A MEDICATION MISTAKE - CUSTOMER OR PATIENT
I AM NOT SURE THAT I AGREE WITH THE TERMINOLOGY ‘CUSTOMER SERVICE’ WHICH IS THE FOCUS OF HOSPITALS, THESE DAYS. SURE, WE ALL REALIZE THAT THE CUSTOMER IN THE RESTAURANT PAYS OUR BILLS IF WE ARE THE WAITRESS, OR OWNER; WE ALSO KNOW THAT WHEN WE PURCHASE CLOTHES FROM THE SALES PERSON WE ARE CONTRIBUTING MONEY TO PAY THEIR BILLS. YEARS AGO I CAN REMEMBER TELLING MY NURSING STAFF AND STUDENTS, THE PATIENT PAYS YOUR BILLS, HOWEVER THAT WAS THE BUSINESS SIDE OF ME..........THE CARING NURSE SIDE SAYS WE SHOULD GO BACK TO THE ‘PATIENT SERVICE versus CUSTOMER SERVICE.’ SURELY, WE ALL KNOW THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CUSTOMER AND A PATIENT. CALL IT SEMANTICS, OR WHATEVER YOU WISH... WE, AS CONSUMERS ARE PATIENTS.... WE ARE SICK IN A HOSPITAL AND WE WANT A NURSE AND DOCTOR TO TAKE CARE OF US. WE ARE NOT THEIR CUSTOMER, WE ARE THEIR PATIENT.
WHEN I LOOK BACK, I KIND OF HAVE TO CHUCKLE, TO MYSELF, THAT I HAD BEEN TELLING MY NURSING STAFF AND THOSE WHO WORKED FOR ME,, THE PATIENT IS PAYING OUR BILLS.TRUE.. HOWEVER, NOW THE ENTIRE FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE THIS, CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT...........AND, THAT IS FINE, BUT LETS KEEP THE REAL PERSONALIZATION IN THE PATIENT. WHY CAN’T WE CALL IT, OR THE HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS CALL IT PATIENT SERVICE. THAT, CERTAINLY SOUNDS MORE REALISTIC.
FOR WHATEVER REASON, I JUST DON’T CARE FOR THE CUSTOMER SERVICE MENTAL ATTITUDE. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT, IN MY HUMBLEST OPINING POSITION, THE LABELING OF CUSTOMER TO THE PATIENT HAS TAKEN SOMETHING PERSONAL OUT OF THE DELIVERY OF CARE. HAS IT MADE THE HOSPITAL MORE OF A BUSINESS, IN A SENSE. HOSPITALS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BUSINESS... ALWAYS. AND, WE SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT.....THE BOTTOM LINE IS MONEY AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN, AND, ALWAYS WILL.
IF THE PATIENT IS THE CUSTOMER, THEN THE PATIENT IS ALWAYS RIGHT. AREN’T CUSTOMERS ALWAYS RIGHT. THAT WAS INSTILLED INTO US, YEARS AGO, WORKING WITH ‘CUSTOMERS.’
THE CUSTOMER PURCHASES AN ITEM, DOES NOT LIKE THE ITEM, RETURNS THE ITEM. THE CUSTOMER PURCHASES AN ITEM, BRINGS IT HOME, ONLY TO FIND IT IS DAMAGED, RETURNS THE ITEM.
CORRELATING THIS TO THE PATIENT. THE PATIENT GOES TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT, AND TO, HOPEFULLY, LEAVE IN AN IMPROVED STATE. HOWEVER, DURING THE STAY AT THE HOSPITAL, THERE IS AN ERROR, A MISTAKE MADE. THE PATIENT SUFFERS, POSSIBLY DIES. HOW CAN WE TAKE THESE TWO LABELS AND PLACE THEM IN ONE BOX. A BOX THAT IS A PANDORA’S BOX AND DARE WE OPEN IT, UNLESS WE ARE READY TO ACT.
NO ONE IS PERFECT, NOT EVEN THOSE NURSES WHO ARE SO VERY CARING AND DEDICATED. MISTAKES HAPPEN, HOPEFULLY, NOT TO YOU. THE FAULT LIES IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS. THERE IS A LONG AVENUE, OFTEN, THAT THE ERROR TRAVELS. HAVING EXPERIENCED, MYSELF, WITH A FAMILY MEMBER, MEDICATION PROBLEMS AND ERRORS ARE HAPPENING. MY FAMILY MEMBER WAS IN ICU. THE DOCTOR HAD ORDERED AN ANTIBIOTIC. THERE ARE TIME LINES FOR THE ANTIBIOTIC TO BE GIVEN. THE PROCESS IS AS SUCH: THE DOCTOR WRITES (ON THE DOCTOR ORDER SHEET IN THE PATIENT’S MEDICAL RECORD) AN ORDER FOR THE MEDICATION. 2. THE SECRETARY/NURSE TRANSCRIBES THE ORDER (SENDING THE INFORMATION IN THE ORDER TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT I.E. PHARMACY) 3. THE DEPARTMENT (I.E. PHARMACY,) DOCUMENTS THE MEDICATION IN THEIR SYSTEM/RECORDS AND THEN 4. DELIVERS THE MEDICATION TO THE PATIENT CARE UNIT. 5. THE NURSE THEN IS ABLE TO ADMINISTER THE MEDICATION.
NORMALLY, THIS PROCESS SHOULD NOT TAKE LONG. HOWEVER, OFTEN, MORE THAN WE WOULD LIKE TO THINK ABOUT, THE NURSE ENDS UP ADMINISTERING THE MEDICATION HOURS LATER THAN WAS INTENDED. NOW........IS THIS THE NURSE’S FAULT? NO, IT IS THE SYSTEM ... OR, DID THE ORDER NOT GET TRANSCRIBED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
MANY MEDICATIONS ARE NECESSARY AND DEFINITELY NEED TO BE GIVEN IN A VERY TIMELY MANNER, WITHIN A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD, ESPECIALLY WHEN A MEDICAL CONDITION WARRANTS.
THE TRUTH REMAINS, WE, THE CONSUMER, THE PATIENT, ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDER. AND, THAT CAN BE SCAREY.
MEDICATION ERRORS CAN RESULT IN MILD ADVERSE REACTIONS CAUSING MINOR DISCOMFORT TO DEATH.
ASK THE FOLLOWING:::::::::::
FIRST, ASK YOU DOCTOR WHAT MEDICATIONS HE HAS ORDERED FOR YOU AND WHAT THEY ARE FOR, AS WELL AS THE SIDE EFFECTS AND ANY INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER MEDICATIONS YOU ARE TAKING.
THEN;
1. IS THAT MEDICATION FOR ME? — The nurse might look at you and say, ‘Of course, that is why I am giving it to you.’ However, that is your right. Many patients have interrupted the process of the nurse giving medication to the wrong patient by asking.
2. WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE MEDICATION? Is it one of the medications the doctor said he was ordering, if not, who ordered the medication and why?
3. WHY IS THE MEDICATION BEING GIVEN TO ME? What is the reason you are receiving the medication, for what condition?
4. WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE MEDICATION AND WILL IT INTERACT WITH ANY OF MY OTHER MEDICATIONS?
Afterall, if the consumer is a patient, and the patient is a customer, then the customer is right and you should be able to ask what ever question you want. Irregardless, it is a patient right and your body.
Remember, the customer goes into the department store, purchases a pair of shoes. When it comes time to pay, the customer notices that the shoes are not what she ordered. She has the right to ask where are her shoes and why is she being given someone else’s shoes.
Before administering medication, nurses need to be aware of the above, if not BEWARE!! It is your right, as a patient, to ask and ASK LOUD !!!!!!! OH YES, AND, DON’T FORGET TO COMPLAINT TO CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT.....!!!!!!!
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