Good Thing, Bad Thing

Good thing- I live in Canada and we have universal healthcare.
Bad thing- my daughter got sick and needed to go to the hospital. 

Good thing- She had my car so she made it there in good time as she most likely required surgery.

Bad thing- When I tried to start her car the battery was dead.

Good thing- When I went back inside, Lollers only vomited near my shoes in the hall, not on them.

Bad thing- The cab driver had so much cologne on I wanted to vomit myself. 

Good thing- Walter took a crap on the front hall mat and I stepped in it just as I was about to meet the cab – oh wait, that is clearly a bad thing.

Bad thing- The care we were given at the hospital was rude and far from compassionate.

Good thing- This prompted me to take action. 

Bad thing- My daughter had to have surgery.

Good thing- She is ok and recovering.

Bad thing- I needed to take my concerns to the CEO and the Head of Nursing of the hospital – oh wait, that isn’t so bad.

Good thing- The meeting was very productive and I am hoping to volunteer on the Patient and Family Advocate Committee soon.

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Positive and Positive Attract

I had an excellent meeting with the CEO and Head of the Nursing Department of a hospital in which my daughter and I had a very terrible experience with a nurse and her lack of professionalism and compassion. I’ve always believed that positive and positive attract – and today that theory was once again proven.

The primary reason for my request of this meeting today was to share a negative experience, but I don’t go about doing so with the old Natalie ‘jersey them’ attitude anymore. I now approach difficult experiences as an opportunity to grow; and today I think that all three of us in the meeting did just that.

After sharing my recollection of the events in a detailed fashion, I continued the meeting with a request to not have the nurse in question reprimanded, but rather to have my daughter’s and my discontent shared with the nurse (or how would she even have the opportunity to change her actions and bedside manner), and to share an offering of peer support to her and all of the staff at the hospital. I explained to the CEO and Head of Nursing what Wings of Change was and how it could easily be facilitated at the hospital. I am not naive to think that it is quite possible that this nurse was having a bad day and could require some support of her own – however this does NOT condone her actions. This conversation point went over very well and I will be sending more information about Wings of Change to both of them for there consideration.

I also suggested the following:

• A patient suggestion/comment portal be introduced on the hospital’s website;
• Signage be added to the emergency department that offers contact information to the hospital’s patient advocates (a service many people still do not know exists).

I also applied to be on the Patient and Family Advisory Committee and requested that if I am selected that I have a voice in the adult and youth mental health department services and care.

According to the College of Nurses in Ontario, Standards of Care, “Nurses are obliged to provide empathic and knowledgeable care” (www.cno.org), and MOST do. But when a situation occurs where this standard is not met, I encourage you to contact the patient advocate in the hospital you are being provided care in.

I would like to thank both the CEO and Head of Nursing for meeting with me today and for their professionalism and genuine concern with regards to the care of my daughter.

 

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