule, and even ahead of schedule. We had a list of patients that wanted to be called in early if someone was in the hospital or for some other reason a chair opened early. But thats life. I am not aware of any clinic in my area where I was a FA (11 clinics) that did not have a difficult time keeping patients on time. Its Murphys law. If it can go wrong, it will.
I understand how you feel sitting there waiting, I hate to wait too. But cut them so slack, I am sure they are doing the best they can and not doing this on purpose. Good luck.

[MIbarra]

No, not every clinic does the best they can to keep patients on schedule.

Be thankful you are on the other end of the stick, bioya!

[Treasure]

I wasn't one to say that I didn't understand the reasons why there are delays, at dialysis.  I truly do...but that doesn't change the fact that I still hate waiting, hehehe.

  I'm the kind of person who will call ahead and get the approximate wait time for doctor's appt, and reschedule if it would be more convenient for the dr's office and/or me. I carry homework, bills and other things with me to keep myself occupied-- but, if the wait seems interminable or the wait is due to poor planning on someone else's part-- I will make arrangements to come another time, if possible. That doesn't always work at dialysis...but if I hear staff complaining that too many patients are being given the same on-time, or that there are not enough techs to cover the number of patients-- I will say something to unit manager, in hopes that things can be reconfigured for the benefit of staff and patients.

All manner of things comes up in a dialysis center....but I think everyone should make the effort to do things as timely as possible-- especially in my unit-- because the majority of patients rely on a paratransit outfit-- and if the timing isn't right, those poor patients end up sitting for hours waiting to be picked up, at home or at the center.

[thegrammalady]

bioya, i think all of us are aware of and understand those type of delays. the ones i'm not willing to deal with are the tech who isn't at and doesn't have her station set up and ready and it takes her 15 minutes to do so. so instead of being on at 5:30, i'm on at 5:45. the guy in the chair next to me who expects everything to be done as he wants it or he will leave. he gets there early and throws a tantrum if he's no put on NOW!. and everyone stops what they are doing to try to stop him from screaming. the "deaf" tech that lets my machine alarm (which in some cases causes the maching time to stop until reset) because she's on the phone.  i could go on but won't.

[flip]

By the same token, I've heard many patients complain about being shuffled off to another chair when they were having problems stopping bleeding and the nurse needed to get the chair ready for the next patient. My center is really good but they still have delays fom time to time. It's not exactly like getting a haircut.

[TynyWonder]

Bioya,

I too understand; however, I still feel I can vent on here and NOT be made to feel I am not justified and how I deal with things is exactly how "I" deal with things.  I know there are ALL professions that have their "delays" but we can all still vent even if there is nothing we "personally" can't do about it.     Also, I use to work for the federal government and Lord knows they NEVER get in a hurry, but what did I do, just like everyone else did?  GRIPED and VENTED.      

[Robby712]

Until recently my clinic had a receptionist...I asked one time if they could call me if they were running behind 30 minutes or more (after I waited 30-60 minutes every day for a week) They just looked at me like I had 3 eyes. 

Now my hook up time is 2:30 and I show up at 2:30...not 15 minutes early.  That's 45 minutes a week and 6 hours a month I get to spend doing things other than waiting to get hooked up.

I rarely wait to get on anymore...

...I would just suggest showing up 15-20-25 minutes late every day.  Since that is apparently the new "on-time".

[twirl]

when I used to go to dialysis after school I always had a wait to get and and to get off
now I go on first treatment in the am
I only wait when it is this one tech's turn for me
come hell or high water you will not be placed on in a reasonable amount of time
we all joke about it in the waiting room
they tend to get you off when you have two more shifts coming in

[MelissaJean]

I also hate waiting... 15 minutes waiting to get on seems like an eternity to me... i know it's pathetic.
Luckily I am the last shift so the nurses/techs are in a rush to get me on so they can go home a bit early.    

If I have to wait, I try to look as pathetic and tired as possible so they feel sorry and put me on as soon as possible, and then am forever grateful when they do.

[TynyWonder]

Well, I hope I am not "jinxing" myself when I say this buuuuutttt............my clinic has been LOTS better about hooking me up on time!!!     Of course, they never seem to be slow unhooking me or anyone else for that matter!   LOL  You all have a happy little day!   

Tammy

[Bajanne]

If I get on in one hour's time, I count myself extra lucky.  That is well near impossible if you are on the second shift as I am.  The centre opens at about 7.00 and when you are in that shift everyone is on by about 8 or so, depending on when they each arrive.  The second shift starts when they come off, but that is a tremendous variable.  I arrive at 10.30, just so I would be near the head of the line.  One lady who has to travel by boat back to Virgin Gorda is usually there before me, and even if I was before her, I would let her go first.   The first person comes off at about 11, or 11.30 and bit by bit it goes on until about 12.30. 1.00.  I have even been put on at 1.00 p.m if I get there about 11.30.
Complaining is no help, and staying at home and calling would serve no purpose - you would be last in line then.  I just expect dialysis to take up my entire day.  If I go on at 12, I will finish everything about 4.30.
Recently, I take my laptop and watch dvd's etc.   I also use the time in the waiting area chatting with the others who are waiting.  That is usually quite interesting and we have lots of laughs.

[TynyWonder]

I too, have learned to just talk to people in the lobby and I do find that at times to be very interesting. We even had a couple there who were from Louisiana, so, that was kinda neat!   I wish we could have laptops and internet hook ups but I don't think they have made that possible yet.        Oh well, such is life!   

[flip]

I never have to wait any more. One of the advantages of semi isolation.

[bolta72]

I am lucky, I have a 10 am time, but the person before me is off at 9:15 so if I get there at 9:30, they put me right on. No wait time.

[Ang]

dialysis  units  are  predominantly run  by  nurses  for  nurses  and  patients  are  a  distant  second,  then  theres  the  other  ones  that  are top  class  and  for  the  patients.


i  told   a nurse  she  was  a  moron  now  she  refuses  to  speak  to  me  ,  before  that  for  fun  she  used  to  pull  earphones  out  oof  my  ears,splash  water  any  chance  she  got,she  left  a  note  on  my  blanket  for  all  to  read  while  i  rested my  eyes (refuse  to  sleep,don't  trust  them  to  save  me  if  i  crash).
the  note  read"hello  i'm  stupid"

[monrein]

Well you got her label right.  Moron just about sums her up Ang.

[TynyWonder]

I think thats mean that she put a note like that on you...............what did others say about that?

[Gramapat]

Rarely do I have to wait to get put on.  I am third shift and the last person to be put on.  I get there at 6:30 p.m. to be put on by 6:45 p.m.  I run for 3 hours and they won't keep anyone on past 10:15 so they really don't have too much time to spare.  The director of our Center makes sure things are kept as much on time as possible. 

[karen547]

I have to wait sometimes an hour, but most of the time they get me on pretty quick.