Another Nurse "Gets It"

This is from hospital soup again... Here's a nurse who actually understands that Versed is a bad drug for patients. (It's obviously a very GOOD drug for most medical practitioners) She goes on to give us tips on not receiving Versed again, including having an "allergy" medical bracelet. The only problem with a medical bracelet is, as I've stated before, the medical workers will assume that the bracelet is a "diabetic" warning. This has happened to me more than once, and it has happened to others that I know.
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   June says:
   
   
   
   
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   July 5, 2010 at 3:15 pm
   
   
   
   
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   Hello Polly,
   
   
   
   
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   I really do understand where you’re coming from regarding not wanting to list the Versed as an allergy and wanting to know why you may be hearing options as to why it may be best to do so…. I’m a registered nurse and think that patients should definitely not be put in these positions. However, let me just share with you the following perspective. There are numerous opportunities for errors within the healthcare environment…multiple departments interacting with one another, and medication administration is one very important component. Let’s say in a perfect world you did find a provider who listened to you and who was willing not to administer Versed— but you may be admitted somewhere in the future and the unit or facility is very busy. In busy, chaotic environments health care decisions are made quickly and since Versed is the “go to drug” of choice for many providers— you could be given Versed either intentionally or unintentionally if someone on the health care team either didn’t check your preferences or decided in a moment of rushing to provide care to you, that it wasn’t an issue in that situation.
   
   
   
   
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   Contrast this scenario with you having an “Allergy” to a specific medication. It is documented in your medical record, your pharmacist, as well as ALL medical providers should have this “ALLERGY” listed in your chart. When and if you are admitted anywhere in the world for medical care one of the first questions you will be asked is, “Do you have any allergies to medications?”. If you are unable to speak for yourself this info can be, part of your medical record so that it travels with you everywhere. And there are other things you can do to properly document this “Allergy”.
   
   
   
   
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   You would also as a matter of standard protocol get a brightly colored arm bracelet, denoting that you had an allergy so that all healthcare professionals interacting with you during the entire time of your admission would know NOT to EVER administer Versed or whatever drug you are allergic to.
   
   
   
   
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   So, although in a perfect world yes, it would be great to have a world in which choices like this were not necessary, BUT I know what my choice would be if I wanted to have the odds on my side of not getting a particular medication that I knew was not in my best interest.
   
   
   
   
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   As a healthcare professional and as a nurse, my job is always to put the patient’s needs first, and I wish that you would never have received Versed, as it is my personal opinion that it is a very poor medication choice with regards to the needs of the patient. I don’t ever want to have it and won’t permit my family members to have it either. (emphasis mine) I’m sorry you had such a bad experience with Versed, and my hope for you is that in the future you have dedicated, caring and professional individuals who provide you with full disclosure about your choices regarding medical care and that your experience in the future should you need healthcare, your experience will be much better."