- Joined
- Jul 19, 2011
- Messages
- 11
- Reaction score
- 2
Having just spent an unexpected week long stay in hospital after a surprise appendix explosion, I was left a little more than uncomfortable about the prospect of ever having to return to hospital...
It began quite well really with the triage nurse and doctors taking great care of me but my worries began after the operation...
I had quite a few experiences - directly to do with my care, and with the care of the other 3 in my room - that truly left me worried about the prospect of going back to hospital... especially if I'm older or more incapacitated than I was in in this instance.
I found that the nursing staff were generally uncaring and cold, medicine was not administered until almost the end of their shifts ( I was supposed to be on heavy doses of anti-biotics but I went whole shifts without anyone coming near me to change the drip) and the way some of the other patients in my room were treated and spoken to was sometimes soul shattering...
In one instance the patient in the bed across from me told the nurse his catheter was blocked and that his bed was wet but she argued with him about the catheter not working and left him lying in his own urine until 6 hours later when the next shift came in.
My own cannula had become unviable but because the nurse didn't come to see me until almost the end of the shift, she only placed a request at 6:00pm for it to be changed... however, I clearly heard her tell the incoming nurse on handover that she had asked for it to be changed at 2:30pm ( they do the handover in the room in front of the patients, presumably to avoid this type of thing?)
I'd been running a temperature on and off but that evening it sky rocketed again and at 11pm I called the nurse and asked if I would be getting my dose of anti-biotics she got all defensive and told me how busy she was etc. etc. I just said "ok, thanks" but a half hour later a doctor turned up to replace my cannula and I they put me back on the anti-biotics...
I actually lied in the end about my pain level because I just wanted to go home, when they finally removed my drain, I was dressed, packed and ready to go in 5 mins.
Reading the above I guess my biggest problem was a that I felt completely powerless and out of control... maybe that says more about me than the hospital staff though...
What are your experiences of being in hospital?
It began quite well really with the triage nurse and doctors taking great care of me but my worries began after the operation...
I had quite a few experiences - directly to do with my care, and with the care of the other 3 in my room - that truly left me worried about the prospect of going back to hospital... especially if I'm older or more incapacitated than I was in in this instance.
I found that the nursing staff were generally uncaring and cold, medicine was not administered until almost the end of their shifts ( I was supposed to be on heavy doses of anti-biotics but I went whole shifts without anyone coming near me to change the drip) and the way some of the other patients in my room were treated and spoken to was sometimes soul shattering...
In one instance the patient in the bed across from me told the nurse his catheter was blocked and that his bed was wet but she argued with him about the catheter not working and left him lying in his own urine until 6 hours later when the next shift came in.
My own cannula had become unviable but because the nurse didn't come to see me until almost the end of the shift, she only placed a request at 6:00pm for it to be changed... however, I clearly heard her tell the incoming nurse on handover that she had asked for it to be changed at 2:30pm ( they do the handover in the room in front of the patients, presumably to avoid this type of thing?)
I'd been running a temperature on and off but that evening it sky rocketed again and at 11pm I called the nurse and asked if I would be getting my dose of anti-biotics she got all defensive and told me how busy she was etc. etc. I just said "ok, thanks" but a half hour later a doctor turned up to replace my cannula and I they put me back on the anti-biotics...
I actually lied in the end about my pain level because I just wanted to go home, when they finally removed my drain, I was dressed, packed and ready to go in 5 mins.
Reading the above I guess my biggest problem was a that I felt completely powerless and out of control... maybe that says more about me than the hospital staff though...
What are your experiences of being in hospital?
I personally have never had to stay in hostpital, only day surgery and my experiences have been great. Conversly, the treatment of my grandmother at two, one public and one private, hospitals was pretty ordinary to say the least. Sadly, there isn't much you can do given that you aren't there around the clock, complaining really can make things worse.
