Why tell the patient?

[aharris2]

Here we are, one month later. The unit we were at closed down for two months for remodeling the Monday after Thanksgiving. We have been moved from first shift TuTh Sa to third shift at an interim clinic. It has been a tough transition for both my brother (who needs to sleep through dialysis but can't when it is in the afternoon) and me (who needs to sleep at night, but can't get to bed before midnight/1am with all of the post-dialysis tasks).

I don't quite understand the philosophy at this interim clinic - is everything a secret or are they just that sloppy?

We got labs back about a week ago. We noticed that the doctor on the "rounding report" was not my brother's nephrologist. When we asked about it we were told that the clinic director had taken over for any patient whose neph didn't have privileges at this interim clinic. WHAT??? Why were we not told? Why did we have to discover it by accident? Had we been told ahead of time, we would have insisted on an interim clinic where our neph had privileges. The clinic director is a stranger to us and my brother a stranger to him.

We noticed one day, that the customary 1K/3.5Ca bath jug was not sitting in front of my brother's machine. Instead he was plugged into the wall. We asked about it. The nurse/tech said "Who put him on?" and promptly changed him from the 2K port to the 1K port and explained to me that their tank in the back is a 3.5 calcium bath. Strangely enough, the next session, there was a 1K/3.5Ca bath jug in front of his machine. It appears we were lied to about the 3.5 calcium bath in the tank in the back. I wonder how long they had been using the wrong bath... Today, he's plugged in to the wall again. I asked about it and we are told that they were out of what was needed to mix the jugs. Were they going to tell us? We can adjust up if we are informed - my brother can take extra calcium to make up for the reduced calcium at dialysis, but only if we know!

But why bother keeping the patient informed? After all, it is only their life! Knowledge is power... I guess they don't want to share.
 

[boswife]

oh i tell ya, this scarres me!  I feel like im getting myself informed on everything, and then this stuff your talking about, heck i dont know about at all.  I have to learn more and more and im stressing over  wheather to 'trust' or not to 'trust' their value's and knowledge.  I feel real good about where my hubbys at, but yet i very much dislike that he doesnt have the same person every day.  I think that consistancy is important.  there are just 4 that work on him, but still, i think they should each know their patients quirks and all.  Im sorry for your issues.  Dang!  I hope you get back to where your more comfortable.