How To Handle Nasty Or Bizarre Hospital Staff “caring” For Father?
Dad's in hospital. It's serious. Was in ER for over a day before he got a room that's 28 hours. Nurse doing a double shift was soooo mean and rude she was Satan. I mean she went out of her way to say things to me that were inappropriate. I kept trying to get other help from staff but they were too busy and so I was stuck sucking up her attitude because I didn't want my father to pay in her treatment if I told her what I really thought of her 'bedside manner'.
But I did complain once we were moved and I plan on a follow up letter.
Then he got moved to a higher floor and all is good. But my Dad needs a 'sitter' (nurses assistant) in his room at all times. Various sitters come for diff. shifts. One guy came several times and my 6 older siblings and I agreed he was great. BUT the sitters get hospital laptops they can play games on etc. when the patients are sleeping. So I'm in the room with my brother and this sitter, we are making small convo. My brother left and forgot something so I jumped up to go after him and I saw the laptop the sitter had, and he was reading PORN. I mean in BIG BOLD LETTERS were NASTY NASTY headlines. No pix, just hardcore text. This 'sitter' just came home from Iraq serving and was going back in a few months to serve. I sat back down in the room and he had his laptop and was continuing conversation but I felt completely uncomfortable knowing he's reading stuff like "I love your nasty twat" . So, went and told the nurse. I said that he seemed nice but that is inappropriate and I wanted a new nurses assistant/sitter. So, when he went on lunch break she dismissed him from his duty. She didn't even tell him why she just said, "the family said you are not a good match for them." I am pissed that she didn't tell him.
Some friends say I should have just told him that it wasn't appropriate and that it's normal for a guy in his 20's just back, etc... and others say I handled it right. I feel glad that he is gone, because if he was doing that while we were there what would he do when we weren't???
This is alledgedly a very good, reputable hospital. And I don't want to seem like I'm 'against' the staff. But I want qualified care for my Dad.
What do you think? Thanks.
Tags: "caring", Bizarre, Father, Handle, Hospital..., Nasty, Staff
September 26th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
you need to file a complaint with the Director of Nurses for the hospital immediately, this is very inappropriate behavior for a professional taking care of your father. You have every right to want not only qualified care for your father but care with some common sense. good luck and take care of yourself, this will be a very stressful time for your family.
September 27th, 2009 at 2:30 am
Unfortunately, unless you are paying someone to be there with him 24/7 you will have to take what you can get. Yes, You should have spoke up and stated that you thought what the sitter was doing was inappropriate. That way he would have been able to turn it off and do other things and you would still have a sitter. Yes, you have a right to have someone there to properly care for your dad, but after a while it does get kind of boring, especially if he is sleeping most of the time. Watching porn is normal for a guy in his 20′s. If this is a reputable hospital, then they have fairly decent people working with/for them. If you are not happy with the service, please speak up and make the changes that are needed. But keep in mind, all hospitals, these days, are dealing with a nursing shortage. let alone decent nursing assistants and aides.
September 27th, 2009 at 9:22 am
You did the right thing and I think the nurse also did the right thing. What if she had just come in and confronted him with what you tell her. why take the chance of making a scene in a sick man’s hospital room. You don’t know the sitter would react and neither did the nurse. How do you know the Nurse didn’t report him to a higher authority? I would not continue to make a big deal out of this.The man is no longer your father’s sitter and never will be again. How the hospital handled the discipline is not you business.