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I think it depends somewhat on what hospital you end up in and what section of the hospital you occupy. I had my appendix out in 1989 and an aneurysm in 2014 and didn't notice much difference in care. That is, I thought the care was great in both cases. The doctors spoke to me personally and took an interest in how I was doing. The nurses and aides were just as nice and more than willing to be helpful.
On the other hand, I've been into emergency more than a dozen times over my lifetime for things like kidney stones and a couple TIAs. In that case I've been both coddled and yelled at. I've been forgotten in an ER room, given wrong advice, and been told to wait when I had a serious condition.
I think it also all comes down to money and staff. Insurance is the big problem when it comes to money and short staffing is the rest of it. There are a few curmudgeons who hate being a doctor or a nurse, but by and large, I think most of them enjoy what they do and wish they could do more if it weren't for the money and lack of staff.
As with most people's jobs, the quality of ones "hands on" work is in direct proportion to their "passion" for their work. Its no different in the heath care employment sector.
When in hospital, don't be complacent and just accept whatever they tell you to take or do. Ask questions of pretty much everyone who is giving you something to take or wanting to do something to you. If you are not in a position to do so, make sure you have a family member with you as an advocate. Not everyone in a white coat and an ID tag means they know what they are doing or are qualified to do stuff to you. Ask....and make sure you understand what is going on.
If it is of any consolation to some of you professional nurses are well aware of amount of time they spend charting/documenting, and a majority if not all aren't happy about conditions on the ground either.
That being said nurses are employees of hospitals/healthcare facilities and must do as they are told. They can file grievances and or otherwise make their unhappiness known, but things simply are what they are, period.
No, it isn't just insurance companies but federal and local governments as well (via Medicare and Medicaid) requiring all this documentation.
Professional nurses are instructed and or even educated today to chart enough so a facility will be paid, but not enough so they can be sued.
Since this country largely practices fee for procedure or treatment medicine nearly everything done by the nursing and or medical service must be charted in order to justify. If not then then insurance company, Medicare or Medicaid may either query the charges and or simply outright refuse to pay.
Patients in hospital today are on average far sicker than previous decades with many more interventions. Also equally patient stays are far shorter than in past.
What began with labor and delivery which once saw mothers to be admitted at first signs of labor and remaining several days (or even weeks) after delivery is now usually discharged 24 hours or less after a healthy normal birth.
Whereas in previous years patients were admitted day or several before in order to have testing done, that is now all done on outpatient basis. You arrive night before elective surgery, have procedure and if no complications will likely be discharged < 24 or 48 hours afterwards.
Entire series of testing and other procedures that once took place in hospital such as colonoscopy now are done routinely as outpatient service.
Indeed the large movement towards outpatient services for everything from certain elective surgery (plastic and so forth), along with diagnostic testing has removed major financial resources from hospitals. What they are left with now is largely persons requiring major operations and or otherwise gravely ill.
Debates in this country rage over costs to deliver care; but regardless insurance companies along with Medicaid/Medicare have cut reimbursement rates. Hospitals in turn have had to make choices in how they deliver care with less money.
One way this is being done seems to be in relation to one of the largest costs for any hospital; staffing of professional nurses.
As with most people's jobs, the quality of ones "hands on" work is in direct proportion to their "passion" for their work. Its no different in the heath care employment sector.
Thank you!
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