Patient dies after falling in shower in the hospital!!!

Published

One of our family friends passed away 2 days ago after having some sort of lung surgery at Good Samariatn hospital on Long Island. Her surgery went fine but she wanted to take a shower before going home and fell in the shower from what we were told. She screamed and called for help and no one came to help her for a while and they were unable to resuscitate her....I understand a lot of hospitals are short staffed ad spoke with other nurses who say the work under protest because of short staffing....but I cannot believe they can get the surgery right and something so basic could be screwed up....from what I understand they may now maybe facing some lawsuits...Do things like this happen on the norm with people not getting help?:crying2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thats crazy, im so sorry for your loss. Just a question, and it comes from a good place. How do you guys know she was calling for help and no one came?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

She pushed the call bell in the bathroom and the patients next door to her heard her screaming...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I just wanted to say that I am sorry for your loss. I do not have all of the details of this situation, but I am absolutely sickened by the little information that I have been given.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Was she supposed to be alone in the shower? She would have been, immediately post-op, care-planned for bed baths and an assist in transferring, certainly not alone in a slippery shower.

Of what did she die? Injuries incurred in a fall or post-op problems?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thats really sad, hopefully it serves as a reminder for everyone reading how safety is so important. Again sorry for your loss

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I don't think these things happen at the hospital all the time. If the pt was Alert awake & oriented then it's a tough call for the staff as we can't tell them that they cannot go in the shower. Nor can we stay with them in the shower or by the door to make sure that they don't fall. Was she alert?

It's really a tough sitution. Now if she was post-op and on bedrest that could change the picture.

Pt safety is a HUGE concern at the hospitals and I think everyone really tries to accomplish that with each & every pt.

That said, I'm really sorry for your loss-- it will never be easy to accept that a loved one came in for lung surgery & instead died of a fall in the shower. Especially when falls can be prevented.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
She pushed the call bell in the bathroom and the patients next door to her heard her screaming...

Again I am very sorry, but I have to ask, how long from her pushing the callbell/ neighbors hearing her scream did it take for staff to arrive?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

From what we were told over 10 minutes...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm surprised that she was allowed to take a shower since she just had surgery and must have had either stitches or staples to close a healing incision. I'm sorry for your loss.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow, 10 minutes!! In my Hospital every bathroom and shower room has really loud irritating emergency call bells which ring louder and faster than a normal call bell so we respond rapidly always within one minute max. Because the bells are so loud they become a priority. I have been an RN in only one Hospital for 2 years and I would imagine these same bells would be used in other Hospitals but do not know for a fact. Well that is a very sad story and unfortunate.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion