"Post op Care"

Anything else?

I was placed in Bulpham after an urological operation. Bulpham ward is an Orthopedic ward my clinical condition is Urology. This may explain why the night staff paid no attention to the irrigation plan. I had to inform the staff when the drip had run through my arm 30 minutes after it had. And I had to call the staff each time the irrigation fluids had run through (catheter) I had to wait for two hours for the new irrigation bags to be connected.I was in hospital for an operation and after care, It is not my responsibility to keep an eye on the drips. Once yes, three times, no. The nursing assistant who was looking after the bay I was in with 3 other men told me she had never seen or done the procedure before. she was trained that evening by another care assistant who informed me she was from another "bay" I made the point to the night S/N as this made me anxious. On the night of my op I called the nurse for pain killers at 1205am and these were brought at 12.30. On the day of my catheter being removed this was done, under supervision by a trainee nurse who was on her third day of her 1st placement. After removing some of the water from the retaining balloon she started to pull. It was very painful and the supervising nurse asked her to check the balloon was indeed empty. It was not and there was still some fluid to draw off. To and insult to injury on leaving the ward I was given a "goodbye from our ward" document. In it, it explains if you have any problems within 4 weeks of the op we are to call the ward. I did this and was promptly told that the ward is Orthopedic and not urology. I was told to contact my GP. I asked for the number of the consultant's secretary but they did not have it? They could not transfer my call to switchboard but gave me an 0845 number call. I thought the day staff were very good and conveyed this on my form. on reflection though It seems to me that you have too many new care assistants who are left to act on their own. Clearly if I had been asleep all night on the night of my op the irrigation bags would not have been replaced as the N/A was totally unaware of them......