How can you go from icu to a ward where your just ignored?!!

[Jayswife-24]

Jay has high anxiety the nurses on the ward are useless he's gone from one on one care to being in a ward with really older people tv doesn't work his sheets are dirty he slides down the bed and doesn't get re positioned for half hour and nobody seems to know anything! He said his trac plaster was annoying him I was there 2 hours waiting for somebody to change it and they told us he won't have physio Xmas or Boxing Day as they don't have the staff! I am fuming!!! Anyone else feel completely isolated when moved?

[jojofrg]

Jayswife-24, Don't let them get away with this kind of mismanagement, make as much fuss as required to get the care and good practice treatment that he should get. If necessary go to PAL's or even higher. I wish I'd made more fuss, if I had my poor husband might be still with me now. I will be thinking of you and really hope all goes well for you and your dear husband.

Very best wishes xx

[footy30]

Hi,I had exactly the same when I was moved from icu. I was very anxious & couldn't tolerate the noise from the people on the ward. I felt scared & was worried that I'd end up back in icu.

My family were also anxious as they felt I wasnt receiving the care I still needed.

When the consultant came round we explained our fears & after getting quite upset they managed to move me to a side ward. I'm not saying you'll be able to do the same but maybe try speaking to the drs when they come round.

The poor nurses in these wards are so over worked & there just isn't enough of them to go around.

I understand how you are both feeling ,it's very frustrating & scarey.

So pleased for you that your husband has managed to be out of icu for Xmas.

Hopefully things will improve on the ward for you & he can come home soon.

Take care.

Louise

[coady]

sorry about your trouble, when i was moved from icu to the ward i found the food disgusting and after two days of this i discharged myself, it was terrible, get well soon

[AndJan]

Oh dear ! This is sadly so common.Speak to the ward sister,explain the disgraceful lack of care,and asked for a named nurse for Jay.Go to ICU,and ask for the Out Reach Nurse,and explain to them exactly what your concerns are,and dont leave until there is action, Give Jay a mobile phone to contact you (I did this ,it is so important that drugs are given on time,and if they are not ,or Jay is worried he can contact you ) Also,is it possible to have a friend/relative to be there most of the time ? I dont think lack of staff is the problem,its lack of organisation,common sence,and more worrying hand washing. There should be a matron that you can see if there is no improvement in care,after you have spoken to ICU and ward sister. It is pointless talking to on duty Drs,unless it is a Reg or Consultant,as they carry no weight at all,Please let us know how you get on. When you feel stronger,a formal complaint re total lack of care ,may help others. Keep strong,thinking of you x

[Jjnesb in reply to AndJan]

You obviously aren't an RN or don't know any RNs personally!!!!! You have NO idea the workload put on the RNs that work a general ward!!! Yes you get more attention in ICU...DUH! The ICU RN only has one bloody patient!!! The ward RN has 8 or more! So whilst your accusing the nurses of "lack of common sense" and a " more worrying hand washing" the poor nurses may be down the hall saving someone's else's life, holding the hand of a dying patient so they don't die alone, bagging a patient who oxygen saturation is dangerously low, assisting the physicians with any number of procedures such as inserting chest tubes and doing spinal taps to a multitude of other complex procedures!!!! How's that for commen sense?? HMMMM....It is people like you that devalue the work , dedication and training nurses go through EVERY SINGLE day !!! And... they are away from their own families for very long hours while they take care of you and your family! They spend holidays away from their families so that someone is there to take care of your family! They often get no lunch or break and can't even get a bathroom break more then once in a 12 hr shift! So on the day you need a nurse to care for you... don't choke on the giant foot you just shoved down your own throat!!

[Offcut]

Once the one to one care goes it does feel that you are not been looked after but in my case I was, to be honest I cheated to get out and go home.

[irishnige1]

I've spent time in ICU and long spells in hospital. Jay must be doing alright if he's noticed that the tv doesn't work and perhaps the other "older" patients don't like the idea of a young patient either! Bad food is always top of the list of complaints.

My family were overjoyed I was out of a coma, alive and out of ICU.

Focus on the positives!

[Luckyone]

Unfortunately life on a ward after the wonderful care of ICU, can feel very different, I remember it very well, after spending 3 months in ICU I was discharged to a ward, I must say it was the worst 2 weeks of my time in hospital with no understanding of where I'd come from or what I had been through, the ward sister was less than helpful and in need of a visit to charm school, I pushed hard with my physio just to get well enough to escape.

I now do presentations to nurses and HCA's raising awareness of what ICU patients go through and the difficulties of transfer to the ward, hopefully this will help to change the care of future ICU patients transferred to the ward.

[Jayswife-24]

The problem isn't that he's in with old people really it's just that they are very quiet that scared him as he thinks he's the odd one out like he must be really poorly to be put on that ward he can't move his hands very well so the nurses have to do everything for him and as they don't check on him foyer he gets very thirsty and lonely he has been put on a waiting list for lemmington spa rehab but they said they can't do much more for him as they don't have the facilities and I'm worried the less he moves the worse it will get I went in tonight and a man stood beside us and weed in a tube refused to shut the curtain and I notices there was poo on jays pillow the bed looked diflated and the nurse chuckled and said whoops it's not plugged in so the matress had no air in it!! Just pray he gets moved soon but docs emailed rehab today with urgent requirements needed so hopefully he will go to the top of the list! X

[Lynn2010]

Yes, it was a nightmare when i moved to a ward. They let catheter bags overflow, attached my oxygen tube incorrectly, were so late with meds, 2hrs late, that i ended up phoning my husband at midnight unable to breathe. He arrived and read the riot act. He is normally really placid, im the bolshie one, but he took the matron out at the knees. She made the mistake of saying this isnt icu. He said thats obvious this is either negligence or incompterence, you choose. Things got better for a few days but i ended up discharging myself after i waited 30 mins for the bell to be answered. The matron said i ould not leave. She called the consultant i told him i wasnt asking permission. I was leaving with his blessing or not. She said suppose you stop breathing at home, i said i. Live 4 mins from here supposed id stopped breathing when i waited 30 mins for the bell id be dead now.

I wish id complained but icu were absolutely brilliant saving my life so i didnt. I do wonder if my husband had it been so proactive would i have survived.

Dont let them get away with it. They are not overworked. They have time for a dozen cigarette breaks a shift and to shop on eBay and chat. I was right by the nurses station and i heard them everyday.

Some people don't have the humanity to be nurses and should be sacked.

My advice is make a total nuisance of yourself. You don't need to make friends with the nurses but you do need them to be worried enough about you kicking up a stink and making formal complaints with luck they will make the extra effort required. The mobile is a brilliant idea. I rang my husband that night he turned up on the ward, read the riot act and i had my meds in five mins.

I hope everything turns out ok for you in the end.

Lynn.

[AndJan in reply to Lynn2010]

I feel so ashamed to read what you have written. I am a retired nurse (one from the old days,when we wanted to help,and really cared for people)

My husband spent 3 wks in CCU ,and 4 dreadful days on a ward that was a disgrace,elderly pts weeing on the floor as there was no one around,plenty of staff but ,not in the right place,pts being so sick their vomit bowls were over flowing on to the beds,and we wonder why their is so much infection ?

It horrified me,and I couldnt get my husband home fast enough,to get him into a clean enviroment,shame on our NHS,there is no reason why our CCU dept have generally high standards,and other wards a complete disgrace.

[ICUsteps-Peter Partner ICUsteps]

I'm sorry to hear things on the general ward are so difficult right now but as you see from the other replies, this is sadly normal for patients coming from intensive care. The suggestions from the other members about raising the issues with the senior ward staff and PALS if necessary are a good idea and you may want to try speaking to the ICU staff as well, particularly if they have an Outreach service.

It does get better and of course it does mean your husband is getting better but the plummet in the level of care is difficult to accept or get used to. You may also want to have a look at this NICE Guideline on Rehabilitation after Critical Illness as it could provide you with something to use when you raise the issues with the ward staff - publications.nice.org.uk/re... It is only guidance and hospitals aren't obliged to implement it yet but it is recommended practice.