Patients Advocating for Themselves We are all familiar with sayings like, look out for number one, or if you don’t care for yourself, no one else will. There is some truth to that, and if a patient is hospitalized and requiring care, they should be encouraged to advocate for themselves in regards to their medical care. Patients have a right to refuse treatment or medications. It’s generally not a wise decision to do so. In most cases the doctor has ordered the right course of treatment and care. If, however, a patient or their family feels strongly that things should be done or ordered differently that prescribed by the physician, this would be a time to speak up and explain the reason. There are occasions that patient care may need to go beyond the serving of a meal, and the administration of medication. As a nurse, you are limited to a certain amount of time with each patient, which can limit the time you spend with any and all points. The family and the patient should be encouraged to speak up if they need anything, and this should be said with conviction. Related:
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A Patients Story Lucy, a 34-year-old female contracted what was assumed to be a flu virus. She was sick the day before Thanksgiving, and with her doctor's office closed, she visited a local emergency room. Both Lucy and her mom were certain she had pneumonia, as she was coughing the chest sounded very irritated. The doctor advised Lucy that her blood test indicated no infection, and that whatever she had was viral. Lucy went home, still very ill and a temperature of 102. Thanksgiving Day, Lucy was sick and in bed. Her mom was very concerned, and when she was no better on Friday, she mentioned Lucy should return to the emergency room. Visiting family members all were offering their advice, most saying that if the first doctor indicated it was viral and had to run its course. Lucy’s mom would not give up, her intuition said take her in. Friday afternoon Lucy’s mom took her back to the hospital, after making the decision, something was not right, her daughter needed to be reexamined. She decided to ignore her friends and other family member’s advice, and insist her daughter go back to the emergency room. After a brief exam and a chest x-ray, they were told Lucy had a very serious case of bacterial pneumonia. Under normal circumstances a blood test would show this, which is why the first physician didn't believe it was bacterial. There is however some cases that are unique, and require a chest