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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

A Comment Worthy Of A Post

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "PRMC Ranked In "BEST HOSPITAL" Report":

I went in for a total hysterectomy and in the 3 days that I was there, never once did a nurse or aide provide me with a wash basin or offer to wash my back...I lumbered into the bathroom w/IV tubes, etc. to try to wash up at the sink...Also, in 3 days, my sheets were not changed. The only thing that was changed was the folded sheet/pad underneath my bottom. I used to work there and saw a lot of what went on.

Funny thing, after previous stays, I got something in the mail asking me how I felt my stay was. This time, they were afraid of what my response would be. I had to get assertive with the nurse when she made me wait over 2 hours for my pain medicine (which was only ibuprofen).

I must say that my doctor (Dr. Jennings) was excellent, very attentive. It is an awful place to work and an even more pathetic place to be a patient.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've seen good and bad at PRMC. Their billing department would repeatedly send our bills to collections without sending us a bill and they had all our information, we hadn't moved, and the bill for the surgical event was _just_ 30 days previous. On the good side, my daughter, who is not a good patient and I'm sure, tried the nerves of her caretakers, was treated so nicely. Her nurses were _very_ attentive and patient with all her whining and complaints. They were _very_ gentle cleaning her surgical wounds, and redressing them. I was grateful for their patience and professionalism.

Anonymous said...

My exprience is bad and good also, my only advise is PAY ATTENTION, read the chart ask questions report all incidents write letters to authorities if need be,praise them when they do a good job, and get in their face when they do a bad job,
and that goes for all medical facilities

Anonymous said...

I haven't been an in-patient of a hospital for 25 years. The last hospital I was in was the Northwest Medical Center in Baltimore County. All the rooms were private, and every night the attending nurse would come into your room and ask if you wanted a back rub to relax you. I guess they don't teach that in nursing school any more.

Anonymous said...

don't you guys get it? PRMC doesn't care about patients! They only care about construction and business aspects. When Edye Johnson and Doris Hammond ran the nursing dept, it was a great place to work, but with the present administration Karen Poisker and Peggy Naleppa They Don't Care about staff and in fact run alot of good nurses away. That is why you now have foreign speaking nurses - because word is out and no good nurse wants to work there.

Anonymous said...

Dr Nevins Todd started the Heart Program at PRMC. Isn't it a disgrace that the Heart Center was not named after him instead of the Guierre's who bought the name of the center. What did they do to deserve this. How many hearts has anyone in this family done? They should request that be changed to the Todd Heart Center but you are probably too focussed on yourselves. Who names these newly constructed areas? What did Virginia Layfield do other than step in when the Union was active and again give money. Why was the new wing named after her. She is NOBODY either. There are lots of people who do alot.... but money talks it seems!!!

Anonymous said...

No one wants to be a nurse period. The average age of a R.N. in Maryland is 47 years old. No young person wants to do the incredibly difficult and physically strenuous job of a hospital nurse. The hours are horrendous, nights,weekends,holidays. Be a teacher instead, union wages and benefits, great hours. The "problems" at PRMC occur at every hospital, it is a reflection of the decline of the profession and health care in general.

Anonymous said...

9:49 In this area WorWic and Salisbury University classes are full and at least Wor Wic has a waiting list. And yes nursing isn't easy and is a very complex job but the main problem is that the administrations and alot of physicians, treat the nurses like they are second class citizens. Pay and benefits are not the problem at PRMC, nurses get sick of the condesending bullcrap they have to endure. And for many years their motto has been "if you don't like it, your can leave" and so they do! And how's it working for them?....they had to boat in the foreign nurses! KP has to kiss ass to keep her job and she isn't gonna be on the staff nurses side believe me. And PN Well......she is what she is and it ain't nothing to be proud of. She is not liked by anyone not ever her administrative staff! Everyone talks about her less than caring manner!

Anonymous said...

9:46 The only people that have buildings or roads named after them and don't have to pony up any money for the privilege are politicians on whose names go on government buildings and public roads. You can't build these nice hospital buildings without money. Some family wants to step up and donate millions, they have the right to have their names afixed to the project.

Anonymous said...

go to hopkins! if you need stiches or something basic hit prmc. When you are going under or your live depends on hit go to hopkins. it is in network for most health ins plans.

Anonymous said...

You think you have it bad in Salisbury....let me share with you my experience from the "other side" of the bridge.

Try being taken by ambluance with symptoms of a stroke and having the ambulance driver told to "unload the patient in the lobby".

This happened to me last May at St. Marys Hospital in Leondardtown ( St. Mary's County MD.) Above my head was a huge banner "One of Maryland's Finest Stroke Centers".

I waited for THREE hours. And was diagnosed as having a mini stroke...and high blood pressure.
Fortunately Im alive to be here to tell the story. (and yes a formal complaint was filed with the hospital)

Ill take PRMC over that any day. Unfortunately I didnt have a choice in hospitals at 2:00 in the morning.

It makes you realize what you miss when you dont have it.

Anonymous said...

8:31, I can identify with you. My wife was a long-time employee of PRMC. She later became a patient for varying lengths of time. While some of the departments were exemplary (e.g. ICCCU) and some individual caregivers were excellent, overall the hospital leaves much to be desired. My wife died there. The nurse on duty was beside herself trying to come up with a reason for her dying unnoticed. I can assure you that your status as a PRMC employee (active or retired) will do you little good when you become a patient. PRMC is the fifth largest hospital in Md. now, but bigger is certainly not better.

Anonymous said...

I have 38 years as a healthcare professional. My first suggestion for anyone would be..Never allow a friend or family member to stay alone in a large facility. Patients needs are far too numerous for staffing. Medical staff are overwhelmed with completion of total care. The situation will not improve. Is it too much for family or friends to help bathe, feed, support their loved one....Remember it may be you in need of assistance next time...Be there for someone else.

Anonymous said...

3:43 Then why don't we just bring our ill family members home, where we can "bathe, feed, support.." them and simply allow the nurses to stop by the house to drop off a pill and ask, "Do you need anything?" If you're going to be honest about it, nurses aren't that over worked that they don't have more than their share of free time to hang around the nurses' station and get caught up on the latest gossip and bitch about management and how bad they have it.

Anonymous said...

Sounds exactly like my hospital stay. Never did get to BR, though. The room mate was in there.
Threw up from the MSO/4 & had to cover it with a towel, which I had to ask for. Also, THE FOOD WAS LOUSY.

Anonymous said...

they don't clean the floors, either.

Moon Willow said...

It could almost be me who wrote that comment, because I had the very same experience 8 years ago or so when I had a hysterectomy...no clean sheets, no help bathing, etc. What's even worse is that pre-op, they came in and questioned me about meds I was taking, or not taking as it turned out, since they had someone else's chart in my folder! Not only that, when my intravenous medication ran out, the nurse came in to refill it with the wrong med!

I did get a response form, and I politely blasted them with every complaint I had ahout the experience. They never followed up.

The same lack of care was evident when my husband had a kidney removed two years ago. Both he and the other guy in the room called for the supervisor because the neglect was so bad.

Anonymous said...

I had a total hysterectomy just about one year ago and couldn't say enough good things about the hospital stay. I had wonderful nurses that took care of changing the sheets, helping me clean my incision the proper way, always prompt when asking for pain meds. Very happy with everything considering it was an unexpected surgery and longer than usualy stay. I'm also happy my mother gave my a gift card for a massage at About Faces Day Spa so my nurses could continue to provide care for other patients and not waste time giving unnecessary massages. Thanks PRMC and the 5W staff!!!!