Filed in Category Pediatric Hospitals
My 2 yr old was admitted into the hospital Sunday night and they couldn’t find any veins to start an IV anywhere, including the neck, so they drilled a hole into his shin bone and started it that way. They had to wrap his leg and make it very steady. Well the ER pediatrician gave strict orders to the night nurse on duty to check it every hour by measuring his leg and check for displacement. Of course I stayed by his side the whole entire time, and in the middle of the night he woke up screaming and pointing to his leg where the IV tube was. I called the nurse and I said he saying ouch and pointing to his leg, does everything look alright? Without even examining it, she said it was fine, and I said can he get more pain medication or Tylenol even cause its really hurting him? All she said was “Awww, I know it is, but he’ll be ok” By this time he had stopped crying and gone back to sleep. She never once came in at all to check it during the night, (i was sleeping right by him on a chair). At 630am we wake up to 3 nurses and the pediatrician, gawking over the size of his leg. I guess when my son was screaming last night it was because the IV had slipped out of place and was leaking into his leg. If the nurse had done her job, she would have caught it within the hour of her checking his leg, I guess the swelling starts immediately. He had to stay an additional 24 hours in the hospital because of it, he’s got these radical blisters on his leg where the IV was, and he’s still gaining balance on it. (i just think theres time it hurts him to stand on it)
Sooo…, do you think I should take any sort of action against the nurse(hospital) for not doing their job???
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A lawsuit for negligence has four distinct requirements. If you don’t wish to sue, you can also bring up a negligence complaint with the state nursing board or even the hospital quality assurance department.
The four requirements to prove negligence are:
- Duty (which the nurse most certainly had)
- Breach of duty (which the nurse committed by failing to examine the leg)
- Proximate cause (did the breach of duty cause harm)
- Harm (injury as a result)
Honestly, I don’t think you would get much in a lawsuit. Those involving children rarely win large settlements; but you should most certainly seek compensatory medical care for any injury, and you would be wise to seek disciplinary action against the nurse. Her reckless disregard for you and your son’s cries for help is an insult to the medical professions and our commitment to helping, not harming.
Hoping the best for you and your son. Cheers!
You should definitely look into it sounds like the dr was write for writing her up but id d you even receive an apology or explanation. I mean accidents do happen but this sounds like it was intentional.
You should report the nurse to the hospital and also make a complaint to the nursing board in your state.
yes, but ask the hospital first cause they mightve already taken action on that nurse
LAWSUIT!
Oh my gawd yes!!! YOu tell anybody and every body that will listen. Start with the director of nursing, then your ped., then an attorney for sure. That is bull&^*%.
YES! your poor little boy. what an awful situation, i sure as hell hope she got fired for that
I totally would .. that is uncalled for .. she should of did her job ..
Theres2 ways to handle it, one is to sue for money which gives you motive and sometimes you wont get taken as seriously when filing complaints.. the second is by making sure this goes into that nurses permanent file…to do this contact the licencing board in your area and file a complaint…that will be taken very serious…if you have the $ send a registered letter explaining the incident and make sure to provide full contact details as well keep a copy for your records, even more effective is to write the letter to the hospital and licencing board and send both registered. Its worth $20 to make sure she thinks twice next time!!! More then a couple serious complaints on file she’ll have huge issues renewing her licence if she doesnt just get it revoked