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- 2002-10-07
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The Ottawa Hospital has apologized after a staff member pointed to the floor when a patient begged for a place to lie down during a long wait in the emergency department.
Martina Campbell, a retired nurse who worked at the Civic among other places, witnessed the incident Monday night at the Civic hospital’s crowded emergency room. She said the man, who had injured his back, was vomiting and crying in pain. When a health worker came by he pleaded for a place to lie down, according to Campbell, saying: “I can’t take this much longer, I feel like I am going to pass out.”
Campbell said the worker pointed to a dirty, high traffic spot on the floor in response to the plea.
“The waiting room became silent. There were gasps. A few people beside me said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding’.”
Campbell, who wrote a letter to this newspaper about the incident, said she became the man’s advocate, arguing that he needed a stretcher.
“I have been a nurse. You don’t put a patient on a floor. I said, ‘Get him a stretcher’.”
The man, who has not been identified, was eventually given a stretcher.
“I have been a RN for 40 years,” Campbell said. “I know patient care is declining, but this is ridiculous.”
Patients and visitors who witnessed the incident expressed gratitude to Campbell for speaking out, she said. “But more importantly, they spoke of their frustrations with the health care system and their reluctance to speak out,” she said. “They felt their care would somehow be affected.”
In a statement Friday, the hospital said it reviewed the event.
“We apologize for any misunderstanding or distress. We have also reached out to the patient to offer that apology, to explain that it was a busy night in our emergency department and that we regret the moment in which this incident took place.
“Our staff, including the staff member in question, take great care to manage the impacts of high occupancy and other pressures on patients. This moment is an opportunity to learn and improve for all.”
Campbell, who was in the emergency department with her son at the time, later contacted the hospital’s patient advocacy service with her concerns about what she saw and spoke with the clinical manager of the emergency department.
The hospital said the patient advocacy service exists “to have an open and transparent approach in an atmosphere of respect, compassion and fairness for all involved.”
The Ottawa Hospital, like other hospitals across the province, has been chronically overcapacity in recent months, resulting in long waits in the emergency department and extra pressure on staff.
On Friday, the Civic campus was at 108 per cent capacity. It had been higher during the week.
Martina Campbell said the emergency department was busy on Monday night. She was there for more than seven hours with her son who had abdominal pain and a fever.
The man who was told to lie on the floor was told he would probably be waiting for four hours. He had fallen on the ice and appeared to be in extreme pain, she said.
Campbell said she believes the lack of compassion shown and the overcrowding are symptoms of a bigger problem in the health care system.
“I have been on the other side and I understand the frustrations of the staff attempting to give quality care with limited resources after staff and bed cuts. I know how deflated they feel when they’re unable to do so. However, I remain at a loss trying to understand how the mistreatment of this young man, stripping him of his human dignity, could occur in a Canadian hospital.”
She encouraged others to speak out when they have concerns about the health-care system.
“Become a loud and persistent voice. It’s on the in this way change will occur.”
epayne@postmedia.com
查看原文...
Martina Campbell, a retired nurse who worked at the Civic among other places, witnessed the incident Monday night at the Civic hospital’s crowded emergency room. She said the man, who had injured his back, was vomiting and crying in pain. When a health worker came by he pleaded for a place to lie down, according to Campbell, saying: “I can’t take this much longer, I feel like I am going to pass out.”
Campbell said the worker pointed to a dirty, high traffic spot on the floor in response to the plea.
“The waiting room became silent. There were gasps. A few people beside me said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding’.”
Campbell, who wrote a letter to this newspaper about the incident, said she became the man’s advocate, arguing that he needed a stretcher.
“I have been a nurse. You don’t put a patient on a floor. I said, ‘Get him a stretcher’.”
The man, who has not been identified, was eventually given a stretcher.
“I have been a RN for 40 years,” Campbell said. “I know patient care is declining, but this is ridiculous.”
Patients and visitors who witnessed the incident expressed gratitude to Campbell for speaking out, she said. “But more importantly, they spoke of their frustrations with the health care system and their reluctance to speak out,” she said. “They felt their care would somehow be affected.”
In a statement Friday, the hospital said it reviewed the event.
“We apologize for any misunderstanding or distress. We have also reached out to the patient to offer that apology, to explain that it was a busy night in our emergency department and that we regret the moment in which this incident took place.
“Our staff, including the staff member in question, take great care to manage the impacts of high occupancy and other pressures on patients. This moment is an opportunity to learn and improve for all.”
Campbell, who was in the emergency department with her son at the time, later contacted the hospital’s patient advocacy service with her concerns about what she saw and spoke with the clinical manager of the emergency department.
The hospital said the patient advocacy service exists “to have an open and transparent approach in an atmosphere of respect, compassion and fairness for all involved.”
The Ottawa Hospital, like other hospitals across the province, has been chronically overcapacity in recent months, resulting in long waits in the emergency department and extra pressure on staff.
On Friday, the Civic campus was at 108 per cent capacity. It had been higher during the week.
Martina Campbell said the emergency department was busy on Monday night. She was there for more than seven hours with her son who had abdominal pain and a fever.
The man who was told to lie on the floor was told he would probably be waiting for four hours. He had fallen on the ice and appeared to be in extreme pain, she said.
Campbell said she believes the lack of compassion shown and the overcrowding are symptoms of a bigger problem in the health care system.
“I have been on the other side and I understand the frustrations of the staff attempting to give quality care with limited resources after staff and bed cuts. I know how deflated they feel when they’re unable to do so. However, I remain at a loss trying to understand how the mistreatment of this young man, stripping him of his human dignity, could occur in a Canadian hospital.”
She encouraged others to speak out when they have concerns about the health-care system.
“Become a loud and persistent voice. It’s on the in this way change will occur.”
epayne@postmedia.com
查看原文...
