my first ER experiece!

[Pamelita]

well, to start it wasn't me it was my 21 year old sister.

My day started by working 12 hours. Then my mother calls me your sister is crying of pain, her abd. etc. So I took her to the ER and oh my God... 8 hours!!!!!! 8 hours of wait to get a push of Rorephin IV! I Never thought it was going to be like hell! first the treatment from the doctors and the nurses COLD! and RUDE! to top it all the nurse that was assigned to my sister graduated with me and she was ok, but I only saw her 4 times in 8 hours. I know they are busy because I am a nurse myself and I know the paperwork is a lot etc, but wouldn't you check on your patients at least every hour? I mean somebody can die behind that little curtain and nobody would know. It was so different that what I imagine. They had a trauma and a little boy was intubated and taken to ICU. Gosh, I can imagine the things they deal with but I was mad and tired of waiting.

I was feeling so bad for my sister to be in such pain and me not able to do anything.

I am not trying to put ER nurses down or anything I know its a tough job. I am just venting! My sister is fine now, taking po antibiotics.

[atownsendrn]

You know - you might not have just been waiting for the nurse to check on your sister. If they drew blood you might have been waiting on that, or xray results, or the doctor to re-evaluate her, or the med to come up from the pharmacy. Although I think that you and your family should have been kept better informed about what was going on, you have to realize that it's not always the nurse that your waiting on.

I do agree that abd pain can be an urgent/emergent condition. I always triage abd pain as an urgent (or emergent if indicated) because you never really know what you are dealing with until the test are done. But if they were dealing with a trauma patient and an intubated child, then they were dealing with alot. But while all of that was going on, they were probably getting back your sisters lab results - H&H, WBC's, amylase, lipase, etc. - and were evaluating and re-evaluating her condition. And more often than not a patient presenting with abd pain isn't going to get anything for pain (in case they need surgical consults and consents)

So to sum up my two cents worth - when visiting an ER remember that a lot of different departments are involved with your care. You might not be waiting on the nurse. And if you have or see a problem then you need to let the nurse know. Sometimes in the ER we get so involved with the traumas and the general flow of the area, we forget to do the "little" stuff like keeping families informed.

Sorry that your sister isn't feeling well. Hope she recovers quickly

[Kayzee]

I too have had bad experiences in ER. See previous post " ER care or lack of ." I know how frustrating it is to wait and watch someone you love be in such pain. I did complain and heard from the supervisor and director of hospital. How do we get things to change? You always here how sorry they are that you had a bad experience, but nothing is done to correct the problem. I am not blaming all nurses, but I know some of the nurses on that night had bad attitudes and could have cared less. At least thats how they came across. I realize there are nurses who do their best under the circumstances, and I'm greatful for that. As for me I will avoid this ER at all cost, even if it is a matter of life or death. o: