by Rod » 08 Mar 2017, 15:49
The Doctors and Nurses were amazing but the Nurses are very overworked.
They work 12hr shifts so you're very lucky to get the same ones again next day or night. Then there's a learning curve on your particular needs.
I was in a 6 bed Bay and the Nurse team looks after 3 bays so 18 patients. Slightly less staff in over the weekends.
The food was pretty terrible and hardly appetising to somebody who has had bowel surgery - I was fed by TPN (vein in neck) for nearly 3wks so only had to try and eat the food for a week. Since learnt that the firm has lost its contract.
One of worst things ( apart from the lack of sleep) was the new extended visiting hours 10:00 to 22:00 with unlimited numbers. This meant visitors arriving at all hours interfering with wash time/ bed making etc and Doctors rounds. Some patients had enormous families with as many as a dozen visitors milling around - so no chance of a snooze.
Some patients were very noisy and a couple "confused" who had to be "guarded 24/7.
We had a couple of peaceful nights with no alarms going off etc which was great.
Usual timetable of 6:00 obs taken, 7:00 water jug changed, 7:30 Staff change, 8:00 breakfast 8:00/10:00 Ward Rounds, 10:00 Drug round, Bed making and washing, Lunch 12:00, 13:00 to 15:00 quiet time which is a joke when wards full of visitors, 17:00 Supper, 18:00 Drug round, 19:30 staff changed, 22:00 Drug round, then if lucky lights out though often not until 23:00 hrs. Obs initially every 2hrs then down to every 4hrs.
Chances of getting much sleep are pretty slim unless you are deaf!
If anybody left, the bed was made up immediately and generally swapped with a new inmate within a few hours. Bed space never left empty for very long.
My Surgeon was incredible, coming to see me every day and even at weekends - Southampton is only one of 3 hospitals in the country who do this op and the only one carrying out inter operative Radiotheraphy.
I've was very lucky to be referred to him.
Rod