Hospital or Hotel

[bubbles64]

I'm becoming more and more concerned with the state of our hospital system in Australia. There are always complaints about the long long waiting lists yet Doctors seem to admit patients with false diagnoses just to get them a bed and once there getting them out is another question.

Most of these patients are admitted with things such as Urinary tract infections, shortness of breath, rest post fall. Once they are in the hospital every thing seems fine, observations are good, no problems with ambulation, voiding etc etc, but then they are on the buzzer every five minutes asking you to get a magazine, fluff the pillows, move their tray closer, am I a nurse or a waitress it can become frustrating.

Then we have calls from the emergency department who require a bed which looks like a genuine case and we are full of patients who seem to be here on holiday.

Doctors admit because they don't want to be sued if something goes wrong. However something needs to be done most of these patients never go home, they are discharged go straight to Casualty and get readmitted for another symptom, in the meantime hospital waiting lists continue to grow, those genuine cases get more and more frustrated.

Anyone got any thoughts.:angryfire

[NursingAgainstdaOdds]

You've described the least favorite part of my job.

[Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN]

I'm becoming more and more concerned with the state of our hospital system in Australia. There are always complaints about the long long waiting lists yet Doctors seem to admit patients with false diagnoses just to get them a bed and once there getting them out is another question.

Most of these patients are admitted with things such as Urinary tract infections, shortness of breath, rest post fall. Once they are in the hospital every thing seems fine, observations are good, no problems with ambulation, voiding etc etc, but then they are on the buzzer every five minutes asking you to get a magazine, fluff the pillows, move their tray closer, am I a nurse or a waitress it can become frustrating.

Then we have calls from the emergency department who require a bed which looks like a genuine case and we are full of patients who seem to be here on holiday.

Doctors admit because they don't want to be sued if something goes wrong. However something needs to be done most of these patients never go home, they are discharged go straight to Casualty and get readmitted for another symptom, in the meantime hospital waiting lists continue to grow, those genuine cases get more and more frustrated.

Anyone got any thoughts.:angryfire

And this is why I had 25 out of 32 beds today as "holds" in our ED, with four hour waiting times in the waiting room, the triage nurse wearing ducking the swearing, nasty sick people and the twenty or so relatives per patient out there.... I feel your pain!!

Blee

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

and ironically where the evil 'socialised' system of the NHS comes to the fore, becasue there is pressure on the hospitals to justify their use of bed days and becasue purchasers can save money by having good alternatives to admission ( step up and step down beds i nthe community, intermediate care etc) acute hospitla stays in these kinds of patients can be minimised / avoided.

in the day we can get this patients out in under 6 hours door to door even if the ED 'admits' them and if they come in at night they will be home or in intermediate care/ rehab by lunchtime if there are places

[angel337, MSN, RN]

i feel your pain. unfortunately, its going to get worse before it gets better.