“It was not a nice experience at all… I just don’t know what to say. I don’t want to talk too bad, but that is just how I feel and how I was treated when I was there. Sometimes it is like you frighten to talk because you get a bump or them face always screw up.”
The words of a young mother who recently gave birth via C-section at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). I asked her about her experience during her over one-week stay at the institution, especially in light of International Nurses Day being observed on May 12, last Thursday.
This is not about bashing nurses or the GPH, it is just an honest reflection of a patient’s experience during her recent hospitalisation. Over the years, the contribution of nurses has been often highlighted and even in today’s edition there is another story speaking to the role of nurses in our society.
“You know before I talk about the others, I must say that there was this one nurse who was so good to me and not just me, the other patients. You see, when I get better I am going and look for that nurse. Because of she, I was able to survive. She just have a good heart. She was with me all through the C-Section, because now you know they don’t put you to sleep. She was there rubbing my arms, my stomach because I feel like I was having bad wind pain,” the young mother related.
“Just having her there take away some of the fear. And after the baby born, she come and look for me and you know help me with the baby. Look, I tell you the nurse was really good. And when she was leaving, because she know I did getting discharge, she come and say bye. And I know is not like she spirit take me… it was just who she is because other patients was talking about her and saying they wish she was there all the time. You know when you getting baby you does be afraid, but she, more than the doctors and all, take away the fear. So, I must talk about her first because she deserve it.
“But I can’t lie, some of the other nurses like they don’t have any heart. Just after I give birth, I there recovering [she had been numbed from the waist down with a local anaesthetic] and I now really feeling the pain and this nurse telling me that she will bring the baby to me. She was like, ‘…I guh bring this child to you because I feed and change she and everything and she just crying’. The baby was only a few hours old and I was like in pain and I saying, why.
“And they does give a time when you have to get up and you have to go to the bathroom and the nurse does have to go with you and to help clean you up, at least for the first time. I see them girls getting the help, but they was before me and this one nurse help them out because you know you in so much pain. But this nurse went home before it was me time.
“So I get up when is me time and I was in so much pain, but I sitting down I didn’t want call the nurse or anything because of her attitude. I sitting there and over a hour pass and it was night and after a time I call out to she, you know, telling she is me time to get up, and she was like, ‘go to the bathroom’. And them rest a patient start looking at me and one say, ‘the nurse really cruel to you’. Next thing you know, I see the nurse make up bed and gone and sleep and is so I had to come off the bed by meself, the pain washing me tail. I find the bathroom somehow and I telling you, I don’t know what I did. I don’t know how I get off the underwear or how I put it on. But believe you me I did feel I was going to collapse. Is so I crying and doing it and then I just drag meself back to the bed,” she told me almost in tears.
“Some people might want say is nothing much. But at that time, you know, is like the pain was so much I feel if I was going to get black out. And I see the other nurse help them girls… I just don’t know if she was in a bad mood or anything. And it was not only she. When I was in the other ward waiting to get the baby I see how some a them holler up on the patients. Me, I used to be quiet. I didn’t want ask anything because I didn’t want nobody holler on me. Is like you walking on eggshells. You want to know what is going on and you frighten to ask.
“The doctors, too, they would come and not really talking to you, just writing on you chart and I didn’t know if it is the nurses who suppose to explain what going on, but sometimes you there and a whole day will pass and you not getting any update on what is your position. Sometimes you gone to the toilet and is meal time; they wouldn’t take the food and put it on you cupboard and when you come back, you scared to ask about the food. You should see the nurses sharing the food among themselves, you know like when the patients say they don’t want, or you not there when they pass and I would just keep quiet.
“For me, I just wish the nurses would understand that when we in the hospital we does be scared and we just want them to show some kindness. I know they could get some disgusting patients, but is not all of we like that. I was so frighten because of how I see they dealing with other patients. I was just praying that is not me because I don’t know how I woulda react. And then when I was in the most pain this nurse just didn’t care,” she continued.
“But I must say the maternity ward really looking good. It clean and everything new. They really do some work there. And the cleaners really doing a good job. It is just some nasty patients does don’t care. But in the theatre recovery room, the toilet leaking and I think that could cause accidents, because remember you in pain and you going there and can’t walk good and if you slide down anything could happen. So, I think they should fix that.”
I asked her if she wanted to say anything to the nurses.
“I just want to say that nurses, I know you guys are human and I know you have your own issues and yes some patients can overdo it but remember that is sick people you dealing with and sick people need help. I know sometimes the pay is not good enough but do your best. There are some good ones but there are others like they just hate the job and is like they hate the patients too.
“I just happy that me and me baby come out alright. But I tell you I don’t want to go back.
It was not a nice experience. But I thankful for that one nurse and I telling you I going and look for her just to say thank you because if it wasn’t for her I not sure how I woulda survive.”
I am happy that the sister and her baby are safe and I wish them all the best. To the nurses who are doing their best please continue and to those who know they can improve please work on doing so as well. As the sister noted, sick people are at their most vulnerable, be kind.
