That being watched in hospital makes me feel uneasy

The nurse you're talking about used to be me. This was one of the main jobs I did when I worked in the hospital. All for various reasons but a lot of the time I was on the brain injury unit/neuro dept. We would have to watch the screen constantly and press a button every time we saw a spike in the stats. It was really tiring, especially on a night time. I've actually never thought about it the way you're seeing it. I'm sure it must feel really weird having someone watching your every move. I hope they manage to get the results they're looking for, to get you the help you need.

I appreciate that. She's thought about it though hasn't she!!!

She said NOT going to order her to leave.

I was in hospital not long ago with a bay like you described.

I did feel quite conscious of myself so I asked if they would mind me pulling the curtain round sometimes, especially when I was sleeping. They were okay with that - it might be worth asking?

I totally get what you mean and it isn't said in an ungrateful way. It is all a bit odd and whilst yep they are doing their job which very grateful for, I think it's quite human to feel a bit watched even though they probably aren't like staring or anything.

I hope you feel better soon.

Yes that's right.

Good luck with ‘ordering her to leave’ you sound like you are overthinking the situation and if you are having seizures then you could be in danger from just your surroundings so I think you should just be grateful for the care you are receiving. Try and ignore it and I hope you get the treatment you need and get well soon.

Neuro obs, it’s to determine what your GCS is.

When my late brother was in ICU he had his own personal nurse watching him next to his bed. I think he found it reassuring. After a month he was moved to a normal ward and there was a chair in the bay for a nurse but generally it was empty. They were really slow at responding to emergencies! I don't know if they sat there during the night. Are you allowed to pull your curtains a little bit closed?

Your name. Asking where you were etc . It was a nightmare and made me feel even more scared than I was. It was a suspected TIA.

Ffs, she’s doing her job! You’re having seizures so it’s her job to monitor you! No doubt you’d be the one posting in here if your buzzer want answered the minute you pressed it!

Particularly with seizures, it may be that the nurse has been asked to monitor for absences too.
Just a thought. I'm a former nurse, and my daughter also has frequent seizures and has undergone similar monitoring.

Very odd in this day and age. All hospitals I have been in for last 20 odd years have performed this function via camera. So same staff member but sitting out at a desk watching 4 monitors if a 4 bed ward. The only real exceptions I’ve seen are post op recovery, NICU’s and some ICU’s (with other ICU’s using camera system and one person monitoring the one bed if needed etc).

Of course they are watching you, you're the because you have seizures

He is doing much better thanks, he wasn't expected to survive but thankfully beat all of the odds. He's only been home for 3 months and I still can't believe it most days.

When he was at his most critically ill, he was in a side room. He needed 2:1 ratio mainly because he had a dialysis machine at the time which had a very complicated filter system. He was in a coma too and had a ventilator as well as ecmo.

Yep, constant obs, constant blood gases. He was there for 7 weeks. The nurses were great, I'll never forget what they did with him. They went above and beyond.

Not long after he was extubated, he was sad because he hadn't seen outside in a month. He had just come off the dialysis too though still had a lot of pumps but the nurses roped in a doctor and we all pushed him, pumps and all, to the entrance of the hospital so he could be outside, it started to rain a bit and it meant the world to my boy. I'll never forget their kindness.

I hope your son is much better. Fortunately I've never experienced a PICU. I have been in ICU several times, including in comas on life support twice and was very ill. I obviously had no awareness at those times, but whilst awake (unfortunately I was aware that others in the room didn't make it), I never saw more than a 1:1 ratio. I think the obs were 15 minutes. They never seemed to stop. Those nurses were amazing.

I'm sorry you're going through this and I hope you get better soon, it sounds awful. If it were me though, I'd sleep far better knowing they would notice if I had a seizure than if they were elsewhere and I didn't get any help.

Well i presume she is delbratley staring at people so she is doing her job so I wouldn't feel anything much

What sort of questions were they asking? I can imagine that would turn into sleep deprived nonsense as answers after the first couple of hours for a lot of people!

I don't know why so many people seem to be misinterpreting this. I think it's quite natural to feel uneasy having someone watching you sleep, as its instinctively a vulnerable time regardless of you logically knowing the reason is positive.
Can you lie in your side facing away without it disturbing her monitoring of you? Might make it feel slightly less invasive.

I also hate it. But their job is literally to watch you. Be assured by that it won't be fir long

No, I wouldn't feel the same. If I was ill enough to need to stay in hospital, I would be reassured that someone was keeping an eye on me. That is kind of the point of being in hospital!
It sounds as if you're getting 5 star treatment tbh. I hope you feel better soon

When my son was in PICU, it would be two nurses for one patient if they were very poorly which is how my son started and then when he improved, it was one nurse for two patients.

In ICU you get your own nurse sat at your bedside. They're literally touching your bed and if they need the loo another will take their place. In the HDUs I've been in it was two nurses for three beds.

Give it a rest.

You can be grateful for good care but also find someone constantly watching you uncomfortable.

You must be in a 'high risk' bay for either yourself or someone else or mulitple people in there. Can you pull your curtains round at night time so if feels more private. Ive worked on wards and done bay watch soooo many times, its for a reason and believe me as a staff member point of view its hard, i do get it could feel uncomfortable though