Monday, May 18, 2009

Pammed out and hospital staff

On leave again til thursday I am currently taking Antibiotics (chest infection)Risperidone, Depakote, Clonanzepam, Zolpidem and Lorazepam. At least should be on Zolpidem but the hospital swapped for ineffective zopiclone I am tempted to take the remaining temazepam I have in the hosue but don't want to be 'pammed out' I phrase I am coining for all benzo fans out there. So little sleep but feeling groggy.

Heres are more ward views:

Staff
Staff were mostly nice and helpful if you could manage to corner one which was the problem. As anyone who has been on a ward the nurses are rarely seen outside their office, which they put down to paperwork however when I looked through the window I only saw them writing prob half of the time and laughing and chatting at least the other half. They were always helpful when I needed anything though. well alll but a few who you learned to avoid.

The people you mostly saw on the ward were the healthcare assistants. These were of two varieties the NHS HCA and the agency staff who always originated from african countries. You tended to get a better response from the NHS Health care assistanat but these were always busy. The agency staff ranged from extremely enthusiastic and maternally pleasant to harsh and almost sadistic. One particular member of staff I never saw smile in five and a half weeks. Talking to them they were working over here to earn money to go back home and buy property - a years uk HCA wage could buy two houses. They were not in it for the love of the job. But there were some lovely ones as well who would endlessly jest with me and pick me up when I was down.

And then there was the student nurses who I would put in the range of an NHS Health care assistant. they were always out on the ward, seemed to know what they were doing but seemed busy. But then they also worked as HCA for the Bank,

That is my view of staff I will write about co-patients tommorow. Not particularly identifying anyone by name for obviuos reasons.

1 comment:

That's not my name! said...

Hi Lareve

Tried posting and then pressed summat and lost it. DOH!

Was writing that my experiences of acute care similar to yours, in that healthcare assistants are the supportive ones...interacting with patients, chatting and listening.

When Dad was in acute care, last year, the only person who actually bothered with him was the trainee nurse who played pool with him and took him out for walks.

Maybe nurses would say they are far too busy (doing other things????) to interact more with patients. I say that is buffalo poo!!!

Hope the cocktail hasn't got you seeing a variety of mythological creatures and I reckon you have added a verb to the English language...'To Pam' or 'To Be Pammed'

Hows about 'too pammed to party'?

TTFN (again) and apologies if the other comment turns up.

We could then play spot the parrot.

xx