Asthma nurses

[Ericthedog]

how many of us asthma veterans. (Still alive and kicking) are sick to the back teethe of asthma ""nurses"". We are called in for a review. With a ""nurse"". Who knows less about asthma than we do!!!! We know our ""triggers"". We know our "" treatment plan"". We know. You ""experts "" are full of shit!!!!!!!! You are simply following government bullshit to reduce spending!!!! I am sick and tired of telling you ""experts"". I know. If I have an allergic reaction I will have lung custard! Is it not obvious to you idiots. Let's suss out what causes allergic reaction? Nope! You""experts"" are not experts you need to start listening !!!!!!!!

[Ericthedog]

And!!!! (Still ranting, sorry). And!! The buggers are not qualified to prescribe?? She to,d me about a great Anti allergen ,,,,,(couldn't prescribe it). I asked for a repeat of inhalers. ( not qualified to prescribe them either) Could someone tell me why I lost two working hours to be forced to listen to a under qualified undereducated woman Ion the name of asthma care ,??¿?

[Hidden]

Yep totally agree ended up really crippy crappy after i only seen my cons x2 in a year!!! Coz they just send me to the asthma nurse who knows nothing!!! Even my action plan the only thing it says go to a and e??? Useless. And i still didnt get rid of an infection from january on the 4 th antibiotic lost uni andx2 work kicked out due to sickness and seems like my new job will kick me out too!!!!

[Hidden]

I think there is a role for asthma nurses in the community, for example monitoring individuals who have recently had a bad attack and need weekly check ups to ensure things are a) getting back under control, and b) staying stable; I think they would be even more useful for those individuals who have only recently been diagnosed and are getting to grips with living with asthma. But for me, who has had the condition for decades and who has it under control not only is a waste of my time, but I think it is a waste of hers. There must be other, much more useful things, she could be doing.

[Hidden]

we haven't even got an 'asthma nurse' at our surgery - we have a self-confessed non-specialist who just follows what the computer says!!!

[Hidden]

That is another thing, just how much training do these 'asthma' nurses have?

[weston2]

If I don't go for my review I get a snotty (pun intended ) note saying unless I attend for review my medications will be stopped! I just go now and listen to the rubbish, accept my "plan" and then forget the whole episode. If I actually have a problem I see the doc and get some proper advice.

weston

[juliesharp]

My GP surgery no longer has a practice nurse let alone an asthma nurse.

If my asthma plays up gp will see me but he has 2500 other patients so no time for asthma reviews. I do not even have an asthma plan any more nor allergy plan. It a good job I am an asthma veteran as my GP surgery has little time and money to help with management thankfully my asthma behaved at moment just irritate bowel and bladder that is troublesome.

[Minushabens]

That rant made me laugh. I'd been saying much the same for years. I got fed up of being asked if I knew how to take an inhaler blah blah. But then the surgery nurse was the one who said she wasn't happy about how I sounded, got me double checked & referred me to the consultant who uncovered everything else so I feel a bit more grateful.

But I still get ratty!!

[freefaller]

I am able to make an appointment for an asthma review every 6 months with my GP. We did have asthma clinic but, as you say for veterans like us it was a total waste of time really. Nice to go and chat but in work it made things difficult - our clinic was on a Wednesday and always conincided with our changeover day - I did a job share so quite often I would get in to work find out what was happening and then go straight off to an appointment! Work didn't take well to this as you can imagine! However, I do think we should have an asthma check and I doubt if any Gp would mind if you made an appointment with them for just this. I was told yesterday that really anyone with a long standing illness should try and see the same GP where possible - obviously not possible when you have an emergency appointment or when the GP who was good and sent you to see consultant is training and left a few months afterwards - which is what happened to me. So this is what i intend to do from now on. Need to make sure the appointment is in big writing on my calendar though as my memory is poop from day to day so making an appoinntment in advance is difficult now at 55. Lucky I went to a review though as I got sent by GP to consultant and CT Scan and tests which has found I probably have aspergillosis and an aspergilloma in my left lung. Ha ha I told them I wasn't well! Seriously I knew I just wasn't doing well failed to get back to the gym last year and definitely not doing as well as I had. When I phoned to say that last year in June I had taken some antibiotics I had been given to take away on holiday because of an infection I was told to see my GP for a review - he said he wouldn't give more antibiotics but to watch things. Although peak flow still good I was not as good as I had been. After that didn't have another infection until January this year but the surgery sent a letter asking me to make an appointment for another review. Which was when I was sent to consultant for tests and CT Scan. So am doing that from now on.

[MN-Okla-USA]

I don't understand. I live in the USA. Are you required to see "asthma nurses" to get meds? If not, why do you have to see them? Is that part of your national health service? I am so sorry. It is no less frustrating here - none of the pulmnologist doctors understand asthma or how to treat it.

[Janna123]

At my last review the nurse spent 10 mins trying to convince me that I'm anaemic. Apparently I looked tired. The fact that I was tired due to lack of sleep was irrelevant! She went down this route rather than discussing my worsening exercise induced asthma because 'she knows more about these things'! She also then told me losing weight would help. I weigh 7.5 stone, which gives me a BMI of about 18. I don't think losing weight will help!

That review was a complete waste of my time and hers. Still, it beats the year before when she told me it was a computer error and sent me straight back out the door!

[Hidden]

Rachel, with a BMI of 18 you really do not want to lose any any more weight; I'm extremely surprised she wasn't telling you to put a bit of weight on!! That's what happened to me on one occasion. I had a very healthy BMI of 20 at the time - but the asthma nurse concerned told me that the average weight for someone of my height was a stone more than I weighed??!

I've never had medication stopped by an asthma nurse, but I have been told my inhaling technique was all wrong, when in fact it was all right. If she'd bothered to check my notes she would have seen that I use an accuhaler, and my inhaling technique was absolutely correct for it. When I next saw my GP I did complain about that. I also said that if the asthma nurse made an error like that again I would refuse to see her.

There's nothing wrong with the idea of having asthma nurses. In fact it's quite a good idea, but it's only going to be beneficial if all those nurses really know what they are doing and sensible use is made of the service they supply. Looking at some of these posts I have some doubts about that.

[sw1066]

The asthma nurse at our GP practice is very nice but no help at all, I go along to help the practice out, I think they get paid for each patient who is on the asthma nurses list. My real asthma care is done by a specialist asthma clinic in the hospital, there I see a specialist doctor every 4 months. The nurse at the hospital clinic normally only sees new patients she is actually very good on stuff like inhaler technique so wouldn't want to write off all asthma nurses.

[Alliecat]

The thing about inhaler technique.. I have had asthma for over 40 years now.. and if I don't know how to use my inhaler by now.. then I doubt I ever will.. and I am told I am doing it right every time I go to see the Asthma nurse.. so what is the point of it? do they think I might go a bit doolally and forget how to use the thing? ughhhh feel like I am being tested every time..."yeah I know its a dummy inhaler.. you don't need to tell me EVERY time that its not got any drugs in it" *siiiigh*

[Daceydj]

Absolutely agree with you. I used to live in Hertfordshire and the GP practice had 2 nurse practitioners, both asthma trained and they were fantastic. They managed to get me on a good well controlled regime and now we have moved to the Kent area, it couldn't be more different.

Have had asthma since I was six, in the days before inhalers where it was adrenalin injections and oxygen tents and some very dodgy pills, never knew what they were! so I know my triggers etc. and have been doing ok now with the occasional bad patch, only to have the asthma nurse at my mandatory check up say that she might have to change my medication because it could be costing too much!

I basically told her that if that happened I would personally visit Mr Hunt and give him a piece of my mind! Luckily my regime passed the money test but I think it's a postcode lottery getting decent care for asthma and I do feel sorry for newly diagnosed people who may be left bewildered and scared by the lack of knowledge of some practices.

[Ribblevalleygirl]

Lol I know, waste of an hour!!

[Lil_tinx66]

For the last three years I've had six monthly visits to my regular GP who is actually in charge of the clinic at my surgery. Being the same GP who diagnosed me some 17yrs ago, so knows my case v well.

Not this time, they are insistent I see the asthma nurse specialist or they will stop all of my medications. I can't help thinking this isn't going to go well, I just don't feel they will know enough about me as I do, GP does etc.

I'm left with no choice. Full of excitement and taking another chunk out of my attendance at work. I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt but not feeling hopeful.