Listen to the patient!
I am an RN on the other side of the fence! My father recently had a 12 hour surgery which left him in ICU for 5 days and then on a step down unit for a week. He is 73, and this was his 4th surgery for the same reason. 4 years ago, he had a AAA repair. All went well till last June when he had excruciating pain in his legs and was rushed in for surgery to remove clots from the graph site. This happened again in July. In December when it happened again the surgeon did a Fem-Fem bypass. We thought the problem was solved until April when he experienced the same symptoms. After each surgery he has become weaker and has less strength in his legs. This last 12 hour surgery has left him unable to bear any weight on his legs. When he was moved to the step-down unit, PT came in to eval and treat. They reported that he is only to ambulate with them and needed to be mechanically lifted to the chair etc. The next day when I was visiting, he wanted to get back into bed. I asked the PCAs to get help but was told, they were informed that he now could be assisted to bed with 2 since PT stated that he was doing "better" (they did not know that BETTER meant he went from sitting at the EOB one day to standing with a walker and two assist for only 10 seconds the next!!!). I debated with them stating that he could not bear any weight, and he would be a direct lift. They continued to argue with me and my father. I left the room to find the RN and upon returning I heard my Dad gasp and moan from behind the curtain, I entered just as they were dropping him! I had to grab his legs and we direct lifted him to the bed. Of course I immediately went to their manager and complained. I was assured this would not happen again. Well, it did. TWICE! I am furious! My father pleaded with them every time. Luckily he was not injured physically. Mentally however, he was devastated. Take a proud 210 lb man who walked into the hospital taking care of himself and knock him down with surgery and the reckoning that he may not walk again and then have nurses and PCA's tell him "your just not trying!" "You don't want to get better!" I have never been so furious in my life! To make matters worse...I work in this hospital and know all of these people...and when they realized the were wrong...not one of them apologized to my father! Aren't we there for the patients? Aren't we suppose to listen to them?