Pests and other BS...

[brandtrn]

Should have known it would happen sooner or later...happens every single freaking year! Again, we have a HUGE hornet's nest in one of our apple trees, even bigger than the one from last year. If Yury were even halfway consistent in doing our yard maintenance (and he's semi-retired now, so he has NO excuse for neglecting it!), we'd have been able to have seen the thing BEFORE it got so big! Now, we have a HUGE container of mean critters who'll stop at nothing to sting my babies if they come halfway close to their nest. And, since it's OUR property, and my babies BELONG here (and the effing hornets do NOT), that means that very EARLY in the a.m. (like about 6 a.m. or as soon as it's effing daylight), Yury will be out in his beekeeping suit (yes, we bought one the year before last, so we don't have to waste hundreds of $$$ on professional services every single time we find one of these things) with the hornet spray to deal with the little bastards while I'll be standing by on the sidelines to provide emergency nursing care just in case the beekeeper's suit fails. NOT happy to be having to do this just before I'm ready to crawl into bed (hey, I keep to my night shift hours, even on my nights off...at my age, it's not cool to f**k with my sleep schedule!), but our back yard MUST be kept safe for the babies. I'm still not forgetting the nightmare of last year, when Ricky upset a hornet's nest and was stung half to death and I sustained multiple stings myself while getting him AWAY from those evil little bastards! Yes, the little bastards MUST die, and the sooner, the better! Grrrrrr! And if the hornet invasion isn't bad enough, we seem to have had a recent rodent invasion, as well. We do have the habit of keeping the lid to our clothes washer open. We put our worn clothes into it on a daily basis and, once we have a full washer, one of us starts the load. But because the lid was left open, apparently a mouse decided to check it out. And apparently, Yury didn't notice the critter when he started the last load of laundry...imagine my surprise when this evening, while loading freshly washed clothes into the dryer, I found a drowned little mouse corpse among our supposedly "clean" clothes! Obviously, the whole load needed to be re-washed once the corpse was disposed of. So...we need to find out how mice are getting into the house, FIX that problem and find those who are here and exterminate them! What fun! Oh, the "joys" of home ownership! In any case, until this particular problem is fixed, we're BOTH going to have to be extra careful about NOT leaving that lid open!

On my list of other aggravations is a particular spinal surgeon in our hospital. Apparently, this bastard will operate on anything that breathes (as long as he/she has health insurance, that is!), regardless of whether or not this person is an appropriate surgical candidate. The patient in question came in for his pre-op clearance a couple of months ago, and our hospitalist declined to clear him, and for good reason! The dude has a triple-A (abdominal aortic aneurysm) which is of a significant size...should his blood pressure become elevated, that is an artery which is just WAITING to blow! Since we do NOT have a critical-care unit in our hospital (we deal in "elective" surgeries, after all!), our hospitalist thought it was just too effing risky, especially considering the fact that only TWO of our nurses (and I'm one of them) have ANY critical care experience whatsoever. Good call, I thought! On top of the triple-A, this dude also has a history of meningitis, which developed into encephalitis (swelling of the brain) which caused some permanent brain damage...and, after a recent surgery he had at another hospital for Heaven knows what, after coming out of the anesthesia, he freaked out and went psycho on the staff! Obviously, this dude was NOT someone we wanted as a patient! Imagine the fun we've had after this particular surgeon, after getting the pre-op clearance results, decided to go ahead and do the surgery ANYWAY, after the patient signed a waiver! WTF??!!?? Yes, I KNOW that the dude has intractable back pain, but spinal fusions are RARELY effective in dealing with this pain! I know this because over the past three years in this hospital, I've seen many of the same patients coming in for REPEAT surgeries (done by this same surgeon) because their problem had NOT been resolved! The surgeon in question obviously has one SERIOUS lack of ethics to be operating on someone in this condition, KNOWING that we don't have the facilities to care for him if something went wrong, but operate on him, he did!

This HAS been the week from Hell! I know that tonight is the first night of the "blue moon," but our "full moon madness" started on the night that this miserable bastard came out of surgery! The dude came out from the anesthesia and has been full-blown psycho on us ever since! Today (or should I say yesterday, since it's past midnight, already) was post-op day 3 for this dude, and he STILL required one-on-one nursing supervision because he's COMPLETELY ignoring his spinal precautions, he's trying to smoke in his room, and he's otherwise a danger to himself and to the nursing staff in the building! And, wouldn't you know...Mr. No-Ethics Surgeon, who has a home and family in Texas even though he practices here in Indiana, WENT HOME FOR THE WEEKEND on Thursday night, leaving us to deal with the psycho bastard who NEVER should have been operated on in the first place! We're effing short-staffed as it is...and one of his OTHER patients (a neck surgery patient) who SHOULD have been discharged a couple of days ago (neck surgeries are usually only overnight stays) went nuts on us, too, and HE required one-on-one nursing supervision, as well! Apparently, THAT bastard sustained a traumatic brain injury in a motorcycle accident a few years ago and HE decided to go all psycho on us, too! So there we were last night...we still had seven patients in-house remaining, with the weekend approaching, and THREE of those patients should have been discharged already, but hadn't been, for various reasons. We were down to a "skeleton" crew, and last night, we had only four staff members in house -- half of which were assigned to one-on-one care, but when the first patient I mentioned was in his full psycho phase, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US were in that room trying to restrain him, while the call lights from the other rooms were going off like effing popcorn! TWO staff members were injured last night, so there were incident reports to be filled out and submitted, etc.

I came home this morning, in pain (not only from the injuries of last night, but, since I was on my feet constantly for a good 13-plus hours, my bad knee and bad ankle were freaking KILLING me!), and aggravated as Hell at the position which we were left in. Mr. No-Ethics Surgeon (the asshole responsible for all the trouble) was enjoying life with his family in Texas, and upper management saw fit to leave us to our own devices even though they KNEW we were struggling and went home, anyway. In the meantime, we were left trying to keep this asshole psycho from injuring himself (AND from blowing his effing artery even though he was agitated as Hell, screaming and carrying on throughout the night). This is ONE week which I hope will NEVER be repeated, but I fear that it will. Until Mr. No-Ethics Surgeon decides to STOP operating on anything that breathes, as long as this person is willing to sign a waiver (AND has insurance, don't forget about that, because it's all about the money, anyway!), I fear that it will only get worse. The majority of his patients are chronic-pain "psychos," anyway...self-centered and manipulative as Hell, but THIS week, that bastard has really outdone himself! Came home from work today and wrote up my two-week notice to leave my place of employment. I'm effing DONE! Somehow, I'll get through these next couple of weeks, but enough is enough, already! I CAN'T be working in a place so willing to accommodate a Doc who throws anything resembling "ethics" out the window just to make a few more bucks. This is NOT why I got into nursing, and I fear that my license will be at risk if I stay there...

[Icey]

Oh my god, Cindy - that was appalling reading!

It's coincidence that you wrote about what's going off at work, because there've been some recent similar cases in the UK - especially where surgeons've decided to operate, and junior staff've felt that it was inappropriate but didn't like to question the procedures. Staff are now being encouraged to point out what they see as mistakes, even at the expense of the major surgeon's wrath, and it's deliberately going to be included in training, not only as a teaching mechanism but so that during operations, assistant staff keep a watchful eye on things and're able to point out their concerns.

To operate wthout consent's too dreadful to contemplate - unless it becomes a matter of life and death during the operation itself, where something's found which could endanger the patient's life even further. Under such circumstances, it may be justifiable to get on with the job, but I don't know where it stands in law.

An abdominal aortic aneurism's serious in itself. As you say, if one bursts ......

As for your hornet problem, you have my full sympathy. Unfortunately, whether you own your property or not, the vile creatures have no way of knowing this, and if they find a good spot to nest - they will. It's horrendous for your babies and yourselves, and the poor animals must wonder what the hell's going off when they get stung!

We also have them nesting amongst our trees, although they're supposedly NOT hornets but a type of giant wasp. Does it matter? I'm allergic to wasp and bee stings, and it's a nightmare around this time of the year. If our weather was warmer, it'd make things a lot worse, so hooray for the wind and rain in these parts. The blasted things'll still be after plums and other fruit though. I've already seen them on the raspberry bushes, and despite me appreciating nature, I wouldn't care if these hornet-type insects were eradicated completely.

Rodents're never very far away, but it's not pleasant to find that they've got into the house. There must be a hole somewhere where they're getting in - floorboards, skirting boards, cracks to outside walls or through some other gap. Best of luck with sorting that out.

Finally, I DO hope that you'll reconsider your position at work. It must drive you nuts when you're faced with the problems you've outlined, but Cindy, it's obvious that they NEED nurses like yourself. Just one of you's better than none, as each patient's left at the mercy of those who're caring for them. There surely has to be some sort of complaints procedure, and by the sound of things, you'd be entitled to use it. Let us know what you decide, because I don't blame you for getting fed up of the situation, but you're doing your job in the way you believe it SHOULD be done, and although bailing out doesn't seem like much of an option, when it comes down to brass tacks, your job's important.

[yogi]

There doesn't seem to be any easy solutions I can offer here. Nature and all it's critters does what has to be done, and it's not good to mess with Mother Nature. I don't see how you can avoid wasps or rodents, but you seem to have the right idea about how to respond to invasions. During my years as a home owner I've destroyed a few wasp infestations without the benefit of protective clothing and to date have been fairly successful. Chemical warfare is wonderful. Mice are more difficult to remove once they have entered your home. I've never been able to locate the crack through which they crawl to get into our basement so that I can't seem to prevent their entry. But, they are looking for food and the old fashioned mouse traps work very well on hungry mice.

A person with your talents should not have to suffer from the mistakes of management or unethical doctors. I'm certain you can find work just about any place you choose. When you do decide to move on it is best to be done at your own convenience. I don't have to remind you how nice it is to have a job waiting before you leave your existing one. Be careful not to give them any reason to expedite your departure.

[brandtrn]

Icey, I seriously doubt that my complaining would have any effect whatsoever except to get me fired. The bastard in question owns 60% of the hospital in which I work, and generates the largest portion of the building's income. I will, perhaps, defer my departure (i.e., wait awhile before submitting my notice) or remain with the hospital on a PRN (as needed) basis) until I have another position secured, but I can't bring myself to stay there for the long-term. And Dennis, I'm fortunate enough to be contacted by "headhunters" on a regular basis. Yesterday, after I left work, I scheduled an interview with the nursing school from which I graduated because their director of human resources had contacted me re: an on-site clinical instructor position. Even if that position is offered to me, whether I'll take it or not is another question. No, the money isn't as good and the day shift hours are NOT to my liking (I've NEVER been a "morning" person!), but having the ability to influence the NEXT generation of nurses in their organizational abilities, their values, their ethics and their work habits is a tempting thought, indeed. We'll see what happens. The idea of "job-hopping" at my age doesn't make me happy, but my current working conditions make me even less so. Fortunately, we DO have enough in the bank to get us through several months of my not working, if it comes to that, but I hope that it won't.

[Icey]

So sorry that you or anyone else has to feel under so much pressure every time you go into work. I can appreciate where you stand re. making a complaint, but I was basing it on how procedures work in the UK, whereby even private establishments have in-house complaints departments, plus there are numerous law firms who deal with problems encountered by patients and staff alike.
However, I see your predicament. You don't want to get fired for speaking out, but at the same time, it's totally out of order that this man's allowed to treat patients badly. If he's not qualified enough to perform operations properly, then he shouldn't be practising. What he's done seems very serious to me, and if this's happened before, it's a wonder that the patients haven't reported him for malpractice/negligence.
It's not my decision, but being as though your own skills've been headhunted, I think it may be a cue to accept one of the offers and move on. I'm sure you'd be an asset to a company who'd appreciate your experience, but it depends on how you see your role in the future.
Do you simply want to nurse or be in charge on some supervisory level which gives you scope to teach your skills to others? The interview you've scheduled could turn out to be very satisfying despite the working hours. The long ones you do at the moment aren't ideal either, so even if it meant working mornings, you'd perhaps get more time off, enabling you to recharge your batteries, as it were. You'd have to take travelling time into consideration as well, but apart from that, a drop in salary might be worth it to have peace of mind and feel more valued. Life isn't all about how much money we can drag in, but in being happy and comfortable with what you're doing. I wish you the best of luck in your decision. x

[brandtrn]

Re: supervisory roles: been there, done that. Have held numerous nursing "management" positions in the past. Ended up working 60-plus hours per week on a 40-hour salary. Needless to say, I HATED management roles! Not only did the pay suck, but, no matter WHAT I did, SOMEBODY was bound to be pissed off! Management IS a "thankless" job, even more than floor nursing is. In the end, I decided to go back to what I WAS good at...patient care. In that role, at least, one can USUALLY leave work "behind" once one punches out and leaves the building. I say "usually," because it's not always possible. I've been known, on my nights off, to call in and check on patients I've cared for during the week who've worried me in some way. Obviously, I've got lots to think about over the next several days, but I'll be sure to keep my friends updated ;-)

[Icey]

You're a sweetheart, Cindy. You obviously show considerable feeling towards the patients in your care - and although it's going beyond the bounds of duty, I think that's a fabulous thing to do when you've phoned in to check on them when you've got home.
More's the pity that the surgeon you first mentioned doesn't seem to be as conscientious!

Well, I'm sure that you'll weigh your options up and make the decision that's going to be right for you, so good luck with it.

Are the hornets still flapping around?!!

[pilvikki]

woah. who cursed you with the 'interesting times' bit?

ok, I maybe am swinging off the wrong branch here, but I think you should start your OWN school!

can you do that? I think it would be perfect.