Nobody answering the call nurse button.

[peachy3]

Not really an AIBU, posting here for traffic, just want to know if anyone else has been in this place and what myself or one of the other patients can do?

I’m currently admitted in hospital with an infection and high heart rate that isn’t coming down. Im on the Labour ward as I’m 36 weeks pregnant. There’s only 4 of us in this room and a few people in another room down the hall. I’ve tried to use my call nurse button a few times but it’s not been making any sound. I brought it up to one nurse who said she’ll be back with a replacement over an hour ago, spoke to another nurse who said the first nurse was sorting it and spoke to a third nurse who said she’ll go find out about it but nobody has come back. I’m in no way bashing the nurses or angry at them at all, they could have been called away to something important, but the woman next to me has pressed her button for me which works and nobody is coming in. It’s been a few hours now, I did go out a few times but was told someone would be coming in now and then nothing. I’ve decided to just wait it out a bit but the lady opposite me has been ringing her button, she’s currently having contractions, and nobody has been coming in. Her button works as it’s making the noise it should but no one is coming in to see her. I’m of course not a nurse but I’ve heard a lot of laughter and chatting out in the hallway which makes it seem like we’re being ignored. Is there anything I should do? I’m the only one not in labour so I don’t mind going out to say something but I also don’t want to sound terrible and entitled, I know how hard nurses work and would never disrespect them.

Any suggestions?

Before my mother died she was in and out of hospital frequently. She had multiple conditions so was admitted to different ones depending on what the main issue was.
There were five altogether and the only one that provided excellent care was Leicester General. The others…, ignored her when she was in pain, didn’t feed her on the days she went to kidney dialysis (often she wouldn’t be there when the menus were handed out. She was Coeliac and yet they offered her a sandwich! ). On one occasion all they had to offer was cornflakes. She was already very underweight so nutrition was vital. After an above knee amputation she was given just paracetamol for pain relief. When I explained she was in unbearable pain they said they would see what they could do, and did nothing. In another she contracted mrsa (the hospital was well known for poor infection control.) This one is my local hospital and very luckily when I needed minor surgery it was outsourced to a private hospital where the care was amazing. I know there are a lot of hospitals that offer a really good service but in my experiences it was one in five.

@Jannt86

'This is exactly the attitude I don't want to hear. It's not patients being selfish and thinking they are the only person on the ward. It's people being deliberately ignored, shouted at, left crying in their own shit, refused food, refused pain relief, laughed at and so on. And yes I've witnessed all of these things with my own eyes. It's not selfish to expect basic human kindness'

Nowhere did I say it's selfish to expect good care. I said it's missguided to blame the overstretched frontline staff when they've been systematically forced to work in such dismal conditions. No nurse I've worked with would choose to ignore someone or leave them in pain or unclean. However one thing you can never train anyone to do is to be in two places at once ...

There are over 300,000 nurses and midwives in the UK. You vouching for all of them?

I've experienced absolute angels, and this includes my DB's ex, who gave such good care to my late mum.

I've also come across some evil people, who should never be in the caring profession. They're not all just reacting to overwork, some of these people actively choose to be nasty to others, including to patients.

It's no different to any large organisation, you get good and bad.

[quote Jansobieski]@MsDataPotataYeah right. so the nhs only has 6300 nurses who work hard and 300,000
who don't ?
Performance related pay. My arse you worked in the NHS.[/quote]
I was a diagnostic radiographer, more use than your arse I suspect. You could always tell the slackers by the offence they took at being called out on it. I see that hasn't changed either.

@MsDataPotata
Who are you referring to?
Im a bit that you left a reasonably well paid job because all the nurses/ Drs/ staff were "slackers" or do you mean other radiographers.
I know a couple of treatment radiographers and their working conditions are dreadful.
Last minute rota, unable to book leave, late stays etc

This is why the sad state of the NHS can't be discussed in a sensible manner .

Oh gosh OP I hope you feel better soon!
I had the same on Monday - was taking 30 mins to get seen to when pressing my button but over the weekend prior, they were coming in instantly. Obviously Monday was a much busier day for them and luckily my last day there!

Good luck with your baby

This happened to me and others on a ward where we had broken legs and could not get out. I rang my husband and he rang the ward. They came quickly then.

@ziegfeld

more BHS than NHS

😂😂😂😂😂

@MsDataPotata but you left leaving your hardworking colleagues in the lurch. Not much moral fibre there.
And how as a supposed 'diagnostic radiographer' you can say that all nurses are lazy is amazing when I suspect the only contact you've had is brief.
And yes that's why we can't have a meaningful discussion about the NHS because like brexit attacks quickly become personal, good example being nurses are lazy and rude when lots of them are clearly not.

The reason this can’t be discussed rationally is that the NHS has been placed on a pedestal to be worshipped. And you don’t generally criticise the thing you worship.
In our work we discuss suboptimal outcomes, even the minor things, in order to improve. It’s not done to blame, it’s done to improve.

[quote Jansobieski]@MsDataPotata but you left leaving your hardworking colleagues in the lurch. Not much moral fibre there.
And how as a supposed 'diagnostic radiographer' you can say that all nurses are lazy is amazing when I suspect the only contact you've had is brief.
And yes that's why we can't have a meaningful discussion about the NHS because like brexit attacks quickly become personal, good example being nurses are lazy and rude when lots of them are clearly not.[/quote]
The issue is that something called Splitting.
This is a dysfunctional mindset where the NHS/ nurses are either idealised or in contrast devalued.

Idealisation
Angels
Thank god for the NHS
Clapping

Devalue
Evil
Lazy
Bloody NHS

Subsequent governments, the press and particularly The Tories have used this idealise/ devalue cycle to meet their own ends, clapping when they needed HCPs to risk their lives with shoddy PPE etc
Pay rise? You are all lazy, only in it for money.
Whats missing ?

Discard

[quote Jansobieski]@MsDataPotata but you left leaving your hardworking colleagues in the lurch. Not much moral fibre there.
And how as a supposed 'diagnostic radiographer' you can say that all nurses are lazy is amazing when I suspect the only contact you've had is brief.
And yes that's why we can't have a meaningful discussion about the NHS because like brexit attacks quickly become personal, good example being nurses are lazy and rude when lots of them are clearly not.[/quote]
Some are, that's just a fact

I was in, not a maternity ward, but 16 weeks pregnant and miscarrying, due to have a DVC, however went into labour if you can call it that, went out asking for pain relief, it was shift change and the nurses just looked up, said sorry they can't help, I would have to wait. Screamed the fucking place down, a young Dr came out and apologised but he couldn't prescribe me anything. I would have walked myself around to A&E but was too far away. The pain was so intense as my baby wasn't helping being born, I honestly was delirious with the pain. I went into the loo and gave birth to my dead foetus in a cardboard toilet thing.

Took it and myself back to my bed, blood running down my legs and all over the floor, not a soul come to me until the shift change was over. Had to walk past the nurses station to get to my bed. When they did come, I told them all to fuck off and sorted myself out. Pulled the curtain round and cried, more tears than I had in my life. They tried pulling them back, saying they need to see me, from the nurses station, like that happened, that didn't work out for them, either. They knew just to leave me the fuck alone.

Then had some Dr come and ask me to sign a form to send my foetus off for scientific purposes or cremation, as I was aware of, hadn't been talked to about any choices. Told her where to go and she shuffled off. Had an ultrasound the next day along with the planned procedure as fragments were still left.

Absolutely horrendous experience, to say I was affected was an understatement, had to have therapy, it was awful and still have nightmares to this day.

Every time I have been ill and ended up being admitted into hospital, it's always on a bank holiday, so nothing ever happens til the Tuesday.

I would now rather die and hold out til the Tuesday than ever go in on a bank holiday. Lesson learn't the hard way.

Like some solicitors, teachers, accountants and yes even medics. Some doctors are indeed lazy, rude and obnoxious, ignore the patient and yet every single thread about the NHS turns into a verbal attack on nurses and how bad they are. Not doctors, physios and OTs who all have extended contact with vulnerable patients but funnily enough none of them are ever lazy, rude or obnoxious.
@Whattochoosenow who on earth worships the NHS ? To read this thread most people can't wait to get rid of it.

Omg Loopyloulou007 that's horrendous
Did you ever complain? That's a sackable offence in my book

I have been in 2 hospitals recently. One in London, it was fantastic with genuinely caring staff. What you’d expect.
Then there was the other hospital, 30 miles from London. Staff were unmotivated and slapdash. The cleaners were not cleaning but using unclean mops/sponges. They just didn’t care. It’s not an easy job but sloppy work spreads germs.

@Loopyloulou007

I am so sorry you had to go through that. Fucking horrendous

@Loopyloulou007 that's disgusting treatment I hope you complained.

@bitemyarsenic It’s concerning that you would like censor people sharing their experiences because it puts some nurses in a negative light. You must know very well why this thread was started, it’s all in the OP

And btw, I’m unimpressed with GPs thinking they’re being persecuted for being asked to see patients face to face, I know very well it’s not just inept nurses causing issues. Also far too many pointless managers. Just saw a job vacancy for an NHS manager for 0 carbon goals, getting paid twice what nurses get, IIRC. So much waste of money on staff that have nothing to do with patient care.

I have had a couple of good experiences with nurses and was extremely grateful, mainly one prescribing nurse who helped me get Ovestin when I was 30 bit suicidal with what seems like menopause symptoms, nocturia and the ensuing broken sleep, night sweats, dysuria and dyspareunia (not that I was able to have sex at all, I was suicidal due to the sleep deprivation and constant cold soaking cold sweats at night. No doctors in Brighton would help me except one kind lady who was concerned that I might have a pituitary tumour but then the endocrinologist wouldn’t help me, but this one nurse at the walk in clinic in Hastings did. She listened to how I randomly discovered online this Ovestin cream on an Interstitial Cystitis forum and that it helps, nobody else would prescribe because I was too young to need estriol I am still grateful to her now, 7 years later.

But the bad experiences I’ve had far outnumber the good ones, unfortunately. Awful male nurse when I attempted to take my life, the hatred was seeping out of him and he took me into a small room where I am 90% certain he sexually assaulted me, at a pretty central London hospital. Awful staff in Brighton hospital every time I was desperately ill with my mental health due to my inability to get help for my physical health. I also have Autism, CPTSD, sensory processing disorder which makes it very hard for me to tolerate bullying abusive neglectful behaviour as it’s what I lived with as a developing child and this left its awful mark on my brain. The experience in London with a termination was hideous too, the woman made me bend over in her dirty office room, on a dirty armchair not a clinical room, to shove something up me, I have sexual trauma for God’s sake and terminating due to severe Tokophobia even though I want a baby and they treated me like a filthy dog. Then this awful male doctor aggressively snapped that he has to examine me internally to check something, I said ‘no way’ and he got very offended and also the female nurse said something to make me feel guilty, can’t remember the words but it was to the effect ‘it’s for your own good’

I developed an infection after and met the sweetest gyne lady, she was newish so enthusiastic perhaps, small in stature and just so unthreatening and calm and sweet and concerned and convincing. She convinced me that I needed an examination and she was as gentle as possible and made it just about bearable. Conversely, when I was in extreme pain in my pelvic area and went to the sexual clinic as advised by GP, I was sobbing after she started her internal examination and she just didn’t know what it could possibly be, everything looked fine to her. I had to diagnose myself with atrophic vaginitis even though it should have been obvious from my symptoms, what is wrong with me. I felt raped after this examination, I don’t know how you can keep going when your patient is obviously freaking out due to the speculum.

I wish it wasn’t so, but it’s clear from the defensiveness and blame on the government/underfunding when the cruel behaviour I’ve witnessed was happening also during Labour years, so nothing to do with the current overlords.

@Loopyloulou007 I’m so sorry this happened to you, it’s not acceptable at all x

Do nurses ever answer call buttons?
Too much like work for a good few of them.

Shell, your poor mum. It sounds barbaric.

I’ve had several ops and each time I’ve been sent home with inadequate painkillers. Last time I spoke to the doctor beforehand about my concerns and he reassured me I’d be given adequate pain relief. I wasn’t and was told to take paracetamol.

I don’t understand the reluctance, or in some cases, refusal to prescribe decent pain relief.