Michi Rose
May 2022
Michi
Rose
,
BSN, CMSRN
Duke Raleigh Hospital
Duke University Health System
Raleigh
,
NC
United States
Michi seemed to grasp the level of pain I was experiencing and how inappropriate it would have been to send me home with that level of pain.
I want to give special mention and high kudos to one of the same-day surgery recovery nurses who provided post-surgery care to me. I had UroLift surgery performed around midday. I believe I was out of surgery around 1 PM (of course, I cannot verify) although I did not leave the post-surgery ward until 7 PM. The reason why was that when I woke up following surgery I was experiencing an unexpected and extremely high level of pain (about an 8 on the proverbial scale of 1-10). Of all the nurses, staff, and doctors, only Michi seemed to grasp the level of pain I was experiencing and how inappropriate it would have been to send me home with that level of pain. I had been fed both fentanyl and oxycodone which had put me into a fitful sleep for 30-40 minutes but did not relieve the pain.
Nonetheless, I was told I would most likely be sent home around 4 or 5 PM. Michi became involved around 4 PM, the time of the nursing staff transition. She was sympathetic and empathetic, again, she seemed to get the level of pain I was experiencing and spent a fair amount of time with me. Through observation and a bit of trial and error, we were able to get a sense of what was causing at least some of the excess pain. Unfortunately, as we did so there were several releases of bloody urine on the floor. Even as I apologized profusely, Michi professionally, without complaint, and in good humor cleaned up the mess. She replaced and repositioned the device which connects the catheter to the bag tubing and secures it to the thigh.
I could see the relief in her eyes when I described the reduction of pain that we were able to achieve. She then became my advocate with the doctors and I heard her on the phone several times trying to explain to the doctors what I was experiencing as a result of the surgery and the catheter. I still had a long, painful, distressing night at home but the catheter came out the next day and I now just have the normal side effects following UroLift surgery, and these seem to be abating. Michi's professionalism, quality of care, and concern for me as a patient went beyond anything I would have expected, and it made a huge difference to me both in terms of medical outcome and my emotional well-being. I want to express my appreciation for her and my desire to have her work recognized.
Nonetheless, I was told I would most likely be sent home around 4 or 5 PM. Michi became involved around 4 PM, the time of the nursing staff transition. She was sympathetic and empathetic, again, she seemed to get the level of pain I was experiencing and spent a fair amount of time with me. Through observation and a bit of trial and error, we were able to get a sense of what was causing at least some of the excess pain. Unfortunately, as we did so there were several releases of bloody urine on the floor. Even as I apologized profusely, Michi professionally, without complaint, and in good humor cleaned up the mess. She replaced and repositioned the device which connects the catheter to the bag tubing and secures it to the thigh.
I could see the relief in her eyes when I described the reduction of pain that we were able to achieve. She then became my advocate with the doctors and I heard her on the phone several times trying to explain to the doctors what I was experiencing as a result of the surgery and the catheter. I still had a long, painful, distressing night at home but the catheter came out the next day and I now just have the normal side effects following UroLift surgery, and these seem to be abating. Michi's professionalism, quality of care, and concern for me as a patient went beyond anything I would have expected, and it made a huge difference to me both in terms of medical outcome and my emotional well-being. I want to express my appreciation for her and my desire to have her work recognized.