"My ED experience"

My relative was recently taken to Wishaw Accident and Emergency department. This wasn't our first visit to the department and all previous have been much appreciated and wonderful experiences of care. On this occasion this was not entirely the case.

Previously I have felt that both myself and relative in question have been genuinely cared for to a very high standard. The nurses at Wishaw have and will always be admired by myself, the way they work as a team and the respect they show for their patients and each other.

Once allocated a space in the department the nurses, although tired and overworked, were very prompt and professional to the minute they left. However, once shift change over came the new staff allocated to our care provided us with a different experience. I am always grateful of being able to comfort my relative in such a busy environment and was allowed to stay at their bed side, coming and going through the night. This however also came with the experience of what was an eye opener for me. I am very much so putting this down to a one-off experience and will continue to highly admire all other visits and care given.

First of all I was surprised that even though the staff allocated to our care had only just began their shift they were very slow to get to work, spending a long time chatting and not really paying much attention to the patients they had just taken care of. The department is obviously a 24hr service but as it got later in to the night they continued to be quite loud and maybe not realising that their conversations and inappropriate language could be heard clearly. The nurse and their auxiliary seemed to mainly carry out care together and so it was a while before they could answer the buzzers. On one occasion we were told we would have to wait as the nurse was on their own, which I still do not understand as they were not only nowhere to be seen but when they finally returned they then went on to answer another buzzer.

At this point I decided to try get an update from a senior before taking a break and returning before the morning changeover. The doctors were excellent as always explaining and answering questions and we were given a clear plan of the intention of care. Having such information put my mind at rest. I did however feel it best that I should return later and be part of caring for my relative which I do not feel I have had to do before.

On leaving, I overheard our allocated nurse laughing while loudly referring to an incontinent patient as sponging and then joking about themself needing a pad check. So unprofessional! I could go on in to further detail covering that night's experiences but what shocked me the most was how our nurse spent a lot of their time talking about and putting down the work of other nurses on shift and then sharing this with colleagues that they had previously slated. It took me back to the school playground listening to them.

I would however like to finish by saying that even though my experience this time was more worrying than other visits, I did also recognise staff previously encountered that just do not stop putting in 100%. God bless you and the work you do.