Good Doctors....BAD Nurses!

So, first...let me say a BIG thank you for all the sweet words and prayers for my papa and his surgery yesterday.  They were very much appreciated and I love you all for being so caring and thoughtful.

Now...{ahem}...I shall step up on my lovely soapbox....(get comfy folks...grab your popcorn and prop your feet up...this may take a few minutes)

My mom takes my dad to the hospital yesterday morning and gets him all checked in and ready for surgery...Check.  She gets out his MRI for the surgeon to use...Check. 

Ms. Surgeon Lady looks at said MRI and says, "You've brought the wrong one....this is the one from last year and we need the new one." 

Mom: #%^&*^$$%  I'll just run home and get it....be back in a flash!  (faking a smile at this point as to not get my dad's blood pressure up)

Mom gets on the road headed back to the house (usually about a 25-30 minute drive)  WAIT...WHOA....What's with all the police cars?  Do they only have one lane open?  Why are there steel beems in the middle of the highway?  geez.....

So...after her quick two hour one hour trip back to get the "correct" MRI, all is well once more.

They begin the surgery.....I meet mom at hospital.....We laugh....Mom knits....I read.....We chat.....Surgery is over and a SUCCESS!  We get to the room and they bring pops in.  Of course this is what I would consider the perfect time to ask for that small "loan", get it in writing and remind him of it much later this month....Mom didn't see my logic, so that plan was nixed. :(

The first nurses that dad had actually took decent care of him, although they did forget to do a few things that they should have....ugh....Mom and I went down to eat dinner in the hospital cafeteria around 6:45.  Does anyone know the recipe for "Cardboard Pizza"??  Just wondering, because that's what we ended up having to eat...considering that they had closed down every other food station.  Great.

The next day, mom and I head up to the hospital around 9 a.m. and walk into the room and hear this annoying beeping sound coming from one of dad's machines.  We both look at one another, look at dad...and wonder just how long poor pops has had to deal with this beeping...and more importantly...WHAT IS THIS BEEPING?  Finally, a nurse answers the call button and they send someone in.

Now...how to describe the nurse that was on call for my dad....hmm.....How can I do this without being incredibly rude and improper?  Oh....I can't.  Let me just give you a few details of her behavior to give you an idea.

My dad asks for a new gown.....after about 2 or 3 hours (yes, it must take 3 hours to get the papers signed to get someone a clean hospital gown...ugh) she brings the gown in and just throws it on the bed and walks out...I kid you NOT!  So, throughout the day, we are getting mixed messages about whether or not my dad can go home.  So, I go ask Nurse Negative (as we'll call her) and I very politely ask if dad can go home today, or if the doctor wants him to stay another day. 

She curtly responds and says, "Well, your DAD decided this morning that he wants to stay until tomorrow."

I'm sure I looked stunned and I said, "Well, um..no, he did not decide that.  You TOLD us this morning that he would have to stay."

Nurse Negative:  "NO, I asked him this morning and he said he wanted to stay!"

Me:  "First of all Nurse Negative, he is on morphine....Second of all, WE WERE IN THE ROOM WHEN YOU TOLD US HE WOULD HAVE TO STAY!"

Nurse Negative:  "Blah, blah, blah with lots of attitude and eye-rolling"

Me:  (turning away from her and talking directly to front desk nurse) "Can you please page the doctor because I will no longer be talking to this person right here.  Thank you"

My heart was beating quickly, I was getting all hot...I was FURIOUS that this ignorant and rude woman was treating me (and my family) with such disrespect and indifference.  Needless to say...she came into the room about 10 minutes later saying the same thing she said to me...and my dad said, "Umm...I NEVER said I wanted to stay?  Are you crazy?  Who, in their right mind, asks to stay at the hospital??"  Then, she comes up with some bs explanation..."Oh, well...the doctors like to impower the patients these days and let you choose whether or not you get to go home."  I could have strangled her....what a moron.

So, I look directly at her and say, "Why don't you go ahead and start on that discharge paperwork.  Thankyouverymuch."

After she gets the IV out, we ask about getting a wheelchair......After waiting for 30 minutes, I decide to go ask the front desk nurse about how much longer she thinks it will be.  She says, "Oh, I'll call down and have them bring one for you."  THAT STUPID, IDIOTIC, RUDE NURSE NEVER EVEN CALLED FOR ONE!  We get our wheelchair and go home.....finally!

My mom and I go up to the store to fill dad's prescriptions....I take the yellow sheet up to the pharmacy, hand it to the woman, and she says, "Oh, I'm so sorry...we need the white sheet."  THAT STUPID NURSE GAVE US THE WRONG SHEET!  My mom has to call and talk to her AGAIN, and it takes 30 minutes for her to fax them over to the pharmacy, so mom had to make another trip up to the store.

I think it goes without saying that this Nurse Negative will be mentioned in a very heated letter and/or phone call very soon!

SOME PEOPLE JUST SHOULDN'T BE NURSES!