Apr
30
By Anne Draper
And in small black or white print above the flush button the words are repeated. Words that can cause an addled brain to react with a sense of humour or signs that can simply remain unseen on one's hurried first visit to nature's calling. The 'smart bed' experience for a patient who has waited in a well used hospital stretcher in the emergency holding area for many hours can be a distinct novelty. The single-sized bed features a box like control panel connected by a heavy cable with simple touch icons that light up when used. "Nurse" is the most important icon in this patient's experience and will sound a tone sending the nurse on duty rushing in and rushing out due to the heavy number of "Nurse" touching. The "smart bed" can be lowered or raised to suit one's comfort and a TV panel is available to be activated for rental TV services. An elderly confused patient in the second "smart bed" was busy touching the control panel the entire three days of the writer's stay. And this hyperactivity became a huge issue with the nurses on duty. Nurses who choose to work twelve hour shifts can become impatient near the end of their twelve hour responsibilities.
The writers recent experience in Royal Jubilee Hospital's ER in one of gratitude and appreciation for the excellent care and comfort received from 6:30 am Sunday to 6:30 pm Monday before a transfer to a "smart bed" occurred. After a diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia in the right lung, the antibiotic moxie floxin began dripping through my veins. Sunday night was spent in the emergency holding room with three male patients. A soft tap on my shoulder opened my eyes at 6:25 am to a vision of a Batman T-shirt, tattoos on both arms, cornrowed black hair, black eye makeup, a set of white teeth and a soft voice telling me my blood pressure needed to be taken. It was decided by the nurse on duty to move to a lower stretcher in the busy hallway at 10 am with a nebulizer breathing apparatus prescribed to help open up the airways. Lunch was delayed until 2:30 pm and the kind nurse on duty, offered to share her brown bag lunch. The patient had created a "hall monitor" position and kept busy making eye contact with the many people passing by. "Have you made any new friends yet?" was one of the whispered comments made. Therapist, doctors and hospital staff arrived throughout the day and questions and information were exchanged in the busy hallway. At some point walls began to move creating visions and patterns of shimmering lights, damask and tapestry pastels and black and white dots in swirling designs became a kind of delirium that persisted during the nebulizer breathing time. The nurse on duty recorded the statements. Nebulizer therapy was discontinued and started up in the recovery room with no side effects. And the long road to recovery began.
A follow-up home visit by two Camosun College second year nursing students who had worked in the recovery area two weeks later was much appreciated. Patient care by Royal Jubilee Hospital staff is a valued and important process by the many caring professionals in our health care system.