Jack Yesner Week 8 - Medical Mistreatment

 Today was my second visit to West Boca Medical Center as part of the Pre-Med program. I was assigned to Med/Surg, or Medical Surgical Nursing, a hospital specialty I had not heard of but was excited to discover. Upon arriving on the third floor, I was assigned to shadow a Patient Care Technician (PCT), whose job was to tend to patients in ten hospital rooms. I initially assisted with mundane tasks such as water replacement and nurse designation, however later in my visit an altercation occurred which will forever change my impression of medicine.

While passing through my PCT’s assigned hospital rooms for the first time, most had sleeping, injured patients. But in Room A (referring to the room this way for HIPAA reasons), I was greeted excitedly at the door by John Doe (again, HIPAA). John Doe kept asking for things with agitation, and it was very uncomfortable for me as a lone high school student. Before leaving the room, his roommate requested assistance and pleaded that John Doe was unwell. I had no authority, so I apologized and left.

Twenty minutes later, the head nurse informed my PCT that a patient needed a blood draw. Coincidentally, this draw happened to be for John Doe. Before even arriving at the room, we saw him in the hallway arguing with nurses about needing his blood drawn. The PCT said she had no control and was merely following procedure, but the patient was not cooperating. He screamed, cursed, flailed around, and acted extremely defensively. Not only was I scared for his health, but I was genuinely scared for my PCT’s and my own health should John Doe attack us. Ultimately, the patient lashed out upon seeing the syringe, insisting on another nurse and forcing us out of the room.

We left the room hurriedly, tears on my PCT’s face. I felt incredibly bad for her, yet completely unable to help in any way. I stood silently outside the nourishment room, reflecting on what had just occurred. How could that have happened? Does this happen every day in medicine? 

Having this experience brought to my attention that medicine is not all about healing and treating patients, but is also about handling difficult, uncomfortable, and emotional situations with people in incredible distress. When I left the Med/Surg unit, John Doe was confronted by security, but I do not doubt another patient with this temperament will be admitted to the hospital soon. I now have even more respect for these healthcare workers who not only spend countless hours working for the good of others, but spend their emotional well-beings as well.

Would you ever consider working in medicine? How would you address the issue of unruly patients?