I still remember the stupid male RN on the ICU unit that refused to wait for me to come to the hospital to be present for my husband's discharge instructions after I specifically asked the staff to wait until I was there. The RN was joking the whole time (very unprofessional!) after I got there and did not allow me to ask questions or even go over the instructions with me. My husband had suffered an almost fatal heart attack a few days earlier. The unprofessional and lazy RN had even ordered the wheelchair to be waiting to rush my husband out the door. The literature states "One study found that patients forget 40 to 80% of what doctors and nurses tell them, even if they are nodding their heads. Have someone with you to take notes or record the instructions. The most critical time is at discharge."
My husband nodded "yes" to the instructions and then asked me for clarification about everything once we got home. Since I had not been allowed to be present, I did not have the information. The paper discharge instructions were a jumble and very hard to follow and had him on contradicting medications and medications that had been discontinued by his cardiologist. Had to call his cardiologist for clarification! If I had been allowed to review the discharge instructions with the RN before my husband's discharge, the confusion could of been avoided. Will never go to Mercy Gilbert Hospital again for any reason.
SLT RN,BSN
32 years experience as an RN.