Thread: Public hospital system..A real eye opener

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

I was sent down to ED where the Doc ordered morphine and at the same time was sent to the holding area. 45 minutes later still in agony but no morphine, I'm not proud of it, but I suggested to the RN in a not too friendly tone, "Whats the problem, are you growing the opium?" there were a few other expletives used. Sometimes you have to lose one's cool.

Yes, renal calculi can be exquisite pain.

I had that about 15 years ago - being in the military and working not far from Duntroon Hospital I went there and was quickly diagnosed - where the senior female medical orderly suggested that I now knew what it was like giving birth, to which I replied well where is my epidural and pull the finger out to treat me and then promptly threw up on the floor.

They also indicated it was lucky I went to Duntroon rather than Canberra Hospital as they would have made me wait a few hours to ensure I actually had kidney stones as the symptoms are easy to fake to get drugs out out of the system and plenty of people had been trying it on.

Garry

When I was OS in the Solomon islands with RAMSI, we had to take a prisoner to the only hospital in Honiara. No matter how bad we think we have it in Australia, it is nothing compared to what I witnessed. The conditions were atrocious and very sad.

Originally Posted by Ean Austral

Not sure how the system is expected to improve when you see the total lack of respect shown by "joe public" but all I do know is they certainly don't pay nurses enough $$ for what I seen last night, which i am sure is repeated every day and night.

I suspect that nursing is another example of a profession, like teaching and policing, that people criticise either because they believe the media coverage or because of the general tendency for some people to whinge about things that don't happen exactly the way they expect. Sometimes they forget that individual nurses, teachers or police are not responsible for problems with the system.

When the general public actually see the work those people do and the problems they have to deal with, they frequently have a little more respect for the work they do.

Ean,glad to hear your daughter is OK

I arrived at the local public hospital with a heart issue.Sure they took me straight in,but after 5 hours still had no idea what was wrong.I had a common condition which is AF.

They then sent me to the closest private hospital,which specialises in heart problems.They diagnosed the problem immediately.

We have private cover,and in hindsight should have gone straight to the private hospital.

And as said,nurses,doctors,specialists,surgeons,etc, and other staff at these hospitals are worth their weight in gold.

In many areas they are very short staffed,which is not good.

One of my sons has CML,a type of leukaemia.Over the years we have spent a lot of time at hospitals,and medical centres.There have been many highs and lows.

At no time were the medical staff any less than absolutely fantastic,i can't speak highly enough of them.

In fact our specialist has been so good(over the last 12yrs or so) my wife gave him my favourite large aboriginal art painting which was given to me(many years ago) by a well known,prominent artist himself.The artist has since died.

Our specialist, did,with help from others, save our sons life.

A very close friend of mine was taken to the hospital with shortness of breath, chest pains, and pains in the arms and neck/jaw. He went in at 06:30 (about) by 19:30 he was still in the waiting room, he left and went home without being seen. Next morning went to the Dr, went in and on my advice just told them "I have chest pains" 30mins later he left in an ambulance. He is fine now but it was a very very very close call from what I know it was touch and go

My wife when in hospital a while ago could not have anything by mouth, so what would they do? try and give her food and medicine by mouth saying yes it is quite OK the Dr said it was OK, however we talked to the Dr and he was quite categorical that she was not to have anything by mouth. They would then come in a alter the drip rate or just stop it The doors at the end of the corridor had a gap between the bottom of the door and the floor of about 2 inches, the patients complained about the insects /mozzies etc coming in so the patients rolled up towels they got from the linen cupboard and placed them at the bottom the doors, the nurses would take them away. When she was allowed food it was only to be very soft puree so what did she get, casserole nice and chunky. I complained so the result was that she did get the right food only it remained on the trolley and if one of the other ladies did not go and get it she simply would not have had anything at all. There were some nurses who were really were worth their weight in gold and were very professional and their help was greatly appreciated and i thanked them for the professional and quality service.

The lady in the bed next to her, had nothing to eat or drink for 50 - 55 hours. They would prepare her for surgery, then not do it, send her back to the ward with nothing to eat or drink and the whole process repeated it self again, by the third day they did the operation.

Yes there are professional people and and those who are indeed excellent and caring in their job but some at least when we had hospital experience was to say the least lacking.

And before anyone tells me that about the hard work nurses do, (and I agree with that) I have two people in my family who work in the medical profession.

When I first went to live on Aboriginal Communities I took a second job as security for the hospital.
There was no doctor & the nurses were not allowed to leave their quarters until security (me) arrived to escort them.
I/we had a few very funny events.
A lady laying in the hospital driveway when I arrived during a tropical down pour with an axe in her head. I wandered over to get the nurse & said "No hurry, this ones dead." Next day said women thanked me for my help, had a hell of a bandage around her head though.
Another night we had a stabbing in the arm, the bloke kept fighting us, very drunk, so I had my forearm across his throat with most of my weight on it to keep him still, the nurse decided not to use any pain relief while she stitched the muscle & skin.
There were always 2 jobs I reckoned I would never do on Communities, Police & Nurse, both no win, no thanks jobs.
Jonesfam

Originally Posted by gruntfuttock

Next morning went to the Dr, went in and on my advice just told them "I have chest pains" 30mins later he left in an ambulance.

yeah, if you have chest pains, call an ambo.

2 patients arrive at hospital both with shortness of breath.

1 arrives by ambo
1 arrives by any other mean.

ambo will be admitted first almost everytime.