Sunday, July 3, 2011

Digital Neglect

I'm having a bit more time to write as I wait for meds to come up from the pharmacy. Before we could call down and they would tube them up. Took about 5 minutes. Now it has to be entered into the computer where it vanishes and you wait and wait and wait. You then call down to the pharmacy where they reply that they have to log in to see if it has made to them. If it has, they have to do all kinds of other stuff on the computer before they can go get it, mix it and finally send it up. Takes about an hour. Isnt efficiency great! Anyway, as you can tell one of my pet peeves is taking care of the paperwork instead of the comouter. I have been collecting incidents where this has happened but some of my favorites are when the family memebers take matters in their own hands becasue the person who is supposed to be taking care of their loved one is too busy on the computer to come and do their job. the latest is when a patient had accidentally disconnected his feeding pump from his NG feeding tube. I happened to come in and saw the wife put it back on, reset the pump and sit back down. I was impressed. She saw my look and said, that she knew how to change the IV bags, reset the IV pump and zero the lumbar drain. I asked if she was a nurse. She said no, she had to learn becuase the nurse was too busy to come in and fix these things. She added, "God help those pateints who dont have anyone with them!"

2 comments:

SeaSpray said...

So true - God help them!

How do you and colleagues stand it?
Why do you tolerate it? Everywhere ..no one seems to come against the system. Don't those responsible for implementing the system ever consult physicians and other medical staff? Obviously not or they don't listen.

Well ...I have a solution. Pure logic really.

Whatever the nurse to patient ratio is ..they need to double it! Yes ..double. One nurse for the computer work and one actually doing the work with the PATIENTS.

I know ..then there is that pesky "B" word ...BUDGET!

Patients absolutely need a patient advocate if they are unable to advocate for themselves.

Not only is this frustrating ...but I think it is sad. I know ...the days of Dr Welby are gone.

Ha! What would he and Consuela be doing on his show now? :)

Atlanta Plastic Surgeons said...

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