Night Nurse: “Well, did you tell someone that you needed it?”
(My parents and the other nurse just stare at her in disbelief.)
Mom: “Of course she needs it! You’re in charge of making sure she gets the medication on time!”
Night Nurse: *snotty* “She’s a big girl. She has to tell us if she needs it or not!”
(My nurse rushes the night nurse out before the situation escalates. My parents are furious and my nurse is also frustrated. I’m angry, too, of course, but more exhausted, and I just want to go home to recover in peace.)
Nurse: “I am so sorry. I had no idea this happened. There is no excuse for that. You are absolutely right: the night staff is responsible to get you that medication and they should have been keeping an eye on you.”
Me: “Can I just go home? I really don’t want to be here anymore…”
Nurse: “Unfortunately, now that I know you haven’t had any medication, I have to keep you here to catch up on the doses. I can’t send you home until I get this in your system and make sure you’re okay.”
(I was more upset by this, but I knew she had to do her job and didn’t say anything else. Over the next few hours, I was finally given the pain medication and I basically slept all day until she told me I could go home in the evening. Thanks to the night nurse’s negligence, I had to keep taking the medication for an extra few days until the pain got under control. We filed an official complaint against the nurse, but nothing has happened so far.)
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