What facts does only a hospital nurse know?
1. Specialist doctors do not have fixed inpatient room visit hours other than hours at the polyclinic. Practicing time at the polyclinic can be late, so if a patient asks when the doctor will come and we answer uncertainly, it means we really don't know. A specialist doctor, especially a consultant, does not only work in one hospital. Sometimes he also teaches on medical colleges. Meanwhile, to contact a specialist, it is usually through the doctor on duty, so most of us do not even know the specialist doctor's cellphone / whatsapp number.
2. Even though we don't know when the specialist doctors will come, we know that they don't come because they will definitely tell them they don't.
3. We do not know anything about your insurance and costs during your hospitalization. So for cost consultation, you should ask the administrative officer. We know treatment a or drug x is expensive, but often we have no clue how much it costs.
4. Often the nurses who are on duty in the shift are only a few, so please understand that we are a bit of a little error, especially for a request to change the meal menu and take the TV remote 😅🙏
5. We actually know the diagnosis and course of the patient's disease, but it is not our right to explain. Therefore, we always turn it over to the doctor on duty / DPJP.
6. Patients should not request the size of an IV needle, especially patients who need concentrated electrolyte fluid intake, colloid fluids, and blood transfusions. Because it will make it difficult for fluids to enter with a small infusion size, making it easy to leak / swell. Surely the patient will not want to be stabbed repeatedly because the infusion swells easily, right? Although it is specifically for patients who are treated for more than 3 days to change the infusion because it prevents the patient from getting an infection that comes from the infusion site for too long.
7. Choosing the color of the IV needle based on your favorite color is also not a wise thing (yes, I have had such patients!). The infusion port is deliberately colored to differentiate the size of the needle.
8. Sometimes there are patient families who 'leave' their parents for days and even delay bringing them home even though their parents are in good health. Sorry, then please take them to a nursing home because hospitals don't function like homes or day care centers. Although nurses are available 24/7, nurses are not always beside the patient. Therefore, patients (especially children and the elderly) must be accompanied.
9. Postponing the day of discharge = increasing infections from the hospital. A day or two might still be okay, but if it's been days, don't be surprised if the patient can get another infection.
10. The process of going home from the hospital is indeed long, because there is a discharge planning or treatment at home. Not as easy as checking out of the hotel