24 June 2009

In Praise of Canberra Hospital's Emergency Department (yes ... praise)

| deezagood
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Emergency Departments are depressing places at the best of times and last Sunday night was no exception. We arrived in the early evening and the place was, as always, heaving with people. There were angry people, abusive people, really sick people, injured people, drunk/high people, resigned people and those people that always seem to cluster right at the entrance of the ED, smoking themselves to better health.

My seven year old daughter had badly cut her wrist on a piece glass and was bleeding quite profusly – we needed urgent medical attention (fending off the anticipated accusations of bad mothering, she broke the glass while unloading the dishwasher, under supervision, and these are our first stitches in eight years of parenthood).

Admittedly, our ER visit didn’t get off to a great start, as we had to wait 15 minutes just to get our names on the list and be seen to by the triage nurse (yes, they were that busy). However, once we were seen, our experience was excellent. The poor, much-harangued staff were just lovely to my daughter and they patched her up while we waited to see a doctor for stitches. Given the number of people in the waiting room, they seemed to move through the patients pretty quickly, and in only a few hours we were seen by an absolutely lovely doctor who could not have been more gentle and kind to my terrified little girl.

But this isn’t what made our visit worthy of praise. As I was driving home from the hospital, a staff member called me to report that we had left without picking up the ‘Bravery Award’ that they must give to all of the kids who have procedures. I just wanted to get my daughter home, so I told the staff not to worry about it. Imagine my surprise when the certificate turned up in our mail yesterday, with a short note from the hospital staff. My daughter was thrilled to bits and I think that sending us the certificate was a really lovely thing for the staff to do, especially given their constant workload.

So – high praise to the Canberra Hospital’s ED admin staff – your little bit of extra effort made my little girl’s day. I also think it is great to see McDonalds, AMF Bowling and Luna Park sponsoring the award with their vouchers too. Now, if we could only get more staffing to support those lovely, hard-working ED staff ….

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I’ve been to the ED a few times – and I always found everybody there very helpful.

I think we need more of the kind of people who work in ED in our society.

It’s a shame we don’t get to choose where our tax $ go.

My partner once spend 3 days in A&E. He tried to escape and catch a taxi home (while still attached to a drip) but they caught him. It was a horrible 3 days until they found a bed for him in the ward – the noise, the drunks, screaming children, no wonder he tried to escape.

Any experience, good or bad, should be documented and sent to the hospital via their feedback forms or a letter. It’s nice to hear positive stuff on a forum like these, and equally, disturbing to hear the negative, but it is more appropriate to direct it to the powers that be. Particularly in the case of bad experiences, they need to know about it so that they can fix it and no-one else needs to go through the bad.

lucym, I am so sorry your Dad had such a bad experience. It shouldn’t happen like that, to anyone.

housebound said :

They’re great with babies, young children, flowing blood, heart conditions.

They’re not so good with young men and their sporting/drinking injuries, sick teenagers, asian students with poor english, and old people with an acute episode of a chronic condition. These people aren’t ignored, but the treatment isn’t quite as generous.

I beg to differ…..

housebound said :

They’re great with babies, young children, flowing blood, heart conditions.

They’re not so good with young men and their sporting/drinking injuries, sick teenagers, asian students with poor english, and old people with an acute episode of a chronic condition. These people aren’t ignored, but the treatment isn’t quite as generous.

That’s called prioritization.

lucym said :

Nice to hear that you are happy.

I am still upset at the ED triage nurse who made my elderly and terminally ill father wait for 8 hours (along with my elderly mother) despite being advised by another nurse that there was a bed in the ward for him in National Capital. He was almost unconscious and couldn’t sit unaided and the ED was the only way to get him admitted over a long weekend (if you have a serious illness, hope you don’t deteriorate over a weekend as your GP can’t admit you to hospital). I got the strong impression that the triage nurse didn’t believe in private health care and she didn’t care that one patient admitted means one less patient in the ED queue. He died a few days later.

I guess they get brickbats and bouquets and on occasion both are valid.

That is a really, really sad story. I’m so sorry your father had to endure that treatment in his last days.

There seems to be a sad ED story for every happy story, but maybe because we have little kids, our treatment has always been really good. I think the sad stories are more about the lack of resources than the staff’s committment or professionalism though.

Good to hear some positive feedback in an area with very little good news and always under-resourced.

i have had to wait in the ED with a friend who had hit a pole on a rural road, the nurses attention to his needs were exemplary.

I have also been in the ED with my children, from time to time, and babies don’t always take priority. But we understand that a littlie may have to wait if an ambulance comes in.

My wife had a serious haemmorhage, and was sent to the hospital in an ambulance.

I was escorted in a very confused and stressed state when my wife was in surgery by a nurse who sat with me in the waiting area, she went into recovery to check on the status of my wife withiout being asked. she led me into recovery to see my wife, without her assistance, I don’t know how i could have coped. we did write a letter to the hospital – thanking her for her work and outstanding support.

Through all of the trips to the ED, one thing, for me, always stands out – these people try to always greet you, there is never a sour person behind the counter, and they care about your welfare. not because it is their job, but because they really do care.

i wouldn’t trade with these people. they see the worst of humanity, sickness, accidents, death. And they go back to work the next day.

I’ve had a few occasions to go to the ED at Canberra Hospital, and I have been likewise very pleased with the service. Great post.

They’re great with babies, young children, flowing blood, heart conditions.

They’re not so good with young men and their sporting/drinking injuries, sick teenagers, asian students with poor english, and old people with an acute episode of a chronic condition. These people aren’t ignored, but the treatment isn’t quite as generous.

And you must always, always have someone with you who is well so they can advocate for you if you have the misfortune of not being in the first group.

I too had good experience with the Canberra Hospital’s ED few years ago when I had an asthma attack in the middle of the night. I was in panic mode as every breathe I drew hurts like hell. A nurse came to my rescue, wheeled me straight in without asking question, gave me the necessary medication and told my partner to sort out the paperwork later. Even after I was warded, almost every single staff of either nurse, doctor or specialist I interacted with were nothing but excellent. I wrote them a thank you card when I was discharged.

I’m glad too that you posted the story, deezagood. They do deserve a recognition.

Nice to hear that you are happy.

I am still upset at the ED triage nurse who made my elderly and terminally ill father wait for 8 hours (along with my elderly mother) despite being advised by another nurse that there was a bed in the ward for him in National Capital. He was almost unconscious and couldn’t sit unaided and the ED was the only way to get him admitted over a long weekend (if you have a serious illness, hope you don’t deteriorate over a weekend as your GP can’t admit you to hospital). I got the strong impression that the triage nurse didn’t believe in private health care and she didn’t care that one patient admitted means one less patient in the ED queue. He died a few days later.

I guess they get brickbats and bouquets and on occasion both are valid.

My family & I have always had great dealings with Canberra Hospital ED, when I had asthma 9 years ago I was put in a bed within 30 minutes & waited 2 hours for a bed in the childrens ward.

Over the past year my mother has been in CH ED a few times & has always got a bed as soon as she went in & was seen quickly & once even went into ICU pretty quick. The staff were great, but for some reason I always want to faint when I was visiting her in acute care part of ED.

Children do seem to get VIP treatment, though – esp babies. Not saying this is wrong, but perhaps it gives a slightly more favourable view of the waiting times – trust me, it stops once they hit the teen years!

That said, ED staff are brill and all deserve a medal.

grunge_hippy8:23 pm 24 Jun 09

i recently went to the ED, and also have nothing but praise. they were awesome. people who sit and whine about not being seen when they have a head cold should be shot.

kean van choc7:01 pm 24 Jun 09

So very glad you posted this story Deezagood. I’m currently writing a letter to the Canberra Hospital to praise the staff of ED, the Registrar Review Clinic and the Plastics Area in relation to the caring, empathic and professional treatment I had from al the nurses (and Doctors) in those areas after i recently sustained a serious burn. They deserve nothing but praise.

barking toad6:46 pm 24 Jun 09

Good post Deeza.

ED usually just cops totally undeserved brickbats, not enough bouquets.

Great story, and what a great idea with the bravery awards!

I once spent 14 – yes fourteen – hours in ED with an ankle sprained badly enough to need xrays on a Sunday, and I have nothing but praise for the staff in the ED.

Obviously my injury was waaaaaaaay down the list, but the staff were very apologetic and attentive, making sure I was comfortable and keeping me updated on my expected wait.

I witnessed a number of emergencies arriving via the front doors or via ambulance and the calm manner and professionalism shown by the staff was truly amazing. Their job truly sucks.

For me, it was a 14 hour lesson on not getting worked up about the little things!

That members of our LA would ever go home with the same feeling of accomplishment as the ED staff.

Go, you wonderful people!

Oh! 🙂

Rosebud, I am absolutely sure that if she had still been bleeding heavily in triage, we would have seen a doctor immediately. The staff were just wonderful.

rosebud said :

After a few hours…a few HOURS!! A few hours is too long and too much for a heavily bleeding 8 year old child. I would have been LIVID.

The triage nurse made sure she was cleaned up, had stopped most of the bleeding and her wrist was nicely bandaged up while we waited. I did such a great job with my innovative sock-bandage that the bleeding had slowed right down by the time we saw the nurse. I was actually delighted by the relatively short wait (which was only about 90 minutes after triage), especially as the waiting room had so many people when we arrived. I told my husband not to expect me home before midnight! There were patients with higher needs than ours, and I totally accept that.

captainwhorebags5:19 pm 24 Jun 09

rosebud: the child left the hospital healthy and happy. Parents left the hospital happy.
Family didn’t have to pay a cent.

Doesn’t sound like Zimbabwe to me.

This isn’t an episode of MASH. We live in a first world country where we should be able to expect first world medical treatment.

rosebud said :

After a few hours…a few HOURS!! A few hours is too long and too much for a heavily bleeding 8 year old child. I would have been LIVID.

Obviously you are one of those that service providers can’t do enough for… Look up ‘triage’

After a few hours…a few HOURS!! A few hours is too long and too much for a heavily bleeding 8 year old child. I would have been LIVID.

Hells_Bells744:40 pm 24 Jun 09

I love the addition of the Triage nurse at ED’s. Get in there so quick and most of the time we can go home after seeing them.

Praise for Calvary ED too except having no paed’s there (correct me if they do now).

I have used the odd clean sock myself in emergencies, they’ve got a good stretch and do the job as is without fuss.

Secret Squirrel said :

Hey, I took my son to Woden Hospital last week for a head injury and HE didn’t get a bravery award!!!

Yeah – this was our first too – I think they only give them out if the kids have an actual procedure like stitches. I’m sure your son was very brave 🙂

No time for sheet cutting Thumper – too busy stopping the blood flow with one hand and wrangling socks with the other, whilst finding slippers and dressing gowns for the hospital dash (and trying not to faint/panic/freak out).

Secret Squirrel4:00 pm 24 Jun 09

Hey, I took my son to Woden Hospital last week for a head injury and HE didn’t get a bravery award!!!

I applied the world’s best pressure bangage Ant, using my husband’s long socks and a pin! Primitive, but worked a treat (and yes, I am re-stocking the first aid kit with proper bandages and surgi-strips). Needed stitches though, as deep and in an awkward spot.

It’s amazing the rubbish those people have to deal with, adn yet they do. People at the front line of any service organisation do amazing things daily.

A useful way of managing that injury would have been an ice pack in a towel to reduce bleeding and swelling (while holding the wound shut), and then stick the would up with surgi-strips. However, with a wrist or anywhere around that region, a deep cut shoudl be looked-at by a medical person as nerve damage is very easy there.

I’ve had a few dealings with them over the past 10 or 12 years…a couple as the patient myself & several times with our son (asthma when he was little mostly). I’ve got nothing but praise for them….each & every time we’ve received professional care in a timely manner.

Nice story.

I took my sick daughter to the Calvary ED last year and the staff were fantastic.

Keep it up guys.

Hey Stanhope(less). Give them a pay rise not yourself, they deserve it.

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