Terrible experience with nursing staff

[guest1074638]

I'm going through a really rough time and I'm not sure this is the best place to put this post but I guess I need someone to hear me.

I moved to Brazil in 2019 and, short story, I had an urgent hysterectomy (open abdominal) 2 days ago. The nursing staff at the hospital here were extremely indifferent toward me. I was very frightened before the surgery and was crying, nobody held my hand or told me it would be okay. They only talked to me to tell me to move this way, put my arm here, etc. 1 day postop I tried to ambulate to the bathroom (no one would help me) and fainted, hitting my face on the bathroom floor (currently have a black eye and bruised cheekbone). I woke up and yelled "help, help!" about 10-15 times before anyone came, finally it was my boyfriend who woke up and came to help me. The nurses stood there sucking their teeth and saying they can't believe I did this as he helped me back to bed. No one examined me afterwards, looked at my face, or even asked if I had symptoms.

The doctor came shortly after that and said I could go home, and you could believe I got out of there as fast as I could. The doctor only sent me home with ketoprofen. For an open abdominal surgery. I am currently using old prescriptions of zofran and hydrocodone I brought with me from the states.

My feelings are so hurt at being treated like this. I would never in my life let a patient fall. I would never let a patient sit in bed and cry. I have always made sure to tell my patients to call me if they feel anxious, upset, or need to talk. I hold my patients' hands and say I am here for you.

I feel like these nurses hated me. My boyfriend, who is Brazilian, says this is normal here. He says it is his fault for letting me fall because the family is supposed to do all the patient care, the nurses are just there to give medication. I am beyond offended at this idea, that nurses are just pill pushers. I am having a lot of second thoughts about living in a place where anyone would act like this, to me it's just common decency.

I was discharged to home yesterday and honestly terrified of having complications and having to go back to the hospital. I also feel like I need to find out what the governing body is for hospitals here and file a complaint against these people.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

On 2/20/2020 at 1:02 PM, juniper222 said:

I'm sure it also extends to the level of care. I have heard some bad stories about the UK and how you are treated poorly, have to wait much longer, and may be turned away. I think that is what she was talking about.

You may have to wait longer or go private for elective procedures however in the event of an life threatening illness or injury you will be seen and treated.

I've mentioned it before, about five years ago I ended up in hospital with septicemia from an infected axillary abcess. The entire cost for the 7 day hospital stay and surgery was $10-15 for the post discharge antibiotics and pain relief.

When mum was diagnosed with lung cancer, the entire process from symptoms to diagnosis and beginning treatment was about 10 days.

I regularly read about the working conditions and patient ratios US nurses have to put up with, it doesnt make me want to get my green card and come work in the US.

Our ratios nurse to patient

Mental health 2-3 patients. On a bad day could be four

Med surg: 3-4 patients. One day I had five, but that was on a weekend and a really atypical shift.

ICU: 1 patient

ICU stepdown 1-2 depending on the acuity of patients

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

On 2/20/2020 at 1:25 PM, Hoosier_RN said:

If the healthcare system in Brazil is like most other countries outside of the US, there is no survey forms. From what little I've seen worldwide, this is an American thing

Unfortunately that is changing.

In NZ, we are moving towards post admission surveys. Fortunately so far the results are not tied to funding

I was recently at a corporate orientation, all throughout our patients were refered to as customers. Did not sit well with any of the nurses present

[GrumpyRN, NP]

On 2/20/2020 at 4:04 PM, hppygr8ful said:

I was literally raised on tales of Ireland at my grandfather's knee. My firt adventure on the route is to visit Ireland on vacation - I was warned that I should be prepared for how the culture, politics and healthcare differ from what I am used to as a American and to be culturally sensitive and polite when I am there.

Don't take his tales literally, the Irish are great story tellers but can exaggerate.

Don't sweat the rest of it. Americans tend to be welcome as long as you, as you say, respect the culture. Best advice in Ireland (north or south) is stay out of the politics and religion.

By the way, the money is not "cute." That was said to me in a pub by an American - she meant it in a nice way because it is multicoloured. In Eire it is Euros, in Northern Ireland it is Pounds.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

On 2/22/2020 at 7:14 AM, GrumpyRN said:

Don't take his tales literally, the Irish are great story tellers but can exaggerate.

Don't sweat the rest of it. Americans tend to be welcome as long as you, as you say, respect the culture. Best advice in Ireland (north or south) is stay out of the politics and religion.

By the way, the money is not "cute." That was said to me in a pub by an American - she meant it in a nice way because it is multicoloured. In Eire it is Euros, in Northern Ireland it is Pounds.

Good tips thanks

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

5 hours ago, Tenebrae said:

Unfortunately that is changing.

In NZ, we are moving towards post admission surveys. Fortunately so far the results are not tied to funding

I was recently at a corporate orientation, all throughout our patients were refered to as customers. Did not sit well with any of the nurses present

You are headed that way then, unfortunately. I'm so sorry this is happening to you. It will no longer be about appropriate care, but leaving the "customer" with a happy feeling

[JKL33]

42 minutes ago, Hoosier_RN said:

It will no longer be about appropriate care, but leaving the "customer" with a happy feeling

Go a couple levels deeper.

It is eventually about a payor (whichever entity that may be) wishing to save money after the care has already been rendered.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

1 hour ago, JKL33 said:

Go a couple levels deeper.

It is eventually about a payor (whichever entity that may be) wishing to save money after the care has already been rendered.

Exactly. What I was getting to in a round about way. Its definitely not a way to determine if care should be reimbursed

[jobellestarr]

On 2/18/2020 at 2:54 PM, TriciaJ said:

Not only that, but I've had patients call me to perform little tasks while perfectly able family members stand by. I've had family members bring a water bottle to the nurses' station for me to fill, but not wait while I fill it and expect me to follow them with it back to the room. One day a patient can ambulate the entire length of the hall. I come back the next day, no change in condition but the commode is back in the room, sitting about 3 feet away from the actual toilet.

And people think they want single payer health care? They have no idea.

What on earth does single payer have to do with this? Good grief. Maybe that welfare users are lazy or some such offensive nonsense.

[TriciaJ, RN]

23 minutes ago, jobellestarr said:

What on earth does single payer have to do with this? Good grief. Maybe that welfare users are lazy or some such offensive nonsense.

I clarified this before. Single payer will eliminate all the niceties that people take for granted. Not saying that single payer is superior or inferior in terms of actual quality of medical care.

I have lived and worked with single payer before moving to the States. I have experienced the pros and cons of both systems. People who tend to be entitled or demanding will have a bit of an adjustment, to say the least.

It is rather interesting to me that the one statement I made (based on personal experience) seems to spur such righteous indignation.

[Orion81RN]

42 minutes ago, TriciaJ said:

I clarified this before. Single payer will eliminate all the niceties that people take for granted. Not saying that single payer is superior or inferior in terms of actual quality of medical care.

I have lived and worked with single payer before moving to the States. I have experienced the pros and cons of both systems. People who tend to be entitled or demanding will have a bit of an adjustment, to say the least.

It is rather interesting to me that the one statement I made (based on personal experience) seems to spur such righteous indignation.

Well, if you haven't noticed, healthcare is a huge controversial political debate right now. Not to mention the way you stated, "and people think they want single payer healthcare," was condescending.

[jobellestarr]

1 hour ago, TriciaJ said:

I clarified this before. Single payer will eliminate all the niceties that people take for granted. Not saying that single payer is superior or inferior in terms of actual quality of medical care.

I have lived and worked with single payer before moving to the States. I have experienced the pros and cons of both systems. People who tend to be entitled or demanding will have a bit of an adjustment, to say the least.

It is rather interesting to me that the one statement I made (based on personal experience) seems to spur such righteous indignation.

I see. Thank you for the clarification

[TriciaJ, RN]

37 minutes ago, Orion81RN said:

Well, if you haven't noticed, healthcare is a huge controversial political debate right now. Not to mention the way you stated, "and people think they want single payer healthcare," was condescending.

But I can debate from personal experience. The thread had taken a turn about entitled and demanding people. These are often the same people who think things should be "free". The problem is that nothing ever is.