nurse negligent????

[GulfBreeze]

no she didn't receive any surgery. and she did have her oxygen on, when i got there my mom was unresponsive. I'm not sure what EMS did on the way, but even the nurses in the hospital told me she almost died, she was in Congestive Heart Failure.

Lots of people have CHF. Are they closely watched for signs...yes. How long was it from the time you talked with the nurse and the time you arrived? Maybe when the nurse was there, the situation was not as bad. The situation obviously changed because I am sure the nurse didn't leave the house while your mother was non-responsive. I have never told family member that their loved one almost died. That statement would be totally uncalled. We don't make speculations like that and we certainly told tell family members that.

No surgery? No cath lab? What was done to save her life? Some medication maybe? I am sure she would have eventually had some serious issues had she not gone, but it appears she wasn't going into heart failure at the time she was with the nurse.
Also, if I am not mistaken, this was a home health nurse that only comes by to check on the patient. Apparently your mother doesn't have to be monitored for compliance concerning her oxygen use. This nurse are only there to check on them, not babysit. They have other patients to check on, but should not leave if there is a problem that needs their attention. You made the decision for her by saying you would resolved it by taking her in as advised by her MD.

 

[GulfBreeze]

Originally Posted by redlady
no she didn't receive any surgery. and she did have her oxygen on, when i got there my mom was unresponsive. I'm not sure what EMS did on the way, but even the nurses in the hospital told me she almost died, she was in Congestive Heart Failure..

btw...when was EMS called and by whom. The nurse could have saved time and done that...why did you wait all that time to finally get home and do that. You told the nurse you would take her in.

 

[jypsy_rose_lee]

Florida,
I do think there might be a case, what are home health nurses for if it isn't to be sure that the patients are safe. my mother almost died. the least the nurse could have done is wait for me to get there so i could take her to the ER. I feel she abandoned her resposibility by leaving my mother.

You will never find a lawyer to take what you call a case. For one, you can't sue for what could have, or would have happened. Your mother had no long term damages caused by this! Simply put, it's not worth a lawyer even wanting to pursue!
I lost my hearing from high doses of chemo that I had to have to save my life. For five months I was misdiagnosed with pneumonia. After almost dieing from lack of oxygen and being admitted to a different hospital, I was diagnosed with a recurrance stage four non-hodgkins lymphoma that nearly killed me! I had to have seven straight days of around the clock high does chemo that left me with 75% hearing loss!
Sueing a health professional isn't as easy as people may think. I was told by lawyers, that I had a potential case, but no lawyer wanted to gamble their money, and risk loosing it! Do you even know what it costs to pursue a claim of medical negligents?
I have to be thankful I still have my life, even though I went through hell, nearly lost my life, and lost my hearing inorder to save my life. So, you have to be thankful your mother did not die!

 

[LAWMED]

No negligence

There is no negligence here.

The nurse was dismissed from the home. It is a private residence, she cannot remain if told to leave.

Your mother is non-compliant. She refuses to use her oxygen. She was short of breath for 3 days and did not seek medical care, nor did you attempt to get it for her. She contributed to her worsening illness.

Here blood pressure was not in and of itself a reason for the nurse to stay.

All of the above will be argued against any claim of negligence. I hope your mother gets better and this helps her realize she needs to be preventative with her healthcare.

 

[lya]

I am an ER TRAUMA NURSE in the state of Florida. I will tell you that from what I have read, I don't see how you could possibly attack the nurse for anything. Should she had stayed with your mom, maybe...but she was not required to.

How is it that your mom's health was so life-threatening? We have people come in the front door with HBP, chest pain, SOB etc and some via ambulances...we give them a couple of chewable baby aspirins, do lab work, 12 lead EKG, chest x-ray and check their vitals. Based on our findings, that determines their priority.....hook them up to the monitor, start an IV and have the doctor evaluate them further by checking their cardiac enzymes and troponin levels. Not all of them are life-threatening as you would say.

180/90 is high, but not life-threatening. Is she on any BP medication? Nitro pills? Did she exhibit any other signs. Chest pains, numbness, ams, alter-mental status, swelling around lower extremities, extreme sob etc...

You were aware of the situation and chose to tell the nurse that you would take her. Your mother told her to leave. If you felt it was life-threatening, why did you tell her that and not have 911 called then. She might have deteriorated in the time you spoke with the nurse and the time you arrived, but you made that choice. Maybe you didn't rush over there fast enough. The nurse called the doctor and it was suggested to go to the ER. Don't try and place the blame on the nurse. We take an oath to help save people's lives, but are constantly blamed when things don't go right, even when we do everything possible. Next time, I suggest you don't interfere and let the trained professionals do what they are trained to do. Hopefully you are not one of those that are just looking for an excuse to sue. This case is unfounded. I hope the nurse doesn't have to deal with you again. I know I would not want to.

Amen.

The nurse did everything the nurse was supposed to do. Furthermore, the nurse could have done nothing more than she did.

As for the wiseacre who asked since when is 180/90 stable, I never said the BP was stable; I said the patient was stable and the BP was improved. And, yes; I am a medical professional, an expert, in fact, one who qualifies as and has provided services as a testifying expert in a court of law. To answer your question, "since when is a blood pressure of 180/90 stable?": the answer is, when it remains 180/90! ("stable" is one of my favorite, funny 'medical' terms--you won't find a more stable patient than one who is dead!)

 

[redlady]

negligence??

well, I went to Post Your Case to an Attorney today, I'm going to see if there is a lawyer in my area willing to fight my mom's case. I strongly feel that by this nurse leaving she was negligent. no my mom doesnt have any injuries resulting from this but her medical bills will be outrageous. from the EMS ride to the hospital stay. My mom says that when the nurse was in the home, her phone rang and she told someone she would be there soon and that is why my mom told her she could go. I already talked to the adminitrator of the homehealth company and told them to fire her and that they should report her to the state board of florida or I will. She doesn't deserve to see any more patients and leave them unsafe.

 

[las365]

my mom doesnt have any injuries resulting from this

And there goes her potential case. The thing that may have changed if the nurse hadn't left when your mother told her to is that EMS may have been called sooner. Other than that, it sounds as if there would be nothing different at all in the entire scenario.

If your mother doesn't take care of herself when she's on her own and doesn't have the capacity to know when she needs help, perhaps it is time for her to live somewhere that help and some supervision will be available to her 24/7.

 

[longsally111]

My opinion

What is the name of your state? Florida

my mother had been complaining of shortness of breath for 3 days but wouldnt use her oxygen.

this makes your mother non-compliant with her treatment.

her home health nurse came to visit and found her short of breath, she had her wear her oxygen then noticed her blood pressure was high (190/110) she called her doctor and he said for my mom to go to the ER. that is when she called me. my mom wanted me to take her, so i told the nurse i would.

So, she noted a problem, notified you and your mom and your mother chose to go by private vehicle and you agreed to take her, ok.

mom told the nurse she was fine and she could go, so she left. mom says before she left she checked her blood pressure again and it was 180/90 which was better than before, instructed her to leave oxygen on and to go to the ER.

Ok, so her bp had improvedm gave you correct medical information and left after she was instructed to do so.

by the time i got there my mom was very ill and i had to call 911 for an ambulance.

So your mother deteriorated while waiting for you to arrive.

was the nurse negligent by leaving my mother at home even if my mom said she was ok, and she was talking and walking when she left???

Absolutely not. You just said it yourself. When she saw her last, she was walking and talking. She does not have psychic powers and could not predict what was going to happen to your mother.

do i have a case of neglicence or abandonment??

Angry

No way, I am sorry to say that you are like most americans trying to assign blame where there is none. Dry well only here for you.

 

[GulfBreeze]

Get A Life

well, I went to Post Your Case to an Attorney today, I'm going to see if there is a lawyer in my area willing to fight my mom's case. I strongly feel that by this nurse leaving she was negligent. no my mom doesnt have any injuries resulting from this but her medical bills will be outrageous. from the EMS ride to the hospital stay. My mom says that when the nurse was in the home, her phone rang and she told someone she would be there soon and that is why my mom told her she could go. I already talked to the adminitrator of the homehealth company and told them to fire her and that they should report her to the state board of florida or I will. She doesn't deserve to see any more patients and leave them unsafe.

Okay...somebody is going to have to step in between this nutcase and I.

First of all....Finding a crazy attorney enough such as yourself might not be a problem, I have seen some cases supported by crazier nuts, but the real question to the rest of the world is...DO YOU HAVE A CASE?

It sickens me to see that someone actually thinks they were wrong by another health-care work when in fact, they did nothing negligent.

I read your post again and boy, you don't paint a pretty picture of yourself.

"my mother had been complaining of shortness of breath for 3 days but wouldn't use her oxygen."

Non-compliant patient....whose fault is that? The nurse? NOPE

"her home health nurse came to visit and found her short of breath, she had her wear her oxygen"

Kudos to the nurse for recognizing that this non-compliant patient needed her oxygen

"then noticed her blood pressure was high (190/110) she called her doctor and he said for my mom to go to the ER."

100% correct...Nurse informed her doctor and the doctor made the correct recommendation. She would have been instructed to give her any BP meds if she had any (and she was compliant with them) but should be evaluated further if no relief was noticed.

"that is when she called me."

Probably been a better thing not have reached you. That is where it went down hill...

"my mom wanted me to take her, so i told the nurse i would."

Your mom wanted you to take her and you agreed. You relieved the nurse from responsibility when YOU said you would.

"mom told the nurse she was fine and she could go, so she left."

Your mother felt fine and it appears that your mother showed no sign of distress (walking & talking) and was told she could go.

"mom says before she left she checked her blood pressure again and it was 180/90 which was better than before"

Apparently something was helping, maybe the oxygen, but nonetheless, she didn't run out the door, she took her BP again and noticed an improvement...

"instructed her to leave oxygen on and to go to the ER."

Making sure that your mother understands the impotence of the O2 and will in fact go to the ER as you said you would do...

"by the time i got there my mom was very ill"

My god...how long did it take you? Maybe the fault lays with you....No, it does, along with your non-complaint mother. Both of you share the fault in this.

"i had to call 911 for an ambulance."

This is the only part that could have been corrected at the beginning. Instead of listening to one of her kids, the nurse should have called 911 instead of calling you. Was it life-threatening at the time? Probably not....but we have had several people ride in on an ambulance for tooth aches, so a person with a HBP and a history might qualify as a good case to call 911.

"was the nurse negligent by leaving my mother at home even if my mom said she was ok, and she was talking and walking when she left??? "

Again...you were not there at that time. From the appearance of your mother and her telling the nurse to leave, this nurse made the decision that it was okay based on that. She was under the impression that you would be taking her to the ER, that your mother would leave the O2 on, and that she looked okay at that time.

"do i have a case of neglicence or abandonment??"

N O...NO

You are some piece of work. I wished I personally knew which nurse you were talking about and reaffirm with them that they did NOTHING wrong...(except maybe accepting this case which involved you).

You just don't get it, do you? Stick your mother in a nursing home. Better yet...drop everything you do and move her in with you. You can then be responsible for her care and make sure she is compliant with her O2. I suppose had the nurse arrived and found your mother dead, it would have been her fault that she didn't arrive there before she died? I suppose had the nurse called 911 and taken her in without calling you first, you would have been upset that you were not notified first and might actually have to pay for it. I am under the impression that there is specific instructions to notify a family member in a case like this..that is why she had your number handy.

Do yourself a favor. Dig yourself a hole and crawl into it. You will not get any sympathy from me and lots others.

well, I went to Post Your Case to an Attorney today, I'm going to see if there is a lawyer in my area willing to fight my mom's case. I strongly feel that by this nurse leaving she was negligent. no my mom doesnt have any injuries resulting from this but her medical bills will be outrageous. from the EMS ride to the hospital stay. My mom says that when the nurse was in the home, her phone rang and she told someone she would be there soon and that is why my mom told her she could go. I already talked to the adminitrator of the homehealth company and told them to fire her and that they should report her to the state board of florida or I will. She doesn't deserve to see any more patients and leave them unsafe.

Fight?
no injuries
medical bill
fired
you should be for what you just said. You don't deserve anything.

The ambulance bill...is it not covered by insurance? Your mother does have insurance or Medicare, right? Maybe that is what you were trying to avoid...in paying, by telling the nurse you would take her in. CHEAP-O.

I would assume she does, if she has a nursing company sending out a nurse for visits. Along with her ER visit. Don't act like you are paying for it.

Pathetic is all I can think of to describe you.

 

[jypsy_rose_lee]

This woman clearly doesn't care that her mother is still alive! She is looking for a way to sue someone! I feel sorry for the nurse you are trying to sue! People such as yourself are the reason alot of good nurses give up, and quit nursing!
The attorneys you talk to are going to be irritated after reading what you feel is a claim. Your case won't be the first of it's kind though! Do you know how much garbage lawyers read on a daily bases from people who think they have a case? I don't feel like the nurse did anything wrong! Even if the nurse had done something wrong, they are not God they make mistakes just like you, or anyone else! If she had made a mistake, your mother is still alive! She has no long term ill effects from this! As far as medical bills, I'm sure your mother had insurance! I maybe wrong, but even if you were to sue, and win medicare would want their money back!

 

[jypsy_rose_lee]

Also, what do you think your ranting and raving about what you feel is a case is doing to your mother, who is not well, and on oxygen???? Your the one who is going to end up killing her if you don't stop!!!!!

 

[jypsy_rose_lee]

well, I went to Post Your Case to an Attorney today, I'm going to see if there is a lawyer in my area willing to fight my mom's case. I strongly feel that by this nurse leaving she was negligent. no my mom doesnt have any injuries resulting from this but her medical bills will be outrageous. from the EMS ride to the hospital stay. My mom says that when the nurse was in the home, her phone rang and she told someone she would be there soon and that is why my mom told her she could go. I already talked to the adminitrator of the homehealth company and told them to fire her and that they should report her to the state board of florida or I will. She doesn't deserve to see any more patients and leave them unsafe.

The administrator most likely knows what you are up to!

 

[ShyCat]

I strongly feel that by this nurse leaving she was negligent. no my mom doesnt have any injuries resulting from this but her medical bills will be outrageous. from the EMS ride to the hospital stay.

You can strongly feel all you want, but don't mistake that for being right. I'll bet if you are ever honest with yourself, you'll admit that you are not always right about every thing you feel strongly about. No one is. We're emotional creatures, not expected to be 100% rational 100% of the time. But you've gone overboard here, being completely irrational.

If the nurse had disobeyed your mother and stayed in your mother's home against her wishes, you'd probably be loudly complaining about that. "The nurse was trespassing! She caused my mother emotional distress and made her sicker!"

Do you really believe there'd be no hospital bills if the nurse had stayed until you arrived? A home care nurse's continued presence would not have kept your mother out of the ER.

Do you really believe there'd be no EMS bill for transporting your mother to the ER if the nurse had stayed until you arrived? What, you think patients get a discount on EMS services if there's a home care nurse present? Or that the home care provider is responsible for the EMS bill if the nurse is present?

Or did you really believe the nurse should have loaded your mother into her own car and driven her there? Ah, then you'd be screaming about kidnapping, emotional distress, blah blah blah.

Let it go. It won't work. You're just making everyone miserable for no reason. That is not doing your mother any good at all.

 

[lya]

The OP will never understand--not even after every attorney contacted says exactly what has been said here. There is no hope, no potential, no escalator to the top.

 

[redlady]

negligence??

my mother was in icu for 9 days. I'm very upset that the nurse left. I have asked several nurses and they all have said the samething, that they would not have left. My daughter is also an RN and she says that I should deffinately sue the Home Health Company. As for the nurse, her license should be revoked. I dont understand how you can say that she did nothing wrong. You should never leave a patient that needs to go to the ER by herself.