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Discussion

APPALLED!!!

This is more of a personal nature...but...

My daughter recently found out she was expecting her 2nd child. We went for an ultrasound a couple of weeks ago, and they were unable to find a developing fetus, just a gestational sac, and suspected she might be too early yet, and set up for her to come in to do blood work. She went in on a Monday for the first test, received her results of 10,000+, the doctor called her and told her everything looked great at this point, and to repeat on Thursday, which she did, but she had not yet gotten her results.

On Saturday, she started to have some bright red spotting, so I took her to the ER. We waited for only about 10 min before the RN came in, and started asking her questions re; how far along she was, pregnancy sx, etc. Next she says, "well, we looked at your blood work you had done, and your levels have dropped, which means you're having a miscarriage. There's really no point in seeing the doctor, because nothing can be done." She then states that this will "save her a hospital bill" and printed off the lab report and left the room to get it.

When she left, I looked at my daughter and asked her if she was ok, and she broke down in tears, and said "no, I'm not." She was devastated.

The nurse returned with the paper work, and said "are you ok?" to which my daughter said "yeah, I'm fine."

The RN then says, "you'll just have a normal period" to which I responded, "no, it isn't going to be a normal period. It's going to be heavy and uncomfortable" and the RN states "well yeah, but don't google anything because you aren't going to bleed to death or die. Don't believe Google."

They did not give her any medical advice such as what to watch for, what to do for the discomfort, to follow up with her physician....nothing, absolutely nothing. And a nursing student was present.

The following day, she was bleeding so heavy that she had to sit on a puppy training pad, and was in so much pain, that she couldn't take care of her son, and she had no idea if this was normal or not.

I was appalled at how they treated my daughter and the lack of compassion, professionalism, and medical advice.

For the life of me, as a RN myself, I cannot wrap my head around this and how this is considered appropriate medical attention.

Am I allowing my personal investment in this to cloud my judgement, or is this a serious lack of appropriate medical care? Opinions please.

Featured Replies

I'm sorry this happened to your daughter. I may get slammed for saying this, but IME, RNs in the ED are generally far less able to provide needed TLC and emotional support to a woman having a miscarriage than an OB nurse.

That is why we've made efforts to have miscarrying women, or women requiring methotrexate for ectopic pregnancy, get their emergent care in our OB triage department and bypass the ED altogether.

I'm very sorry for you and your daughter.

I'm not a nurse yet, so I can't comment on what you are asking. However, I want to say that as someone who has been in customer service for 7 years, I am equally disgusted as you at the callousness of the nurse and her lack of initiative to educate your daughter and give her options on what to do next (see a physician, etc). From a patient perspective, I wouldn't feel bad about reporting the experience to upper management.

ED nurse here.

I'm not one to criticize too quickly, especially based on third hand information. However. If no important details have been omitted and this is a standard ED, what you report is an EMTALA violation; that is, federal law was violated. Every patient must receive a medical screening exam from a provider qualified to do so. For everyone's sake I think it is worth talking with the patient liaisons about this matter.

The lack of compassion is insult to injury and completely unacceptable, ED or not. I can only speak for myself but I'd quit my job before I'd handle this situation that way. I spend extra time with any suffering patient. Goodness knows there are plenty of minor injuries and illnesses in the ED where people need a little help but certainly are not suffering; I've just rarely found it that difficult to prioritize so that I can properly attend situations like this. Furthermore, the fact that she was not given any information about how to care for herself and information about situations in which to seek additional care is 100% unacceptable. It's not kind, and it is most certainly not safe care.

I'm sorry your daughter had what does sound like a truly horrible ED experience, during a time of loss no less.

  • Author

The only thing that I can add to this is not related to this particular ER visit. About 1 1/2 yrs ago, my grandson started to fall down a flight of stairs, and my daughter had grabbed him to prevent him from falling down the entire flight, and unfortunately, his arm was broken. He was taken to this same ER for treatment, and the ER called CPS and they were investigated for child abuse. The surgeon who repaired my grandson's arm informed social services that the injury was not related to abuse, and the case was dropped, however, the ER doctor continued to report that the break was abusive in nature. I can't say that the same staff that was working when this occurred was the same working when my daughter came in, but I can't help think that this is in part the reason she was treated the way she was.

I don't know how much they look back in records, and it would've been under my grandson's name, so I can't say if it has a part to play in this situation or not, I just suspect that it may be the case.

It should have nothing to do with the what happened to your grandson. The two accounts/patient records would not be linked, as they are two different patients.

The only thing that I can add to this is not related to this particular ER visit. About 1 1/2 yrs ago, my grandson started to fall down a flight of stairs, and my daughter had grabbed him to prevent him from falling down the entire flight, and unfortunately, his arm was broken. He was taken to this same ER for treatment, and the ER called CPS and they were investigated for child abuse. The surgeon who repaired my grandson's arm informed social services that the injury was not related to abuse, and the case was dropped, however, the ER doctor continued to report that the break was abusive in nature. I can't say that the same staff that was working when this occurred was the same working when my daughter came in, but I can't help think that this is in part the reason she was treated the way she was.

I don't know how much they look back in records, and it would've been under my grandson's name, so I can't say if it has a part to play in this situation or not, I just suspect that it may be the case.

It seems highly unlikely to me.

Sorry for your daughter's loss and that she didn't receive compassionate care.

  • Experts

When I was hemorrhaging my husband took me in with a bath towel wedged in my jeans. I was told to go home and sit on the toilet. My husband insisted, so we were ushered off to the "husband's waiting room" where we sat for almost five hours, yes, five hours. My husband got up and got someone's attention and insisted I be roomed. When I got off the couch where I was sitting, the other people there acted disgusted because I left a pool of blood. When I took my pants down in the exam room you can guess what gushed unto the floor. I passed out. My husband was looking through the window of the ward outer doors and told me a red light went on over my door and all of the personnel who "were not there" converged upon my room. Yeah, an impending death brought them out of the woodwork, but I was supposed to go home and sit on the toilet. I strive to give my patients better care than this.

  • Guides
The only thing that I can add to this is not related to this particular ER visit. About 1 1/2 yrs ago, my grandson started to fall down a flight of stairs, and my daughter had grabbed him to prevent him from falling down the entire flight, and unfortunately, his arm was broken. He was taken to this same ER for treatment, and the ER called CPS and they were investigated for child abuse. The surgeon who repaired my grandson's arm informed social services that the injury was not related to abuse, and the case was dropped, however, the ER doctor continued to report that the break was abusive in nature. I can't say that the same staff that was working when this occurred was the same working when my daughter came in, but I can't help think that this is in part the reason she was treated the way she was.

I don't know how much they look back in records, and it would've been under my grandson's name, so I can't say if it has a part to play in this situation or not, I just suspect that it may be the case.

Completely unlikely. There won't be documentation about your grandson in a chart pertaining to your daughter. It is extremely unlikely that your grandson's fracture was memorable enough to stick in the minds of any of those present at the time your daughter was seen.

  • Experts

So very sorry this happened. Sounds like you/your daughter need to contact patient affairs to get some resolution.

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