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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this A and E situation is not OK?

154 replies

user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 13:40

Last Thursday evening I attended our local A and E. I was taken straight to majors and treatment started straight away. Because of what happened I was in a bed (sitting up) right by the nurses station.

A little latter the A and E ward sister spent 45 minutes organising a pizza delivery. Another 25 minutes ordering the pizza online. Then 30 minutes waiting outside the A and E department for pizza, than an hourish eating the damn thing in an A and E side room. It was well over two hours by the time she returned to the nurses station and actually fucking did some of her job (phone back an irate bed manager).

Some of this I could see (the side room was diagonally opposite to my bed). The bit when she was outside I couldn't see, but there were several phonecalls and other staff were having to lie / cover up and then explain that in fact she "wasn't in resus with a patient, she was outside waiting for the pizza".

Most of the staff shared the pizza in the side room, but none seemed to be in longer than 10 -15 minutes.

I'm pretty grumpy about it, because of the extra pressure it put on other staff who were working their socks off. Would it be unreasonable to add it to my feedback (which is overall mostly positive)?

OP posts:
Baylisiana · 19/09/2016 17:26

A friend who works in A and E tells me several of them are really having to take up the slack from colleagues like this and it makes everything more difficult. He is the first to defend his colleagues from unfair criticism but has said stuff like this is an issue. I would mention it.

Sipperskipper · 19/09/2016 17:27

How do you know what she was doing online? Were you looking at her computer?

And learning nurses are as lazy as the rest of the working population- no more or less. I'm sure where you work you have those who work hard, and those who put less effort in. That's life unfortunately.

Glittered · 19/09/2016 17:27

This really annoys me people watching every move staff make

FlyHighLittleBee · 19/09/2016 17:28

I work in the NHS and think you should report this. So many nurses I encounter think they're above the rules us lowly HCAs have to follow.

birdladyfromhomealone · 19/09/2016 17:29

My DD works in a busy London A&E and on a normal 12 hour shift hardly has time to grab a drink let alone eat pizza.
TBH I do wonder what this has got to do with you?

JinkxMonsoon · 19/09/2016 17:29

I'd mention it.

I hate the way threads like this inevitably descend into people making excuses for shitty behaviour. The OP was there and you weren't. The nurse is entitled to take a break, but not slack off to the extent that colleagues have to cover for her. And I'm sure a break doesn't last 1h 40mins.

And as for the "grateful for the NHS" comment, being grateful doesn't mean the NHS should be beyond criticism, and it doesn't mean nurses should get away with slacking off their shifts.

user1473454752 · 19/09/2016 17:32

Op you have no clue about circumstances some nurses and doctors work 36 hours in a row, so unless you definately know her circumstances then I would not say nothing, she could have been elsewhere for all you know.

NapQueen · 19/09/2016 17:33

How do you know she spent 45 mins s arranging it? You are absolutely sure that this took up all of her time for 45 mins?

Similarly are you certain the only thing she did on the pc for 25 mins was order it?

RunningLulu · 19/09/2016 17:33

It sounds like it was her turn to arrange for the food & that she was probably using time she was owed. But you should let the hospital know anyway.

ChatEnOeuf · 19/09/2016 17:35

I love ordering a pizza on a night shift. Generally, it takes about three minutes to ask everyone else what the want (usually on a scrap of paper in between asking/answering questions about their patient). Another five minutes to order (usually also looking at blood results and XRs), and they deliver to main entrance, calling us on the ward when they are there.

Eating it is another matter entirely, it's usually microwaved at least once!

The fact it was to the detriment of the other staff working suggests it should be fed back. Though I would really feel for her if this was an extra shift (starting later?), piggy-backed onto a long day elsewhere and this was her meal. You never really know.

maisiejones · 19/09/2016 17:36

Well having gone to A & E for presumably emergency treatment OP, I'm so glad you recovered so well and so rapidly that you were able to carry out a time and motion study on the staff. 🙄 Just a pity so much of your conclusion is based on assumption and not hard evidence.

QueenCobalt · 19/09/2016 17:37

If it bothers you mention it. But it's quite possible that whilst she was eating it that she was working at the same time (eg completing paperwork) as eating it. If she's the sister as you say then maybe she was treating her team. Maybe they'd had a really shitty time lately. Or maybe she was skiving-you seem determined to think the worst of her.

LaContessaDiPlump · 19/09/2016 17:38

op, it sounds to me like you will be reporting the crap behaviour of one staff member and directly contrasting it to the acceptable behaviour of all the other staff. To me, that is a reasonable thing to do. Particularly emphasise the fact that you directly heard other staff members lying to cover her (include examples if possible as it will add a touch of veracity to the report).

The people of the NHS are not universally above reproach, people.

PortiaCastis · 19/09/2016 17:41

What sort of emergency were you ?

notmynamenormally · 19/09/2016 17:41

In my experience our sisters don't work night shifts or weekends unless specifically required and that would be overtime . We have a senior nurse in charge at all times but by no means are they required to be on the floor and wouldn't be carrying out much in the way of patient care. I don't think I'd think much of any nurse doing this at a busy time though. If we get takeaway it's weekend nights only that are a bit quieter and we still only use our allocated breaks for ordering and eating.

Plnswn · 19/09/2016 17:41

I work in a and e. The shifts we all do are a minimum of 12 and a half hours long. The nurse in charge is always at work long before the shift starts, ready for handover, and is always there after the next handover, bear in mind that the same nurse will do it all over again, usually 3 shifts in a row, often more. It's damn hard i can tell you. Most of these nurses go home after a nightshift, get their children up for school and sleep in between, before then picking them up.
The nurse in charge would not have been assigned to look after any of the cubicles in majors, she/he has more than enough to do, so was not depriving you of any care. And yes some nights on these long shifts we do actually get to take our breaks when it's not too busy, if it is busy it's hard to even get time to have a toilet break. I love my job, I love being busy, but guess what, it's lovely occasionally getting a shift when we can have a pizza for our break. I'm guessing that if you were taking all these details in then you weren't needing intensive nursing at the time.
Can't believe you grudge nurses who regularly work 60 plus hours a week, a little treat. ( like to see you do the same) we see our work colleagues more than we see our families.
Oh and by the way, we never have treats like this on a busy shift, we wouldn't have time to even think about it!

imother · 19/09/2016 17:42

Doesn't surprise me. Last time I went to out of hours - sent by my GP who didn't have any appts left (and it was the first time I'd asked for one in 10+ years!), I waited 2.5 hours to see the OOH dr.

The whole 2.5 hours I was there, there were two HCAs chatting next to the reception desk.

They were doing their hair, makeup, made a cup of tea (kettle in a little side kitchen area), laughing, screeching etc etc. No work at all apparently.

And the drs meanwhile were in and out like maniacs calling for each patient. Made me fume on their behalf. didn't say anything though, I'm British

GoodGirlGoneWrong · 19/09/2016 17:44

When my dc2 was taken to hospital (by ambulance) with an asthma attack, dc2?placed in a side room on a nebuliser, the staff nurse then left to have her break (no issue with that at all) what I do have an issue with was her refusing to check on my child when dc2 breathing deteriorated rapidly, as she was on her 'break' this break has lasted over 1.5 hours....she told me she was entitled to a break rather rudely, after she pulled her finger out of her arse dc2 was blue lighted to a nearby children's hospital and received outstanding care, I complained as she severely compromised my child health, pals upheld the complaint as the cctv showed the length of her break. I am not sure of the outcome, I was hoping she'd be fired but apparently nearly killing a child isn't classed as a sackable offence at this pct.

The next time we ended up in a&e I refused for her to treat my dc2 and went to another hospital.

I don't give a shit I think her behaviour was unacceptable.

I've never been allowed 1.5 hour breaks in my job!

notmynamenormally · 19/09/2016 17:45

On nights they sometimes make you take your allocated breaks (which is legally an hour per twelve I think) in one block. The ward next to me aren't allowed night breaks really for staffing so they eat at the desk which probably looks terrible but they can't leave the ward unless to pee.

GoodGirlGoneWrong · 19/09/2016 17:48

Sorry that was a rant.

Yes put it on the feedback, I doubt anything will happen.

Cubtrouble · 19/09/2016 17:49

Don't leave it on your feedback- it will give them yet another reason to go on strike.

dodobookends · 19/09/2016 17:49

Were you awake all night, OP?

user1469914265 · 19/09/2016 17:50

I'm assuming you don't take 1.5 hour breaks because you work 9-5?

Try doing a shift of 12 or more hours and tell us how you feel then!

Memoires · 19/09/2016 17:50

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ for troll hunting. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

buxtonballoon · 19/09/2016 17:52

This isnt really so much about whether she was doing it or not but that it looked to you like she was so not necessarily giving the best impression. I'd mention it in the feedback, if she was doing something else and you didnt realise it will go no further and she'll know to be a bit more discreet when ordering the pizzas in future!