One Bad Apple at the Castle

I'm 5 days post-op. Everything went well. Thank you all for your good wishes. I'm recovering well and I didn't have any complications. But I have to say that there was a nurse at the hospital that was sooooo nasty to me that I had a nervous breakdown. She used the most unprofessional body language and was very nasty to me just because on my second day after the surgery I needed help getting up from my bed. She used words like, "was wrong with you, you should be fine" and " I though you were going home today?". I don't want to remember everything because it makes me want to cry. But after that I cried all night long. The hospital didn't give me my depression pills but after that the doctor had to call-in an order. I was crying and couldn't stop. I was staying on the maternity floor. My mother had stayed with me the night of the surgery that was a great help. But, after her nasty attitude I called home and I wanted somebody to come and stayed over night. I didn't want to bother the *** staff. I called the nurse again, this time she was even worst. She told me, "only fathers can sleep over", I told her that my mother stayed over the night before. She told me, "you are fine and again only fathers can sleep over'. I at point I did let her see me cry, but after she left I cried until my words didn't come out. I can't believe how unprofessional a person that's supposed to medically care for you can be. It had a very negative psychological impact on me. Any advise??

Hi! I am glad you are home recovery. I am sorry to hear you were having problems with a incompetent nurse. If I was you, as soon as you feel up to it, call your Dr's. office and ask them for the Head Nurse of that floor, and then call the Head Nurse and report the incompetent nurse. If your Dr. doesn't know who the head nurse is then call the hospital and find out. This nurse should not be getting away with treating patients like that.....It Angers Me to hear this! They are there getting paid to help you, after all you did have major surgery. What they thought they should go to work and get paid to do nothing! Ticks me off! I'm just glad your home!!

I agree, I would definitely file a complaint about her! She's in the wrong line of work.

I had the same thing with the birth of my second son. I reported the nurse, and she was moved off the floor. Don't know where she went and honestly I don't care!!

I received a survey letter fom my hospital within a week of my surgery. If you receive one of those, write her up! Give her name and don't feel bad about it. Write a letter of complaint to the hospital as well so they have a "hard copy" of what happened. And be honest, you may not be as willing to recommend their hospital to friends because of the poor treatment you received. And let your doctor know as well. He/she may request that future patients not be placed on that floor after surgery.

I had a couple of bad things happen during my hospital stay as well. I do agree that this kind of behavior is unacceptable in any health care situation. I would hope that this person was not a lisenced professional.
In my situation my recovery room nurse asked me about pain. It was 9 out of 10. Her response was I had been given enough morphine and besides I just had surgery so of course I felt pain. After 2 1/2 hrs in the recovery room because of bleeding, low blood pressure and severe pain, I was taken to my room. The floor nurse had the exact same attitude and I had severe pain even with the Morphine pump for 12 hrs. When my DH finally got the nurse to call my DR for added pain medication, I received a dose of Toradol along with the morphine PCA and finally felt some pain relief. I am a critical care RN and I do know that pain is the fifth vital sign and is not to be over looked. I plan to discuss this with the hospital PT advocate with in the next week now that I am recovered. I would advise you to do the same.

I agree with everything that has been said.

After a hospital stay, we ususaly get a "review card". I would let the hospital know of this nurses' lack of professionalism. In addition, I would write a letter to the hospital personnel with a cc to her supervisor informing them of what happened.

I can only hope that you weren't in the same castle as I'm going to be or if you were that the nurse is removed.

I do know that I will not be on the maternity floor, but on the surgical floor.

I also had a bad hospital experience and posted about it some weeks ago. I will grant you I wasn't my sweetest self because I was hurting and so sick, but the nurses all seemed businesslike and uncaring and they acted like it was a major imposition if you asked for anything. They were also doing construction and the noise was constant, sawing and hammering. I had a roommate issue (loud tv and multiple uncontrolled visitors) and finally had to raise %*&@ to get the private room I had originally requested. The second day an administrator dropped by to ask how everything was, when I gave her my story she said she would be back to check on me and I never heard from her again, nor did I ever get any survey or call later, just a bill for $25,000. Since I was in the hospital for seven days (complications), I have to say it was the most traumatic experience of my life. Thank God for my dear boyfriend who stayed with me everynight and made sure I was taken care of. To end on a positive note, I'm 5 weeks out tomorrow and doing MUCH better.

I too had a bad experience with one specific night nurse and I plan on reporting her not only to her boss but to the Director of Personnel at the Hospital. I agree with the other sisters that you do the same.

It wasn't right that you were treated in this manner - its difficult enough that you were in the hospital, in pain, going through recovery from surgery and for her to treat you this way? Nope - you need to make sure the treatment you received is documented in her employee file. No one else needs to go through this either.

Just my 2 cents.

I'm so glad you are now home and recovering in a supportive environment.

I agree with the pp's, you need to file a letter of complaint.