Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

to not want a television in my hospital ward?

94 replies

carlajean · 29/05/2014 17:31

just thought I'd throw this one in and see what others think..
I was in hospital to have my appendix out a week ago. I was really pleased with the care, but there was a tv in the four-bed ward. One of the other patients liked having it on all the time, as background, but I hate having tv on unless I'm watching it. So, Jeremy Kyle was on when I was waiting to go into surgery, and feeling too poorly to object.
When I came out, I said to the other woman that perhaps we could have the tv off for a couple of hours, alternating with having it on for the same period of time. I wasn't feeling brilliant about doing it, and she was quite stroppy.
I know that I could have asked a nurse to turn it off, but wanted to be on good terms with the other patients in the ward.
I feel that patients shouldn't be under pressure to have to negotiate this with each other (one of the other patients was an older woman who said afterwards to me that she didn't want the TV on but didn't feel she could object) AIBU?

OP posts:

Deverethemuzzler · 29/05/2014 20:53

lunar no one should disturb others on the ward with the tv or radio or anything. Above all a hospital is supposed to care for sick people.
There are not enough side rooms.
DD only got one at the general hospital because she had no immune system to speak of.
The Teenage Cancer Ward at the specialist centre was designed with loads of on suite rooms and several small bays.
I think all wards should be like that.
Only downside was that it made meeting other parents very difficult. That was a major issue really and we all missed the old ward at the ancient hospital.

But that would not be an issue on an adult ward.

It must surely be better for infection control and patient well being too.

intheenddotcom · 29/05/2014 21:07

I'm glad my local hospital has personal TVs. TBH I get both sides, I like it on when in hospital because I'm often too out of it to read and follow a story but do like some distraction. However if you are not used to it on it might drive you made. Was there not a day room you could escape to/or she could watch telly in?

ToysRLuv · 29/05/2014 21:08

CorusKate: Exactly. That's why I was shocked to see all the first comments being YABU. I was the first yanbu and wondered whether the world had gone mad

intheenddotcom · 29/05/2014 21:10

Also, TBH there is little calm and rest going on. Up at 6:30 to be washed before breakfast and ward rounds, out of bed so you don't get pneumonia. Then back to bed with constant cleaners and nurses round. Even at night it is noisy with people coming/going/shouting with pain. TV is a nice distraction.

lunar1 · 29/05/2014 21:13

It's hard isn't it, I can see both sides. People in hospital should obviously have their privacy but then if you are short staffed a bay makes it much easier when you have a few sick patients to look after at once. Hopefully they will get the right balance someday.

Roshbegosh · 29/05/2014 21:24

I would be furious if I had to listen to that all day while ill. It really would distress me.
YANBU.

ToysRLuv · 29/05/2014 21:33

I think what it comes down to in the hospital scenario is that the sick people's need to not have their cortisol levels elevated (thus making recovery harder) by unnecessary noise pollution trumps the other sick people's need to not be bored. Unless they were so bored that they got (di)stressed by it - even in that case they could use a means of entertainment that wouldn't stress the others, e.g. tv/dvd/tabletor phone games/radio/music with headphones, reading, crosswords..

unrealhousewife · 29/05/2014 21:33

Our most recent hospital was great, free new headphones for every patient.

The last hospital trip they didn't have the TVs set to be used with headphones so even at night people were disturbed.

I think i shall make a belated complaint as the nurse was menacing when I asked nicely but assertively for a bit of peace.

LynetteScavo · 29/05/2014 21:42

Op it sounds like some sort of living hell. I bet it was really stuffy on the ward too.

YANNU, but some people are not readers, and just wouldn't know what to do with no TV for two hours. I can see it from their pov.

MidniteScribbler · 30/05/2014 00:14

No one is BU. Some people like it on, some like it off. With electronics being so cheap now, there's really very little excuse for each bed not having a small tv. I've never been in a hospital in Australia (public or private) that doesn't have individual tvs. Thank goodness, as I really would have gone insane when I spent weeks unable to even hold a book.

MexicanSpringtime · 30/05/2014 01:31

YANBU. I hate the sound of a television set, unless there is a particular programme I want to watch.

The trouble with television is that once a shared one is switched on it always seems rude to switch it off

mindthegap79 · 30/05/2014 03:38

YANBU! When I was on the ward after dd was born it was great because everyone had their own telly in their little curtained off bay, with headphones.

Unfortunately, that didn't bother the woman whose teenage kids watched tv all day and didn't bother to use the headphones, instead turning up the volume and letting crap telly and video game noise intrude on my first precious days with dd. Grrr.

Mind you, that wasn't as bad as the same woman's interesting habit of starting each day by singing Morning Has Broken and various other Christian anthems from 3am! All human life is in hospital I suppose, and some people are weird and rude beyond belief.

Youarejustwordsonascreenpeople · 30/05/2014 04:03

YADNBU! I am so thankful that the hospitals here all have private rooms. TV on all day would drive me potty. So would others habits and their guests as I am sure mine would to others.

ViviPru · 30/05/2014 07:28

YANBU.

Mynewone · 30/05/2014 08:07

Yanbu this made me feel worse when I was in hospital- the constant noise and selfishness. In the day I could put up with it but there was a woman who wanted it in at night she thought it was reasonable to have it on after midnight silly cow mad me so cross!!

bigdog888 · 30/05/2014 09:48

YABU, either go private or STFU

3littlefrogs · 30/05/2014 09:55

My mum died in dreadful circumstances in hospital.
I could have done without having to endure East Enders at full volume right next to us.

starfishmummy · 30/05/2014 10:16

Mist children's wards that DS has been on, the tvs - even the individual bed ones - have been switched off centrally at 9 or sometimes earlier.

What annoyed me on one occasion was the "salesman" going round the kids ward selling the cards for tv use to their parents...in that hospital the tvs were free on the children's ward but every day the new admissions were paying out...

CrazyHorse · 30/05/2014 10:16

Hahahah bigdog888 - how far would you take that attitude?

Flip

1 2 3 4

Swipe left for the next trending thread