Nurse didn't read my chart

[Aragarthiel]

When I was nine months pregnant with my daughter, I went into the hospital with contractions (which turned out to be nothing, but not the point) at about 2 am. I had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and needed to keep my blood sugar in check, and by around 5 I started to feel weak like my blood sugar was low. I got my meter out and checked it (though the nurse was supposed to be doing that, I just didn't know it at the time), and seeing how low it was, my husband went to hunt down a nurse who could get me some juice or something.

He managed to find two, who came into the room and looked at each other like "Huhwha?" One of them, the one who was supposed to be keeping an eye on me, admitted that she only read halfway through my chart! I had been sitting there for three hours, knowing that you had only one other person to look after, and you hadn't totally read through my chart? I could understand if she was delivering a baby but all she was doing was keeping half an eye on two little computer screens that had our contractions on them.

I eventually got some orange juice, and when I went back a week later to actually have my daughter, the nurse I had was way better.

[Sandman]

This is why I'm glad I'm on a first name basis with the manager of nursing in the delivery department. I won't let that on to the staff unless something major happens.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Weird isn't it. When I had my son (7 years ago now) I spent 2 days in the ob. ward, during that time my family was cared for by 3 different doctors, and about 15 different nurses. 17 of them were fabulous, and 1 was a total cow. It is the awful one who's name I still remember, and who we still talk about it.

[Ellain]

I had a nurse fail to read my chart earlier in my current pregnancy. Granted, it wasn't a serious situation at all, but I was annoyed. She started to lecture me on how I was gaining weight too fast. I had gained 4 pounds since my previous appointment, and they only wanted me to gain 3 in a month. Well, I hadn't had an appointment in 3 months!

I've really had trouble gaining weight this time around. I've got slightly over a month left before I'm due, and at my last weigh in I was showing a total gain of 15 pounds. On the plus side, I don't have any new stretch marks!

[Aragarthiel]

I've really had trouble gaining weight this time around.

I did too. In fact, in the first trimester I lost almost 20 pounds, but the baby was gaining weight normally so they weren't worried, my metabolism had just really kicked into overdrive. I think the entire time, I only gained about 10 pounds from my starting weight.

[WishfulSpirit]

Health care providers READ CHARTS? Perish the thoughts. I've had doctors prescribe medications for my husband that, if used in combination with the ones he is already on, could kill him. I gave them a full list of what he was taking. The clinic wasn't busy (we weren't at an ER in the middle of the night after a major car crash or something) and they couldn't be bothered to read those three sentences. That's why I always check. The Multidrug Interaction Checker website has been a godsend.

[Sapphire Silk]

I've been mulling about responding to this thread. Agh. I can't stand it.

I have to join the chorus.

My primary doctor retired almost a year ago. He sold his practice to the hospital I usually go to. Normally, I think highly of this hospital, but they've totally buggered up this practice.

I've had to argue with the last two doctors there about my migraine medications. I alternate between three different medications: Excedrin (which I take most of the time and it works fine), Fioricet (bubalital, APAP and caffeine), and Relpax (a triptan similar to Imitrex).

The last doc bluntly told me, "We don't write for controlled substances here anymore. We just want to be a fast track, not a primary care provider." Previously, the practice had been both.

I explained that my old doctor knew me very well. I had a well documented history of migraines going back decades. I knew my trigger (weather). I was actually doing better since I started a beta blocker for my blood pressure. But I had a headache that day and NEEDED my meds.

She reluctantly gave me a small script for the Fioricet, but forgot the Relpax. Then she said, "I want to refer you to a neurologist since you have so many headaches."

Well, not really. They come in spurts.

Me: I don't want to see a neurologist. I saw one years ago. I have classic migraines. They are actually better than they were. I don't see how I will benefit from seeing a neurologist to tell me what I already know."

Doc: Well, you might consider trying Botox.

Oh. Hell. No.

Me: No. Absolutely not. I'm not going to inject my face with a toxin.

Doc: But it works great, and it lasts five months. With your frequency, you could go five months without headaches. And as you know, opioids can cause rebound

(important note; the last temp doc had written for a version of fioricet that include codeine. I had already specifically told her I didn't need that)

Sigh. She's not listening. I do that now. I get them in spurts, at certain times of year. I've explained this to her. GIGO. I swear to God, I know more about fucking migraines than this bitch.

Me: Well, I told you I just want the bubalital, apap and caffeine version, without the codeine. And they all rebound, no matter what's in them. That's why I cycle through them, to avoid that.

Well, she eventually wrote for 12 pills, no refills. So now I am looking for a new doctor. I won't be back to that practice.

[jedimaster91]

I avoid going to the doctor until I'm just short of death and even then I usually hit a doc in the box and be on my way. Being youngish and fairly healthy I feel like I can get away with that for the most part.

My OB practice is wonderful. Very busy, so sometimes you have to wait awhile on the phone and appointments can run behind, but the staff is so wonderful I don't mind. Except for one medical assistant. The way this particular practice works is every doctor has a nurse practitioner and a medical assistant who also see their patients. I've not met the doc yet because frankly I don't need to. For now everything I need can be done by the NP, whom I adore. The MA.....not so much. I know not everyone can fake being perky all the time, but this woman is just sour. And I get the impression she thinks I'm an idiot because I misunderstood a question she asked me once due to a difference in terminology. She also doesn't seem to get I have irregular cycles, so there are questions I can't answer with much certainty.

It's frustrating enough to deal with rude medical people when they are essentially my peers. I can't imagine what it's like for people with no medical knowledge at all. I try to be extra nice to my patients to make up for it.

[Aragarthiel]

The OB/GYN I went to was amazing during my pregnancy. Only once did I wait more than 15 minutes past my appointment time (even the time I had nothing better to do and arrived half an hour early), and they came out to explain that the doctor I was seeing had been called away on an emergency. The midwives they had were amazing as well, it was only AFTER I had my daughter that service declined.

My first appointment, I waited 45 minutes past appointment time, only to have my doctor give my stitches a quick look, put my IUD in, give me the "Things to watch out for" list, and leave. After my IUD came out, she was even worse, lecturing me on how condoms are unreliable and IUDs don't just come out, and that I should get this form of birth control, which wasn't breastfeeding compatible, or I should get this other kind, that had a rather low success rate. I felt rushed and eventually settled on a pill, despite the fact that I told her it's hard for me to remember to take something at the same time every day, even with an alarm.

I know originally the midwife I saw was confused about how I skipped every third period, but I just explained to her, "Pretend my last period was in August instead of July."