To think this nurse shouldn't have laughed / scoffed at me for asking for a room?

[supertrainers]

Last night at 3 am I had to take my DD to a and e as she was struggling with her breathing.

Unfortunately this coincided with me having been up all night already vomiting. Second night in a row. It's not a stomach bug, before anyone says I shouldn't have taken my child to the hospital.

I was feeling absolutely rotten. Two nights of no sleep, worry for my DD. Pain, nausea. Everything.

I'm familiar with the hospital as I have found myself many times in there with one of my children in the middle of the night.

Most of the time, we get offered a room, once we've been triaged. Not always, but more often than not. The room has a bed in it and we just stay in there and the doctors come in and out.

I said to the triage nurse last night that I was also feeling extremely unwell and are there any rooms we could possibly wait in. I said I'm sorry for asking and I wouldn't ask unless I really needed to.

She did a scoff / laugh at me for even asking. 9 times out of 10 we have a room and you scoff at me ? I was taken aback by it and in my horrible state for her to just laugh / scoff at me was super rude. I told her, I understand but I really don't appreciate you laughing at me for even asking. I'm really unwell and I wouldn't ask you. It's not very nice that you laughed.

She denied laughing at me. I left it at that and went and sat on the plastic chairs for 6 hours.

If that's "end of" why are you here asking us?

@JLou08 yes but the OP says usually they are given a room for her daughter (not her).

My dd has autism and still can’t expect a quiet place or room if there isn’t one. Reasonable adjustments don’t overtake bigger clinical need.

I always ask for a separate space/room or I wait outside
A&E waiting area is not a place to be with my health conditions!

Honestly it depends on your nurse or doctor. I have a chronic life limiting illness that means multiple admissions. Just recently, two, I've had a room. One, I was on a plastic chair for 24 hours. But the nurses were still lovely and respectful.

I know the difficulties in the NHS but there's no excuse for laughing in the face of a worried mum

I don't get the impression the OP was asking for priority?

When I was in A&E very recently, a family were told the only way their relative was going to get a room was if he died. The system is broken.

Asking for 1 of a tiny number of rooms when a waiting list is bursting at the seems is asking for priority.

@Runnerinthenight

Every patient in A/E wants a room...

And just to add if a relative had asked her for a private room that night because they didn’t feel well (who does in A&E) no I don’t think she would have laughed and scoffed which was unprofessional but I think she would have rolled her eyes (privately) at the naivety of the a large portion of the public who just aren’t getting it.

No it isn’t. We are getting treatment. The child got her obs. Patients in A&E by and large don’t need private rooms.

Sorry but you shouldn't have gone into a&e being sick. Could family member etc taken dc. I know not perfect but as someone dealing with very vulnerable Patients I'm shocked. Side rooms given those most sick and your dc the patient not you. Slightly worried how many people you passed the sickness on too.

How do you know the waiting room was "bursting at the seems" [sic]??

She asked if there was one free - the word "no" would have sufficed without any facial gesture.

It doesn't sound like she was laughing at you, but rather at the idea of there being a spare room available. They would have offered you one if there had been one available, like on other occasions. She shouldn't have scoffed, but she might not even have realised she'd done it. It wasn't personal.

Didn't you read the OP?

"Unfortunately this coincided with me having been up all night already vomiting. Second night in a row. It's not a stomach bug, before anyone says I shouldn't have taken my child to the hospital".

No harm in asking we always do when I have to go in with my mum. She will disturb everyone on the ward once she starts trying to escape.

When you're sick though you're not having your best day and it can make interactions feel more prickly, it's possible she was laughing in a resigned (at the situation) way rather than in a scoffing at you way.

She had a 6 hour wait. It was clearly under huge pressure.

Could have been quiet that hour of the night? We don't know?

I don't think a polite request needed to be met with derision?

Of course - but sh*t happens at 3 am. None asks for a nurse nightshift at A/E. They are exhausting.

Doesn't mean it was full - could have been short-staffed?

NHS? A/E? Sure.

I'm sure they are, but it doesn't excuse rudeness.

Dont be ridiculous.

She’s a nurse. It’s not customer service.

You sound entitled whether you mean to or not.

No. But try 7 in a row and you might be a bit more understanding.