To complain about immunisation nurse.

[LEMtheoriginal]

My dd had her HPV vaccination today. I'm all fairness she is a big wuss and finds the whole thing too much.

She was very scared and kept pulling her arm away and was crying. The nurse was not sympathetic at all. Fine! I was actually quite firm with dd mostly because there were smaller children in the same room and I didn't want her upsetting them.

This is my issue "if you don't have this you might get cervical cancer and if you do they will put a big probe inside you and burn it away" I mean was that really necessary??

Then after the jab dd became faint and she pushed her head down on her knees so hard that she nearly hit her head. Twice she did this and told dd off for sitting back up. In the end she had to lay down on the floor as she was about to pass out.

Now I'm the first to admit that dd doesn't handle this sort of thing well. Which is weird because she is a real toughie if she hurts herself. So yes actually do please be firm to get the job done but then fucking acknowledge she was brave and be kind.

It's the comment that has upset me. I know only too well how important this is as uve had that horrendous treatment she spoke of. Now I'm worried dd won't have the booster.

I should complain shouldn't I?

[Keel]

My daughter is needle phobic. She's due to have the jab in the school
Holidays next week. Just hoping the nurse is sympathetic (have been previously) as she really gets in a state. Thst nurse sounds awful.

[Billben]

That nurse sounds awful. I've had two surgeries under general anaesthetic within the last six weeks and the one and only thing that I was scared of was them having to put the canula in my arm. Wasn't worried about being sliced open or even dying on the table. But the thought of a needle just freaks me out. The doctor and the medical student were fab both times. She held my hand, kept her eyes on me and kept asking me about something completely unrelated to take my attention away from it all. Didn't even notice what he was doing to my arm. They certainly didn't mock me. He even had the common sense to take bloods through the canula cos he didn't want to put me through the process of blood taking with another needle afterwards. I'm 42 by the way

[JamPasty]

I'd not be impressed with the nurse giving out misinformation about cervical cancer treatment!

[Notreallyarsed]

The nurse shouldn’t have said that about cervical cancer, it was bang out of order. To the PP who said it’s misinformation, it’s not, my mum had radiotherapy with rods inserted inside her to “zap” it away along with other radio and chemo. Very unpleasant and not something a child should be scared with though.

[strawberrysodasmiles]

Make a complaint - 100%!!!!
Hope your DD is okay and not too traumatised bless her!

[venys]

Yes that's what you should do. Treat one fear with another! The medics can be so arse sometimes. I think they only ever train in the mechanics of the thing and not the psychological. This is across many areas of health sadly.

[JamPasty]

Sorry I was wrong about that. Definitely still complain though.

I hope your mum is ok Notreallyarsed

[Awwlookatmybabyspider]

"I should complain shouldn't I."

I think you've answered your own question.
She's probably been getting away with that sort of behavior for years.

[Notreallyarsed]

JamPasty don’t worry about it, I hadn’t heard of the treatment before she had to have it either. Sorry if I was a bit abrupt, it wasn’t meant thanks for asking after my Mum.

[Notreallyarsed]

And definitely complain OP, she was out of line.

[LEMtheoriginal]

Yep jampastry ive had the treatment too but i can actually see why youd think it was misinformation. Because of the dramatic way she saif it.

Have emailed the trust. That woman isn't coming NEAR my dd again.

[dataandspot]

Well if your daughter didn't have a needle phobia before she will now!!

What an awful experience. Definitely complain.

[Notreallyarsed]

Good grief OP the fact she said that to a cancer survivor’s DD is even worse! The thing with needle phobias are that they aren’t controllable, they’re phobias which provoke a physical reaction!

[KathArtic]

Presumably you signed the consent form and information leaflet. Did you not discuss this with your DD before hand? I aasume you knew it was administered via injection?.... or did you leave it to the school nurse who is only doing her job?

My DD fainted after one of her school injections so when the next lot came around I arranged for her to attend the smaller 'catch up' session and be able to have the vaccine actually laying on the mat.

It's no good parents signing and consenting but then not actually discussing with their child what it will involve, and if there are issues to then contact the school nurse to discuss how to deal with any problems.

[newtlover]

this is very bad and I would complain, apart from anything else it's doubtful your daughter gave consent, which meand she was assualted

[LEMtheoriginal]

Err of course I discussed it I had spent ages talking to dd and reassuring her that whilst it would hurt it would be ok

Yes the nurse was doing her job . She just wasn't doing it well.

[2rebecca]

Nurses only have limited time for immunisations. I agree that you should have discussed it with her before having it done. She's old enough now to know that with stuff like immunisations you either decide to have them and get it done or you don't bother. All the pulling her arm away stuff is silly.
There's a limit to how much sympathy a nurse will feel for a teenager making a fuss over a routine immunisation, they're dealing with many people far more deserving of sympathy.

[IWantToSleepNow]

Wow 2rebecca how empathetic of you!

[LEMtheoriginal]

Yep you'd make a great nurse Rebecca! Thankfully my dealings with nurses have all been positive up til today.

[MarchEliza]

I think you should complain. Every encounter like this will contribute to, not dispel your daughter's phobia.

[LEMtheoriginal]

I didn't have a problem with firmness. I was firm myself. but the graphic and terrifying description of cancer treatment is my issue. That and how she was after the event when dd was unwell.

[PurpleMinionMummy]

I'm sure op isn't so stupid she rocked her teenager up for an immunsation without telling her

Yanbu op. I'd be quite angry if my dc was treated that way.

[starfishmummy]

Tbh the nurse should have stopped trying to do it when your daughter pulled her arm away. Maybe given her one more chance and then called it quits for the day.

And as for not wanting her to upset the smaller children in the room then why on earth were they there? Your dd is entitled to privacy and that doesn't mean having kids (Iassume her siblings) there!

[LEMtheoriginal]

There were other children sat around having their vaccinations

[florenceandthefig]

Sorry but I agree with 2rebecca.