Comments on: Poison Phrase: You didn’t ask for pain-killer http://www.speakstrong.com/newsletter/2009/05/18/poison-phrase-you-didn%e2%80%99t-ask-for-pain-killer/ By Meryl Runion and SpeakStrong, Inc. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:17:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: merylrunion http://www.speakstrong.com/newsletter/2009/05/18/poison-phrase-you-didn%e2%80%99t-ask-for-pain-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-403424 merylrunion Wed, 20 May 2009 12:31:15 +0000 http://www.speakstrong.com/newsletter/?p=1253#comment-403424 It's when we have a minute that we can take the time to establish policies to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen. When it's a choice between letting a patient suffer in pain and saving a patient life, the decision is obvious. But when we discover patients ts have suffered unnecessarily do to poor communication, it's the time to create phrases, policies and efficient communication systems to make sure they get that info - even when staff is running at a very fast pace. It is a blessing to have people whose job it is to make sure information flows gracefully. It’s when we have a minute that we can take the time to establish policies to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen. When it’s a choice between letting a patient suffer in pain and saving a patient life, the decision is obvious. But when we discover patients ts have suffered unnecessarily do to poor communication, it’s the time to create phrases, policies and efficient communication systems to make sure they get that info – even when staff is running at a very fast pace.

It is a blessing to have people whose job it is to make sure information flows gracefully.

]]> By: dorothy http://www.speakstrong.com/newsletter/2009/05/18/poison-phrase-you-didn%e2%80%99t-ask-for-pain-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-403390 dorothy Wed, 20 May 2009 10:42:41 +0000 http://www.speakstrong.com/newsletter/?p=1253#comment-403390 Being a nurse myself I wanted to say, “I can’t imagine a nurse not saying ‘if you are hurting let us know (you can have pain medicine every 4 hours).’” I then remembered that years ago, before I was in a medical profession, I had surgery and do not remember being told what a morphine pump was. I stayed up the first night silently crying. The next day changed as activity began and the nurse midwife noted me lying still while she passed by. She was a patient advocate. I was then taught how to push a button to feel relief, I was given analgesics by mouth, and I was instructed to start slowly walking to lessen the pain. It was truly an eye opener. So, granted, in a hurried atmosphere many things can be overlooked. I work a busy ER and realized just this week how near impossible it is to provide complete self-care education as we hurry patients in and out of the department. The instruction process will always be evoloving and improving as care, policies, and procedures change. Thank goodness for the availability of continuity of care throughout the healthcare community. Being a nurse myself I wanted to say, “I can’t imagine a nurse not saying ‘if you are hurting let us know (you can have pain medicine every 4 hours).’” I then remembered that years ago, before I was in a medical profession, I had surgery and do not remember being told what a morphine pump was. I stayed up the first night silently crying. The next day changed as activity began and the nurse midwife noted me lying still while she passed by. She was a patient advocate. I was then taught how to push a button to feel relief, I was given analgesics by mouth, and I was instructed to start slowly walking to lessen the pain. It was truly an eye opener. So, granted, in a hurried atmosphere many things can be overlooked. I work a busy ER and realized just this week how near impossible it is to provide complete self-care education as we hurry patients in and out of the department. The instruction process will always be evoloving and improving as care, policies, and procedures change. Thank goodness for the availability of continuity of care throughout the healthcare community.

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