Third Nurse Is The Charm!
IGNORING & INATTENTIVE, ILLINOIS, LAZY/UNHELPFUL, MEDICAL OFFICE, NURSES, USA | HEALTHY | JANUARY 30, 2021
This story is pre-health crisis. One morning, I wake up with a sore throat. I assume I have the beginning of a cold and go on with my day. However, the sore throat does not go away. It gets worse over a twenty-four-hour period to the point where I can hardly swallow, and I develop a fever. I call my doctor’s office because in the past, this has indicated strep, and I make sure to tell the receptionist this. They tell me to come in right away.
I do so, and they take me into an exam room. I’m met by a nurse I’ve never seen before. This is normal, as there’s a nursing college nearby, and my doctor gets a lot of their recent grads.
Nurse
#1 : “Okay, we’re gonna do some bloodwork to check you for mono.”
Me: “Mono?”
Nurse
#1 : “You have all the symptoms.”
Me: “I have a history of strep. Isn’t [Doctor] gonna check my throat?”
Nurse
#1 : “We’re checking for mono.”
The nurse preps me for bloodwork. I am used to needles, as I have a chronic illness that requires frequent labs. However, this is a disaster. She attempts to stick me and misses the vein. Then, she starts digging around UNDER THE SKIN with the needle to attempt to hit the vein. I whimper.
Nurse
#1 : “Not used to bloodwork?”
Me: “Oh, I get plenty of bloodwork. Check my chart. I’m not used to someone digging under my skin with a needle. Ow! Can you stop?! I don’t think you’re gonna find the vein that way!”
She finally pulls it out and bandages it up.
Nurse
#1 : “I guess that vein wasn’t big enough! Let me get [Nurse
#2 ].”
[Nurse
#2 ], whom I’ve also never seen before, walks in, and with no warning, attempts to stick me in the same arm. She also misses the vein. She pulls the needle out of my arm and jabs me again in the same spot, harder. I shriek.
Me: “Ouch! Seriously?!”
Nurse
#2 : “Have you ever had blood drawn before, sweetie?”
I shoot her a look.
Me: “I have [chronic illness], so I have labs twice a year. Did any of you look at my chart?”
Nurse
#2 : “Oh. Your veins are very stubborn. Have they had trouble getting blood from you before?”
Me: “No. Never. Is there someone else that can help me?”
They get a third nurse, who has done my labs several times.
Nurse
#3 : “Oh, hey, [My Name]. How’s it going?”
Me: “Bad.”
Nurse
#2 : “Her veins are stubborn. What should we do?”
[Nurse
#3 ] examines my arm and rolls her eyes.
Nurse
#3 : “You stuck her three times in one arm?! The answer is obvious. Use her other arm, and don’t stab her, either! I heard her scream down the hall!”
She leaves, grumbling under her breath. Thankfully, they take her advice. [Nurse
#1 ] and [Nurse
#2 ] then decide to test me for the flu which, as many of us know, is a very long swab up the nose. And they JAM it up my nose. So, now my nose, arm, and throat are throbbing.
Me: “Hey, um, is [Doctor] gonna look at my throat at all?”
Nurse
#1 : “He wants to start with this. Test results should be in tomorrow. You can go home now.”
I go home. The next day, I feel worse. The doctor’s office calls and says that both tests were negative.
Me: “Okay, but I’m still sick. Can I come back for a strep test?”
Nurse
#2 : “[Doctor] says that if you’re still sick after ten days, call us. Then he’ll talk about an antibiotic.”
Me: “But I can barely swallow.”
Nurse
#2 : “He said ten days.”
I live off soft foods, warm liquids, cough drops, and Aleve until day six when I can’t take it anymore. I can swallow a bit more, but I still have a high fever and my throat still hurts. I’ve also developed joint pain. I call the doctor back in tears. I finally get [Nurse
#3 ], who apologizes and says she will speak with the doctor. She calls back a couple of hours later.
Nurse
#3 : “Okay, [My Name], [Doctor] has recommended an antibiotic. I called it in and put a rush on it. I know you’re feeling pretty miserable and you’ve been waiting a long time. I’m so sorry about that. I’m not sure why they made you wait.”
Me: “Thank you!”
I felt A LOT better within a couple of days of starting the antibiotic.