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| - Their ED has to be the worst in Phoenix. Obviously I haven't been to them all, only 2 others, but I sure hope there isn't worse out there because we would be talking third world country-type care. This is only a step above that as it is. First of all, the waiting times are unbelievable. I am a nurse, and I understand they triage so that the worst patients are seen first, and less severe patients later. That is reasonable. But nearly 3 hours to even get called to the triage station? Then they take you to a secondary waiting room, and once you get here, prepare to grow old before you are seen. We waited for nearly six hours as others who appeared to have coughs, etc.,but appeared young and healthy, so unlikely to be heart failure or anything of that nature were called.to a room before us. Meanwhile, I have a bone obviously in the wrong place. In this room, we were treated to the sounds, sights and smells of one person repeatedly vomiting into a bag...one person I wouldn't have minded going on ahead, but she was still waiting when I was finally called.
Well, we finally got a room, and a doctor examined me and told me the likely diagnosis (which x-ray confirmed was the correct one), and told me the tests they would take. Afterward, while waiting another hour or so for radiology,I finally got brave enough to ask the nurse if I might have a pill or something for pain, as my pain level was quite high.(Keep in mind I have had a dislocated bone in my leg for almost 11 hours now.) She said I could have Tylenol because "the doctor didn't order anything else". I explained I was a nurse too, and that she could very easily page the doctor or otherwise get his attention. She stated she would not.
At this point, I guess I was a bit out of sorts due to pain, although my tone of voice was normal, and I told her how it had always been a pet peeve of mine how when a patient dares to voice that they are experiencing more pain than they can handle, the nurse labels them a "drug seeker" and will not help. She became quite irate at that point and stated this was not what she was doing, she just felt the Tylenol should be enough. I reminded her as a nurse this is not her call, but the doctor's. I must have upset her quite a bit, as another nurse took over my care. Once the diagnosis was confirmed after another hour, the new nurse finally gave me medication for pain after 12 hours there, and a bit before they re-set the bone in place When he brought the med, he said "Hey, troublemaker, I brought you something for pain." His tone was pleasant, but I asked why he had called me a troublemaker, and he said no reason, it was just a joke. Of course I am sure it is the medication issue. But they set it well, and I had no further problems. Nothing for pain was sent with me, nor did I need or want it. I just wanted some help the one time, and was made to feel horrible about it.
I should have known, because at my first visit about 6 months earlier, after a fall and grossly swollen knee, I went there only because of the hour (urgent care and docs were closed, but with the amount of swelling it needed to be checked out) After a very similar waiting experience, maybe slightly shorter in this case, I got to my room and the nurse began the assessment by asking why I was there, and when I explained, literally the first words out of her mouth were "Well, you're not getting any narcotics." I told her I did not want any narcotics, I wanted to make sure I had no severe injury. They must get a lot of "seekers" there, as I know all hospitals do, but that is no excuse for treating everyone as a narcotic seeker.
Between these experiences and other even worse experiences by family members, my family had even worse experiences, some horrifying, my family has specific instructions that since the ambulance will only take us to the closest hospital and in our case that is Lincoln....that even if I stop breathing, put me in the car, say a prayer, and drive like crazy to the next hospital past Lincoln.
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