Emergency Challenges and Guidance

I've written many times about challenges in the emergency department (ED) with my little princess. Unpleasant situations usually cause feelings of misunderstanding, disrespect, and so many more negative emotions. And yet it is important to share these feelings with the right people so that you can help improve the quality of care for your loved ones.

We sat for our regular check-up with the hematologist when she asked several questions about my little princess's care plan. We talked about different things and in the end I asked the question: “When my child is in the emergency room and there is a nurse who I do not want at the bedside, can I ask for another nurse and will the quality of care be negative?"

The hematologist was very shocked by my question because she has known me for a while now and asked what was going on and if I had a bad experience. When she asked, I felt relieved because it felt safe to tell my story and share my concerns.

Bad experiences

I told her very extensively about my last experience in the emergency room where the nurse had difficulty finding the blood vessels for the umpteenth time while it was very clearly visible. In addition, I also explained why I feel so bad because I believe that the stress and anxiety involved is not healthy for a child. Not for anyone, actually!

When you go to the emergency room you expect it to be in a safe, warm, loving environment without unnecessary added pain or stress. Putting a needle in and taking it out because you're missing the blood vessels and can't find them is a very painful and horrifying feeling.

Both the hematologist and the nurse sitting in the room could see that it took a lot of effort to accept that the experience was so painful. The most painful thing was that it wasn't the first time and it's always the same person who makes the mistake.

Guidance is so important

The hematologist and the nurse began to explain to me why it can sometimes be difficult for a “normal” nurse to find a suitable blood vessel for an IV to be placed. And if I notice that the same nurse has to help my child again next time, I can immediately indicate that I would rather involve the IV team to do this.

I never knew there was a special team available to insert an IV, so this was music to my ears. Apparently, this team is there in cases where the nurse has trouble finding a blood vessel! Of course, I had many more questions during this conversation! But I was completely happy and relieved to hear that I could just do that next time.

It is extremely important to get the right tools as a patient and caregiver because in this way you get the guidance to actively work on improving the quality of care. This conversation with the team has given me a lot of hope, and I will certainly use it if necessary.