Last night I had a patient who delivered naturally, no pain medication except IV, and even that doesn't work so well after a certain point. After all deliveries, we rub on the mom's tummy (fundal massage), feeling for the uterus to make sure it is hard and contracted, ensuring the mom doesn't bleed to death. We have to press fairly hard to express any clots that may be inside, and we have to do this every 15 minutes for an hour after delivery, per hospital protocol. It hurts the vast majority of patients, especially those who aren't numb from an epidural, but it's just something that needs to be done and the average patient copes with it because it lasts all of 5 or 10 seconds..
But not my patient...
I'm rubbing on her tummy and she says the following:
Damn, bitch, that hurts.
Excuse me?!?!
So I say the following to her:
I know it hurts and I'm sorry, but I HAVE to do this because if I don't, you could literally bleed to death in 5 minutes. If you want to do that, it's ok by me, but there is too much paperwork involved and I don't really feel like doing it.
It made her shut up.
4 comments:
I remember when I had my babies. I was so greatful for my nurses. They were like angels. I know sometimes people can be rude. They don't know better. They did not have a good upbringing. Whatever, just let it roll off like water on a ducks back. You are an Angel for choosing this profession and you are good at it. Your compassion is there for anyone who cares to see.
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mom
Thank you, Nani, for those kind words. It is nice to hear, especially when a good chunk of patients never say so themselves.
Some people don't realize that they even talk that way until someone points it out.
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