6/16
The Super Nurse went back to her Mother’s hospital for another care conference. Her favorite nurse told her that her Mom’s doctor doesn’t like to be told what to do- he’ll often do the opposite. But he tends to move slowly, so if you want things to happen you need to push anyway and see if he’ll at least meet you half-way.

The Super Nurse had told him yesterday that she didn’t see the need to check the heparin level every six hours. Per her, once a therapeutic level is reached checking it once a day should be fine. That would reduce the amount of testing needing to be done. The reason her levels seemed to fluctuate before was because they weren’t drawing off the PICC line correctly. He agreed that the sloppy procedure was the problem before, but maintained that testing it every six hours is proper procedure. She checked today, and he changed the order to testing once per day. She trains doctors too. You gotta love her.

The doc told her that he’d talked to hospital administrators about her, now their, concerns. So he did join the crusade. He's an easy-going guy, but the nurses on the unit told her that he'd been the maddest they've ever seen him. Consequently, while she was there a hospital mover and shaker wanted to talk to her. She’s probably caused a fair amount of fear that what she’s seen could result in a law suit. But she just wants her Mom to have good care. If fear motivates them to improve the quality of care it would be okay with her.

The doctor did tell her that a couple of the nurses that had performed poorly were no longer working on the floor, and for all he knew they no longer work in the hospital. She really wasn’t trying to get anybody fired; she’d just like everybody to do their jobs correctly. But she doesn’t feel guilty about it. If they were too lazy to do their jobs correctly when a life was at stake as far as she’s concerned they should be working in a nursing home.

Her Mom continues to improve. She’s talking in a normal tone of voice and is becoming more lucid. But since her chest still hasn’t been wired together she has pain when she coughs. Since her heart is so enlarged they may never get it wired together. It may have to heal on its own, if at all. At least she has Super Nurse for a daughter and advocate; she’ll get the best care possible. And hopefully, so will everybody else.