To never want to work on the nurse staff bank again!

[Blossom90]

Im a healthcare assistant. Orginally on the staff bank, then on maternity wards and now back on the nurse bank before i start my training in occupational therapy in September.

I done a night on Tuesday and left so upset. I witnessed a HCA telling a patient with dementia who didnt sleep all night to be quiet because the other ladys in the bed wanted to sleep. The lovely lady kept apologising and then carried on shouting. The assistant stood by her bed and shh'd her and told her to shut up every time she started talking.

I also witnessed a nurse putting pills into another patients mouth when she refused to take them. This said patient was the one i was soley looking after all night. She could get aggressive and when i asked her if she wanted to get in to bed she shouted at me 'would you like to get into bed!' fair enough. I smiled and left her. The two other HCA's came over to me at 12pm and said can you get her into bed please. I explained and they proceeded to draw the curtains and try and lift her out of her chair and into bed. At which point she hit out at them (dont blame her) they were very rude tutting at her, put her back in her chair and stomped off after opening the curtains.

Its left me totally gobsmacked and i do not want to do another shift in the hospital. Its not the only ward i have witnessed this care on. Its so heartbreaking that patients are being treated like this, i am going to report it as i didnt once because i wasnt sure how to when i witnessed a HCA tell an elderly lady with dementia she would give her a black eye if she didnt go to sleep. The most shocking part is that all the staff on night heard her too and did not react. I think if they will do it infront of me a HCA they do not know how do they act when its just regular staff. AIBU to never want to return?

When I was ward nursing I used to take the demented patients with me if I could. Having a wee lady or gentleman hooked onto my arm, gabbing away was a lovely way to get through a night shift.
We desperately need proper funding so that hospitals become places that feel safe
and we can care for our patients in the best way for them.
I also agree that there are some very nasty people in the so called caring professions but reporting them will help, OP.

Yep.

(worked a treat for the fuckers who left me on my own with a double bay of wee, frail old ladies with fractures and in pain while they all hid round the corner and ate a Chinese takeaway they had ordered in )

LanaorAna1 Yes, everything you said.

I remember I had a wonderful lady with dementia once, I walked round and round the ward with her and allowed her to 'help' me do jobs like spreading toast at night time. Half the other patients adored her as much as I did by the end of her stay.

Have also had confused or upset patients come and sit with us at night time , sometimes with a cuppa or two.

Had one patient who used to order in a takeaway each Friday and would get all the nurses orders too, and then all sit together and eat tea!!

I've even sat and read books to those who can't/won't sleep.

There's always a strategy of sorts..

I'm sorry you've witnessed this op and it definitely need a reporting. I would be concerned that in the space of one night shift that so many issues have arisen in one bay. It is never acceptable to tell a patient to shut up, not should anyone be lifted in any manner and threats of violence... just disgusting. Mid staffs happened because people didn't speak up. Be part of the change, not the problem

I think you've had plenty of advice about reporting the unacceptable behaviour you have witnessed from the other health care staff so I won't comment further on that.

I just wanted to say that your work experience will stand you in good stead for your OT training - it will be really valuable experience - honest!

I am an OT and I LOVE LOVE LOVE my job - good luck with your training. Xxx

I am pleased to see that a hospital staff member has admitted that these bad practises go on.
Having watched the conduct of hospital staff during hospital stays of an elderly relative, physically ill but no dementia, I have decided that if I get to the stage of being in and out of hospital, I will sign up with Dignitas and pop myself off.
The lies were bad enough, the mixing of patients with dementia and those who are clear minded but physically frail is not good. There was a dementia patient, who would go around the ward (bays of 4, mixed ward but rooms all same sex) stripped naked. Elderly patients were mortified that their visitors had to witness this, parents of young children were outraged. It was scary to leave an elderly relative in a ward with a man who stripped off (heaven only knows what else was going on with this man). Yes I am aware that he was ill, but our relative was very ill too and did not need this going on. There was a Nursing Sister who was so determined to discharge a patient that she threatened to get a joiner to break into the house when the family refused to hand over the keys. There was a friend a young man aged 20 on a ward in the main hospital some months later who died despite family asking for a Dr to be called
When I see the posters claiming that hospital staff are not there to be hit, normally I would agree with that sentiment but having the above and other bad experiences with hospital staff I have to wonder if we should have been more forceful.
I live in an area where there are many NHS staff and right at his very minute a nurse is parked in my disabled bay! They are not nice people to have as neighbours either.