scared cna

i have just been assigned a stage 4   in home 24 hour care patient!

help! i was not trained in specific diseases  and would like to be able to provide the best of care.

any advise?  what should i expect? how do i provide comfort for my patient when  is in so much pain ?

This post brings much concern to me,   I have nothing to do with any medical field at all, but fighting this Colon Cancer along with my Husband has to this point made me feel as if I could work at the Treatment Center myself.  The reason I 'm not working right now is so my Husband has the best care he can get, and after all we been through these last three years I have found that I will not leave him in the hands of anyone but me.  He has taken care of this family of our's for over 30 years, and It is my pleasure to do what ever is needed to make his life the best it can be.  I realize not everyone has the choice to do so,  After many hospital stays I see what goes on and I couldn't wait to get home,  Some gave the best care, and other's acted like it was just a bother to ask for clean sheets or water or what ever.   I saw Dr's so mad at Nurse's and Nurse's talking bad about Dr's. it was enough to see what really goes on in hospital's,  My brother's son is a Doctor in Atlanta and he has told us all if anyone  has to go into hospital you make sure you stay with that person if at all possible.   We made sure someone in the family was always with him.  

Sure we can all say well, thats just the way it is,  they are over worked and under paid,  well all my life I could have said the same thing,  I don't buy that at all, you have alot of people in the so called  Care Givers who should not be allowed to call themselves Nurse's ,  Some are ill tempered and lazy they should be working else where then with sick people   Of `course there are always exception's to the rule,  And when you find that loving caring one out of  hundred you pray please thank you for giving her or him to us .  I think Dr's sometime's take the back lash more then they should they do the major work and then what really happens is the family takes over where he left off .  

Sorry this has been our experience and anytime someone tells us we may have to keep him for a few days we both say well if it is sometihing we can handle we will do at home,  In 3 years we went from Eye surgery ,5 by pass surgery, colon surgery, and fighting colon cancer also so we just about seen it all.  And for these people that are alone and frighten,  or young and scared wife with more on her then she can handle, or the sofe spoken older woman that will go along with the program just because she can't speak up, think about these people who just want good care for their loved ones.  I'm sure someone out there will say oh Nurse's work so hard, yes some do but they are the exception, most complain and even make rude comments about people who are really sick,  Then you have the one's that really care they smile they show respect, and they care.   And they act proud to be a Nurse.   We need more of them.

pssouthfla,

I know exactly what you mean.  Since 9/01, my husband has been hospitalized for a 5 way heart bypass, once for rectal cancer, once for colon cancer and once for pancreatic cancer as well as several times for diagnosis, treatment for dehydration, blood sugar elevation over 600 and a few other issues.  He has also had multiple tests including MRIs, PET scans, lung biopsy, chemo treatments, insertion of a port, etc.  We have seen both wonderful, caring nurses and doctors as well as those who didn't seem to know or care what they were doing.  There have been more mistakes than I can remember.  They have tried to give my husband blood pressure meds and insulin he didn't need, insisted on poking him for every blood draw rather than use his port which meant he didn't need to be stuck with a needle, ignored orders on his closed door stating not to wake the patient at night for vitals, didn't bring his pancreatic enzymes until after food had been eaten even though the enzymes are required to digest any food eaten, and any number of other mistakes made by nurses who should know better.  The one person who stands out in my mind as having rendered outstanding care was an aide who practically hosed him down after he had an accident in bed but she did it with such compassion and good humor, he wasn't even a little embarrassed.  There should be more such as she!

You really do have to watch your patient every minute in the hospital.

Joan L 

Talk to your patient, ask him how you can best serve his needs, he's sick but he's still a man who has opinions and fears. That's what I'd tell the nurse that may at some point need to be called in for my dad. Remember that in your case your treating the needs of a patient not the disease itself. In my case I don't know how to make my dad feel better with stage 4 throat/neck cancer but I know one thing he still wants to know the Yankees scores and loves the honeymooners! I'm currently struggling with how to make dads pain go away too, physically, emotionally and any other pain that exists to him, but alas I don't think I can. I'm sorry if this doesn't help you, but I think that to many doctors and nurses today get caught up in the treatment and the disassociation from the patient as a person, and forget they originally wanted to help PEOPLE. I give credit to you just for trying this assignment, I'll tell you this I would and will never willingly take on the situation I'm in and your about to embark on...God Bless You for trying, and if you can't emotionally do it don't beat yourself up, like I've been saying we're only or all human....

Gina