Hralthcare Professionals

[Sara_2611]

Whilst I realise & recognize that the HPs (Healthcare Professionals) on my ward have a lot of patients to attend to as well as me, & recognize they all do an EXEMPLARY job under very stressful & difficult circumstances (as do all the doctors nurses on both day & night shift) - a few of them seem to me to be far from helpful

For example tonight (Thursday night or rather early hours of Friday morning I made a simple request to her for a bandage to protect my bruised arm from the onslaught of needles i went through) She said she d go & ask the nurse & did she??! No she didnt I witnessed her just go back & sit with the other nurses instead of walk down the corridor in the other direction where the nurses were to go & put in my request for one

About 30 minutes later - no sign of the bandage so I got back up & she came up to me & asked if i couldnt sleep to which i put my observation to her that 30 minutes ago I requested a bandage & that i saw her just go & sit down (as if Id never even asked her even though she claimed she d asked her even though i knew darn well she hadnt

Co - incidentally I spotted one of the nurses bandaging up a patient across the corridor & I caught up with her asked her for one myself & within minutes she went & got one & my wrist was bandaged as i requested I was thinking she was going to use up the remainder of the bandage from the previous patient but for obvious reasons thats not allowed

Ive noticed that sort of carry on during all my stays the HPs have done that Ive asked for something & on occasions didnt get it at all.

For example I requested a small cup of hot water (ive always drunk hot water at various times in the day) during the night (as she was sat down not doing anything) & I never received it nor did she ask a colleague if she had to attend to a patient

I think maybe there maybe a slight language barrier given theyre of varying differnt ethnic backgrounds (if we re allowed to say that & its not offensive - but i cant think of any other way to describe the staff that doesnt sound racist st or offensive) (If that soffendive then I apologise profusely)

Seems to me they do that most of the time-you ask them to action a simple request & they just get on with their duties as if ive nevet asked them at all

I try not to ask them for anything at all during the day as i recognise & realise how busy they are, - The only thing i really only request is a commode because the loo is a fair way down the ward corridor & because im not blessed with 100%oxygen in my lungs to walk up & down to it is too taxing on them & would cause my oxygenlevels to drop as the pipe im attached to isnt long enough & would mean me having to take it off & be oyt if breath

This happened while I wad in A & E on my first night waiting for a bed

[Izb1]

I have to agree with your observations Sara, when my mum was in the hospital we had the same problems, some of the nurses go way above what is required and some just dont perform their duties well at all. Years ago this used to be tackled by the sister on the ward, sadly we no longer have them and managers are not on site x

[horseygirl_0103 in reply to Izb1]

Well I certainly agree with the view that some dont do their duties well at all & everytime I ask a request that never gets answered its ALWAYS the "nurses" who wear the jackets marked Healthcare Professionals

There were rumours going round the ward I remember that the initial letters HP also stood for Hopeless People which made a laugh a bit & I remember thinking that by the way I was treated (see my comment) I found myself beginning to think it was true

And youre quite right their managers werent on site

[Nettynonails]

while in hospital on oxygen if you need the loo or bathroom they can give you a portable bottle on a trolley so you have the oxygen. Sometimes walking around and getting things yourself helps the lungs keep active

[LiveSalt in reply to Nettynonails]

Well they may be on strike soon, anyway. My neighbour is a HCP and postal voting is happening now.

[Hidden in reply to LiveSalt]

In the staff room where I work there was a poster about a proposed strike!

[horseygirl_0103 in reply to Hidden]

good job im out of north manchester hospital then - my goal is too stay away from there unless its for blood tests -

Im their prize & as soon as they see me the needles come out quick sharp (pardon the pun) & they know it their coping levels will be down lol

[horseygirl_0103 in reply to LiveSalt]

is that just in your area

[LiveSalt in reply to horseygirl_0103]

No, national.

[Kcn3 in reply to Nettynonails]

When my daughter was in hospital in Dec-Jan she was put on oxygen 24/7. She was 5'1" and slight build. The oxygen tank was over a third of her height. She had to carry her oxygen tank to the toilet when she was on 2 different wards. When she went for a shower or even just to brush her teeth she had to carry the tank AND her toiletries . She was finding it harder . After a few days i asked 1 of her consultants if she could have an oxygen trolley to help her. No they didnt have any!! 2 days later my daughter could not cope with walking to the toilet with the oxygen tank so asked for a comode.

A few days later she had a bad coughing fit and asked 1 of the night nurses for her oxygen nasal tube. She told me that the 'foreign'nurse didnt understand her. I can only assume my daughter was having teouble speaking so was signalling and pointing to what she needed. The nurse then gave my daughter an oxygen tube NOT ATTACHED TO ANYTHING!!! That morning a consultant he wanted to transfer my daughter to icu for better care and better oxygen. In hindsight it makes me wonder if he knew how awful the nurses were on the upcoming night shift!!!

[Hidden in reply to Kcn3]

i had a horrible experience with a blood test a couple of weeks ago when they had 3 goes at taking blood out of both my arms but were unsuccessful and sent me to a phlebotomy clinic and by this time i was in hysterics and they gave me the form and the test tube and when I was out of there I ripped up the form and stamped on the test tube as I was so upset!

[horseygirl_0103 in reply to Hidden]

I d done that but wouldnt ve stamped on the test tube that wouldve caused a health & safety problem in their rooms & they wouldve had to close up their room which wouldve messed up other appointments after you cos theyd had to clean up

[Hidden in reply to horseygirl_0103]

what i did was wait until i had left the place and thats when i acted!

[horseygirl_0103 in reply to Hidden]

ok generally speaking sometimes doctors can e a bit touchy & decide that when a patient is angry they decide (sometimes not always) that they are a troublemaker (not saying you are lol) -just saying sometimes thats the way they take it & say they wont provide medical treatment

I remember that happened to someone I knew years ago - thye went to their local doctors for an appointment & she lost her temper (not too agressively -I mean got angry) & their surgery decided she caused trouble & took her of their patient books & wrote to her saying she must find somewhere else to sign up because they refused to continue with her

[horseygirl_0103 in reply to Kcn3]

This is the problem with foreign nurses - they come to work in the NHS & learn the various medical terms but their general command of English is frankly Rubbish

I even had to "act out" a word a foreign HP didnt understand. The command of English of the actual doctors & nurses is fantastic but in comparison the HPs are just very poor

[horseygirl_0103 in reply to Nettynonails]

When I was in the transisitional ward I was lucky to get a room where the toilet was just next door to my room so I didnt have to bother them with a request for a commode so I was sorry to move out of there when I was taken to the respiratory ward