We appreciate that parents drop their lives, jobs and sanity..... and remain by their kids side through the entirety of their stay. Because of this,
We.........
will listen to a parent when they say my kid is not acting right, looking right or is in pain.
will find a way in this high tech world to be able to ask a parent only once the necessary intake questions and enter their answers in a way that they are in the computer and can be easily pulled up wherever else in the hospital the patient goes without having to make the parent answer the same questions over and over again a multitude of times.
will be respectful of the fact that the parent is there to comfort the child and make sure the child is well taken care of...NOT to do a nurses, aides or doctors job because we are too lazy, inept or uneducated to do it ourselves.
will leave our egos at the door and will treat each of our patients and their parents with dignity and respect, remembering that even with our years of education.....when it comes to the their kids, the parents are the experts.
will remember that NO ONE likes hospitals, especially not a child and if a child is scared, tearful or down right combative, it is not personal, nor is their behavior a reason for me to cop an attitude with the parents or the child.
will keep in mind that children as patients.....are not patient waiters and when test results and doctors consults are delayed due to a gab fest behind the front desk, then parents have a right to be a bit indignant.
will remember that having a child in the hospital is both stressful and exhausting. It is easy for a worried parent to go without both food and sleep when their child's health is compromised. Because of this, parents should be given at least two decent meals per day brought to the floor so they don't have to leave their child's side. They should also be given a comfortable place to rest and not a "reclining" chair that can mangle them, crush their pelvis or throw their back out during the night.
And finally.....we will remember that parents are human and an angry parent is usually a scared and stressed parent. They want only the best for their child and will go into fight mode to get it. Listening, respecting and showing a little empathy will go a long way in keeping an already stressful situation from going completely toxic.
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Now don't get me wrong, I have not forgotten that without competent and caring doctors, nurses and other staff my child would not be getting excellent care and the ability to return to a healthy life. Not to mention we could have lost him several times over. Because of this, I think every ER and pediatric room should also post.... A Code of Respect for Hospital Staff From Parents. It should be where every parent can clearly see it and it should go something like this.
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We parents acknowledge that our child is sick or hurt beyond our capabilities to fix them. That is why we brought them to the hospital. Because of this,
I......
realize that my child is not the only patient on the floor and likely sharing a nurse with several other patients.
understand that some kids are much more critical than my child and thus could possibly pull a doctor or nurse from my child to help another. In turn my child might be the sick one sometimes pulling resources from other patients and I would hope those parents will be patient and understanding too.
know that both doctors and nurses can be pulled pretty thin during a 12 hour shift and demanding that they put my child first in a non-critical situation will not bode well for anyone.
realize that although I know my child, I am not a medical professional and if I could have handled the situation with only my skill and experience, I would not have had to bring my child to the hospital, therefore I need to listen more and talk less.
need to remember that allergic reactions happen...even if my child has never been allergic before. Because of this, it does nobody any good to yell at staff when our time would be better spent reversing the situation as quickly as possible. Dialogue can commence after the crisis passes.
understand that as a parent staying around the clock with my child, that I am there to both advocate for my child and update the staff on anything that happens when they are out of the room. They are not clairvoyant and again....my child is not their only patient and kindness and cooperation for my child's best hospital experience is key.
And finally.....I will remember that the medical staff are human. Most put in at least 12 hour days, at times are so busy they miss meals and even bathroom breaks, have to deal with screaming kids, unhappy parents and they deal with suffering and even death on a regular basis. Showing them respect for their knowledge and skill, kindness for their service and empathy when they are at the end of a shift and have to stay longer because my child requires extra care and extra charting can almost always keep an already stressful situation from going completely toxic.
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Just so you know...if you are a doctor, nurse, lab tech, x-ray tech or any other hospital/medical staff oh and EMS too....I thank you. In our world, we truly couldn't survive without you.
Very good. I have not had nearly the experience you have had dealing with the hospital stuff, other than once with my middle son and four times with my youngest. But those experiences are very clear in my head and there was a huge difference between how things went at Shriner's and how things went at a Wichita hospital. Huge.
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