N.Y. hospital staff ignored patient as she lay dying

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

I've actually had some major problems with hospitals in the past. I had some major ear trauma a few years back from jumping off this waterfall. I was crumpled in the waiting room in the fetal position and it took me two hours to get into the emergency room.

Me too. I HATE hospitals. About 6 years ago while I was bartending in Gainesville, I had a full keg of beer fall and nearly snap my arm. Fortunately I yanked it out of the way in time, but it still caught my left index finger and literally squashed it. Shattered. Plus the impact was such that my hand was bleeding pretty profusely.

The General Manager of the restuarant drove me to the ER, and showed them the workman's comp insurance info right away when I checked in. I still sat there in the waiting room in excruciating pain with my mushed finger wrapped in a blood soaked cloth for the better part of 2 hours, watching people with much less immediate issues getting seen in front of me.

[JoeRedskin]

One thing I have learned in dealing with hospitals (and trust me, I have had lots of dealings with them) is that you need an patient advocate with you for anything but the most routine of issues. By that I mean someone, anyone, (spouse, friend, family member) willing and able to get the staff's attention and be sure your injuries are treated and that their is appropriate follow through.

More often than not, a lack of attention is simply nurses and staffers pissing on the fire closest to their feet in terms of providing care. Patients generally have a hard enough time dealing with their issues and don't have the energy or ability to chase down care. Even when they do, the staff often discount the complaints as simply another patient believing their illness/injury is the worst.

If you are going to the hospital for any type of long term or ER care - particularly if surgery or some other type of treatment that will you up is being done - take a competent adult with you.

[Monksdown]

The farther west and south you go, the smaller the wait time. I've been seen right away all 3 times i've been to Fauquier Hospital.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by Monksdown

The farther west and south you go, the smaller the wait time. I've been seen right away all 3 times i've been to Fauquier Hospital.

Eh, not necessarily. Gainesville, Fl is a small town about 800 miles south of DC, and both of my trips to the ER while living in that town were a joke. SHANDS at UF (the name of the hospital) is considered one of the best University hospitals in the country, and once I was actually seen by the doctors, I thought they were great. But the admission/waiting room experience were totally miserable.

[Missin21]

Originally Posted by That Guy

wtf on that cop.... damn.

Not really surprised by the way that donut eating asshole responded. I would have actually been shocked if he did do something other then return to the free coffee he picked up at the local convenience store.

This is pretty sad, but it's happening more & more. This reminds me of the scene in Seattle where the guy was hit by a car & on lookers just...looked at him & walked past him for some time before someone actually acted like they cared. Thanks to the news media, I believe, we are becoming a more desensitized society & things like this are affecting us less & less on the compassion level. And it will continue to get worse.

[Missin21]

Originally Posted by GMScud

Me too. I HATE hospitals. About 6 years ago while I was bartending in Gainesville, I had a full keg of beer fall and nearly snap my arm. Fortunately I yanked it out of the way in time, but it still caught my left index finger and literally squashed it. Shattered. Plus the impact was such that my hand was bleeding pretty profusely.

The General Manager of the restuarant drove me to the ER, and showed them the workman's comp insurance info right away when I checked in. I still sat there in the waiting room in excruciating pain with my mushed finger wrapped in a blood soaked cloth for the better part of 2 hours, watching people with much less immediate issues getting seen in front of me.

My worst experience was at Fairfax Hospital with my, then, wife. We sat there for over 17 hours (full time there) while others were seen & released. At one point, they had actually forgotten we were there. This was admitted to us by a nurse who happened by & looked in & asked her name. She returned about 2 1/2 hours later & told us that they had lost her chart. My wife was being seen for kidney stones. No big deal or anything. :yeahright