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| - Last week I had my first trip to the ER with acute pain in my leg due to an MS episode and bad reaction to Steroid Infusions (x5), I am a 59 year old woman, who could barely stand up, could not walk, had vertigo, muscle weakness, difficulty speaking with severe fatigue. I asked if it was possible to lay down because it was the only position that eased the stabbing pain in my leg, I was told only the charge nurse made those decisions. It appears the charge nurse determined that I did not meet her criteria that would allow me a bed for the six hours I sat and waited in the ER Dignity Lounge. The first test ordered was a urine sample. The bathroom toilet had filth on it and there were no toilet seat covers, OMG what disease and bacteria was I exposing myself to here? Steroids suppress your immune system so any exposure to bacteria, disease, virus's etc. could be horrific. I had blood drawn (great pleb.), ultrasounds and x-rays. It seemed odd that the ultrasound was done on my groin area but my leg pain was below my knee in my calf muscle. My husband had left to the main waiting area before the tests and I was moved in the rolling chair to the Dignity Lounge. I waited in this room with other patients for at least 3 hours. The Percocet pills left me unable to sit up so I was crumpled in the chair. No one bothered to see if I was okay or get my husband. After 90 minutes I heard my name called and by the time I looked up the nurse was gone. I figured she'd come back in a few minutes. I waited 30 minutes and decided to try and walk to the staff desk just outside the Dignity Lounge. Walking without falling was difficult and it would be obvious to anyone that I was an accident waiting to happen...YET, at least four nurses passed me by with out so much as a howdy do. When I got to the desk I asked the employee if my name was called. She said that they "lost me" and thought I was still in ultrasound. She told me to return to the lounge. I went back and texted my husband to get a visitors pass for Dignity lounge and join me. He asked the waiting room staff and they sent him to the main hospital building. After this wasted walk he attempted to ask the security guard who barked at him and told him to sit down. My husband was fuming at the disrespect and incompetence of these employees. I was in the lounge located through one set of doors from where he was at but he did not know that and the staff were indifferent to help direct him. I walked again to the desk and asked the employee if she could please help my husband join me and she was kind enough to help. By the 5th hour of sitting in the lounge they decided I was dehydrated and needed an IV so they took me to a small alcove with two chairs (one does lock in place making it unstable for someone like me who needs assistance moving) (another risk of me falling). After my IV was done a male nurse came in and closed the curtain between me and the other patient. Then he began instructing her on a new Rx for her UTI and details of her "MS condition". At which point I'm thinking, that's a crazy coincidence that she also has MS and then I hear her exclaim that she does not have MS. The nurse realizes that he has just violated Hippa regulations by disclosing personal healthcare information to someone other than the patient because he failed to identify the patients identify first. From my experience and observations this ER needs an overhaul To many of the staff are indifferent, callous, careless, and not suited for the responsibilities and skills needed to work in an ER. As an example, another patient, a young woman with severe abdominal pain was sat in a chair in the Dignity Lounge for several hours that I was there. she was in such pain that she could not open her eyes or speak. At one point another patient went to the nursing staff because he was concerned she was going unconscious. No staff members checked on her. 30 minutes later she collapsed onto the floor and an alert was made over the intercom. This was preventable and should not have happened. I hope she did not suffer health issues as a direct cause of delayed treatment by the medical staff. In my opinion dogs are treated better in vet clinics. My daughter works in ICU at a hospital outside Chicago and kept her updated throughout the day with what was being done. She could not believe the substandard level of care at this ER and disregard for patient safety, privacy and health needs. My Doctor is affiliated with this hospital and he will be hearing about my experience, as will anyone I think may be in a position of choosing an ER when they need one.
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