AIBU?
AIBU to expect people to respect rules on hospital wards?
Defnotunique · 03/10/2018 11:27
So im bored, 34 weeks preg been stuck in hosp for 10 days now climbing the walls.
Since ive been here theres something that has really boiled my piss and i want to know through boredom more than anything whether i AIBU to expect people to conform to rules. Lol
I am on a maternity ward (4 bay) partners are not supposed to stay but given the circumstances of some situations - i get that it is essential so happy to turn a blind eye.
From my bay i have 3 "PATIENT ONLY,WC/SHOWER" rooms within reasonable distance.
Desperate for the loo last night - went to the closest one to find my bay neighbours partner coming out.....he hadnt just been to the loo but he had been to the loo, stunk it out AND had a shower.
I walks in and slipped on the floor, tried to go for a wee and the toilet seat was absolutely soaked with water.
Sod this i thought ill end up breaking my neck. So i went to the other 2. Both occupied. So i waited - did the wee wee dance, stood there a good 10 mins before either were unoccupied.....instead of a pregnant woman or postnatal woman vacating AGAIN.... 2 husbands leaving the loos.
Now, im really trying not to be unreasonable here -, but there are visitors loos round the corner by the entrance and not one of them opted to use it.
AIBU to Expect people/partners to use vistors loos rather than patient ones?
My husband goes to the visitors ones might i add.....
Holding pee at 34 weeks isnt an easy feat!!!!
I am giggling away to myself cause i am aware i sound like a hormonal nutjob lol x
CuriousaboutSamphire · 03/10/2018 11:30
I'd have been screaming " Make way pregnant patient wanting to pee"
I couldn't have kept quiet.. or held my badder!
InspectorIkmen · 03/10/2018 11:31
Well I don't think you sound nuts and I do get how annoying it is - but who do you think is going to enforce this stuff? The poor nurses have quite enough to do and even if they did wade in they'd just get an earful of abuse. It's just not worth their while.
Did YOU say anything?
Womaningreen · 03/10/2018 11:35
Oh op that's awful
Can you ask anyone visiting you to make a big announcement on the ward? I would do that for you if I could! I'd also confront the culprits.
BlueBug45 · 03/10/2018 11:35
Make a complaint. Do one while you are in hospital - mention that you nearly fell over due to the state it was left in- and then complain again when you are out.
When I was on the antenatal and postnatal wards they made it absolutely clear partners could not use the patients facilities. On the antenatal ward enough staff kept popping in so it wasn't possible, while on the postnatal ward a couple of the patients had enough wrong with them partners were too scared to use the bathrooms in case they needed it.
Defnotunique · 03/10/2018 11:38
I mentioned it to rhe nurse for safety sake of things more than anything because he had what resembled a shower party.
I dont "expect" the nurses to enforce it but would expect the partners to have a bit of common courtesy.
HoleyCoMoley · 03/10/2018 11:41
It's not petty to complain, I would actually ask to speak to the ward manager and PALS and tell them what happened, there's no reason why they cannot speak to all the patients and ask them to make sure their partners don't use the toilets and showers and to put clear notices up. This is a safety issue as well as something that affects your wellbeing and health.
schnubbins · 03/10/2018 11:51
Complain to the Nurses and the management of the hospital! I worked for years as a Nurse in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and know exactly what you are talking about.Men waltzing in and out of patients bathrooms and toilets.I have many a time read the riot act to visitors both male and female about this .Every hospital has public toilets , there is no excuse for encroaching on patients privacy at such a vulnerable time not to mention the hygiene aspect of it all.Now don't get me started on finding visiting partners lying in hospital beds !
ParisProperty · 03/10/2018 11:55
Are the facilities marked female only? Or has this gender neutral nonsense invaded maternity wards now?
How thoughtless and inconsiderate those men are.
Visitors of either sex shouldn't be using patients' bathrooms and toilets.
allmycats · 03/10/2018 11:56
There is NO reason why visitors should be using patient only lavatories/showers when there are visitor facilities available. Please do mention it, perhaps a sign could be put up saying 'NOT FOR THE USE OF NON-PATIENTS'
inspectorlkmen - what sort of people do you mix with if you think that the people using the patient facilities would give the nurses abuse ??
Chocolatecoffeeaddict · 03/10/2018 12:04
I would be angry about this too. On the wards after having all my children by c section they have been strict about the toilets being for patients only and they also don't allow women's partners to stay overnight, like some hospitals do.
However once I was waiting to be seen in the EPAU and was waiting ages to do a wee sample and it was because a woman's partner was in there. He looked taken aback when he came out and saw I was waiting, but there were visitors toilets on the other side of the door so no reason why he should have used that one.
SlothMama · 03/10/2018 12:09
I'd have a word with the ward manager or ward sister, if that doesn't work speak to PALS as they shouldn't be using the patient toliets. Not only does it inconvenience the patients it's a infection risk, which infection prevention would probably be interested in hearing about.
WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 03/10/2018 12:21
YANBU at all
Those husbands are bang out of order as it goes . And you slipped as one had even had a SHOWER ? Damn cheek of them .
Complain OP . Makes it all the worse there are public toilets round the corner for gods sake.
Defnotunique · 03/10/2018 12:22
Im glad im not just being a hormonal freak lol.
And it is very clearly a common bug bear!
Im literally up peeing every 45 mins in the night so having the non-convenience of 3 unuseable bogs is no fun lol.
MumW · 03/10/2018 14:20
I'd mention it to the nurse in charge. It's about infection control as well.
noeffingidea · 03/10/2018 14:26
InspectorIkmen that is part of the nursing staff's job actually, there should be security they can call on if things get nasty.
Yes, complain, OP. Things will never improve if people just accept things like this.
HoleyCoMoley · 03/10/2018 14:47
It is very difficult sometimes trying to be reasonable with visitors who love to abuse the system, I have witnessed many people become really aggressive towards the nurses when asked not to use toilets, bathrooms, eat the patients food, lie on or in the beds, have their feet up on the beds, have the tv turned up loud, speak constantly on the mobile phone, film people on the ward, visit whenever they want, stay as late as they want, let the kids run around. Yes, they do tell nurses to eff off, tell them they pay their wages, demand to see a manager to put in a false complaint.
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