to think I shouldn't be on this ward?

[MoominKoalaAndMiniMoom]

Im in hospital on a ward full of noisy older men who keep shouting sexist views and are competing over who has the most disgusting and worst symptom.

WIBU to discharge myself if they try and make me stay here tonight? I didn't think mixed wards were allowed.

[SauvignonBlanche]

They're not, are you in the same bay, or room as them?

Mixed sex sleeping accomadation us allowed in a high dependancy area or are you still in A&E?

[CrohnicallyCold]

Mixed wards are allowed, but as far as I know they are supposed to ensure the bays are single sex, so you shouldn't be in a bed next to someone of the opposite sex.

As for whether YWBU to leave, that depends on why you're in!

[MoominKoalaAndMiniMoom]

Im in surgical assessment with no real sign of getting out. Its a room with six beds in.

[Summerisle1]

Are you in some sort of medical or surgical assessment unit?

[MoominKoalaAndMiniMoom]

All the beds around me, opposite me, next to me are all men.

I know its stupid and may be generalising but im on my own, female and 20, I'm not comfortable with this

[Summerisle1]

Ah x-posted. Yes, assessment units usually are mixed. Mainly because they are intended for short-stay only while said assessment occurs.

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

It depends on the specialty. The single sex rules don't apply to some specialties where a critical case takes priority over the gender of the patient in question - ITU, HDU, CCU are examples.

[Sidge]

Assessment Units aren't technically wards so are often exempted from the single-sex rules.

No fun for you though

If they want to keep you in ask if you can be moved away from them.

[MoominKoalaAndMiniMoom]

Im in because they hink my gallbladder is inflamed. There's no privacy and no phone charging even. I have a 9mo DD at home. I want to go home :(

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

Ah, I got waylaid with my post and missed all the others. As summerisle said, assessment beds are mixed sex accom. as they are temporary triage beds.

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

I'm sorry you feel crap. I hope you get an answer ASAP and can either go home or moved to a more appropriate bed

[MoominKoalaAndMiniMoom]

If theyre temporary does that mean they won't make me sleep here?

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

Not unheard of (in my neck of the woods) to spend a couple of days in an assessment bed waiting for a suitable ward bed to come up. Especially this time of year.

[catellington]

My local hospital does have mixed wards, it really is unbelievably bad. My ex dh was in overnight waiting for a hernia op. Men and women, all different ages, no privacy just those silly curtains.

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Poor you. Sounds awful. Have you tried crying to a nurse?

[Summerisle1]

Sometimes you do have to sleep in an assessment unit simply because you need to wait until a bed becomes available on a more suitable ward. Sometimes it is because you'll be going straight down to theatre in the morning. Also, you can't generally go to theatre until a suitable post-op bed has been found for you.

An assessment unit is a form of triage though and generally speaking, they like to keep your time there as short as possible.

As for whether you will need to sleep there this is a question best directed to the nurses. They should know what is planned for you.

[MoominKoalaAndMiniMoom]

Theres no privacy to cry, theyre all nosy and commenting on each others treatment. Ive warned my OH that ill be discharging myself if this is the case, maybe thats stupid of me but I can't do it.

[FightOrFlight]

I know its stupid and may be generalising but im on my own, female and 20, I'm not comfortable with this

I spent 2 days/nights on a mixed sex ward (I was the only female) when I was 26. To be honest the last thing on my mind was that elderly men in extreme pain were going to pose any kind of threat to me beyond giving me a headache.

You can discharge yourself and go home at any time. You're not sectioned or a prison inmate.

I can understand it's not nice (as I say, same thing happened to me) but if you are in pain and need surgery then you should stay. I doubt you will be any use to your child if you are ill enough to require an operation.

[Summerisle1]

Talk to the nurses! Tell them how you feel.

Also, weigh up the consequences of discharging yourself. If you are ill enough to be admitted to the assessment unit (and let's face it, there aren't enough beds in NHS hospitals to waste them on the undeserving) then you probably need to stay in hospital.

[helensburgh]

I think if you feel up,to discharging yourself you should.

I had a gallbladder issue , ended up being removed and you don't need to be an inpatient to have the tests but if there's a stone stuck in the duct you might need to be in.
Xxxx

[Latara]

They obviously can't be that sick if they are so noisy, how selfish of them.

But you should stay because you are ill & could get worse.

Ask if they have any ear plugs, my ward has them for patients. If the ward doesn't have them it may at least prompt a nurse to tell them to shut up!

Hope you get well soon.

[WiIdfire]

Plan A: explain this to the nurse and ask her to speak to the site manager about a bed on another ward. Although mixed SAUs are allowed, its clearly not meant to be longterm. Plan B: If there doesn't look like there will be a bed on another ward tonight, have a chat with the doctor who admitted you. Im assuming you just got there today so perhaps they have started IV antibiotics and are planning an USS for tomorrow to confirm the diagnosis. If you are well, they might let you go home after antibiotics tonight, and come back before next dose in the morning. Its a long shot, but you can ask... They wont if you have needed morphine or are really unwell though. Hope they find you somewhere better to sleep.

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

It's certainly counterproductive to discharge yourself. If your gallbladder is knackered going home won't fix it and you may well end up back in the hospital in worse state than you would've been if you'd have stayed.

[FightOrFlight]

They obviously can't be that sick if they are so noisy, how selfish of them



Really? People who are sick don't make any noise? Unless they are all in a coma I think you'll find that lots of very sick people are verbal/vocal.

[ginmakesitallok]

The way things are at the minute you're bloody lucky to be in a ward and not stuck in a corridor somewhere..... Hope you manage to get some sleep, can't be nice at all.