awful, borderline incompetent, nurse

owlprof

I called my doctor yesterday since IUI #1 didn't work.  When I walked in the exam room, the nurse asked if I got a positive OPK.  I told her I did -- last month before my IUI.  I told her that I wasn't using them now -- since I was in the middle of my period.  Then she got huffy and said that she knew that and she was the one that I had spoken with on the phone.

Then she wrote the wrong information on my chart -- that I was on Clomid, which she must have made up or confused me with someone else.  This resulted in my doctor doing a vaginal ultrasound that -- as far as I can tell -- was completely unnecessary.

These nurses drive me crazy. 

Country Girl in the City

That sounds so frustrating!  Do you have the same nurse every time?

Mrs.McIrish

Sorry about the awful nurse.  I am a little confused though. Was today CD2 or 3? It is normal to do an u/s on that day to see what the AFC is and if you have any cysts from last cycle.

owlprof

Mrs.McIrish:

Sorry about the awful nurse.  I am a little confused though. Was today CD2 or 3? It is normal to do an u/s on that day to see what the AFC is and if you have any cysts from last cycle.

It was CD 5.  I wasn't taking/using any medication, and my doctor doesn't want to do another IUI until he gets results from my husband's urologist.  I suppose the ultrasound could have served some purpose after all, but it didn't seem like the information from the ultrasound would have changed anything re: our course of treatment (once he realized that I wasn't taking Clomid after all).

I'm probably just grumpy and uninformed. 

Oh, and I get different nurses all the time, and each one seems to be either super negative or lacks attention to detail.

Mrs.McIrish

owlprof:

Mrs.McIrish:

Sorry about the awful nurse.  I am a little confused though. Was today CD2 or 3? It is normal to do an u/s on that day to see what the AFC is and if you have any cysts from last cycle.

It was CD 5.  I wasn't taking/using any medication, and my doctor doesn't want to do another IUI until he gets results from my husband's urologist.  I suppose the ultrasound could have served some purpose after all, but it didn't seem like the information from the ultrasound would have changed anything re: our course of treatment (once he realized that I wasn't taking Clomid after all).

I'm probably just grumpy and uninformed. 

Oh, and I get different nurses all the time, and each one seems to be either super negative or lacks attention to detail.

Gotcha. Stupid nurse!

MelleTX

I would definitely say something to your Doctor about the nurses. Or to a supervisor if it is a big clinic.

My RE treats his nurses very well and in turn they treat his patients very well. They do so much for him and for me, but they are always kind and patient and will help me with anything I ask for.

Anything less is unacceptable and your Doc needs to know that. 

MelleTX

Oh, and make sure they don't bill the insurance for the ultrasound if it wasn't necessary. Most will think it's fine to go ahead and have the insurance pay but you don't want to chip away at your benefits with unnecessary procedures. 

MAtoNC

That sucks! And so frustrating.

 

I agree with MelleTX. Make sure they aren't billing if it was a mistake. I have a $5000 lifetime cap for fertility, so if they performed an unnecessary ultrasound because some incompetent nurse couldn't listen or differentiate me from another patient, I would be livid.  

happywifemomofone

The nurses who choose to work in the IF field are not the brightest, most due diligent of the bunch.  I've seen ladies who have had their whole cycle screwed up by one incompotent misinformed nurse.  Makes me wonder if they are ever held responsible for their mistakes.  Sorry about the ultrasound-shouldn't have been done without good reason.  I would ask RE if it was supposed to be done, or done erroneously.  If the later, I would also have insurance not pay for unnecessary procedure-and RE should waive all costs associated with it.

owlprof

Thanks for all of the excellent advice -- esp. re: insurance -- and kind words to reassure me that I'm not losing my mind. 

(sorry for the late acknowledgment of responses -- we went to my husband's parents' for a few days in the middle of nowhere with no internet or cell service).