"Care following gallbladder removal"

I recently attended the Royal Alexandra Hospital for my gallbladder removal. All started off great! Ward staff were wonderful, surgery team were great and I was put at ease. So far everything was lovely.

I was taken for my surgery at 1pm and woke up between 6pm-7pm and all went downhill. As I was being woken up I was briefly told about my surgery. However, I was still extremely medicated and couldn't make sense of what was happening and hadn't fully woken. Once I had woken up more, I needed to pee but was feeling extremely sick and dizzy so was advised to use a bed pan. I continued to come in and out of a sleep as I couldn't keep myself awake. Once waking up again I was in a lot of pain and needed to pee once again. I called for help and was advised someone would be with me...

A while had passed and I had to call again. Same thing, I was advised someone was coming... Eventually I was in pain as I needed to pee badly and in pain from my surgery, I was extremely nauseous and starting to get dizzy. I called a staff member over and asked if I could please just pee and they suggested I use a bed pan. I pointed out that they wanted me home today, if I'm not able to get up and walk, would it be wise that I go home? So, they helped me walk to the toilet (which was beyond filthy) and I chose to use the other toilet which was much cleaner. I'll add the staff member/nurse had no idea where the toilets were and I had to show them.

Once I got back to my bed I asked if I was going home as I recalled a previous conversation that I may be kept in. I pointed out I have very young children at home and my partner needed to know so plans could be put in place. The nurse explained they'd let me know asap as they weren't sure what was happening. A while later the nurse came back and basically said it's time for me to go. My bed is needed. I explained that I have no one to collect me, I asked hours ago what the plans were and I haven't had any information on my surgery and what to expect. The nurse looked at me blankly and said they weren't expecting the turnover to be so quick on this ward, this isn't their usual ward so they're struggling to keep up. If I could pack my items and wait in the waiting area/ward until someone could come.

I asked if I was expected to sit on a waiting area chair until I could get a hold of someone.. considering it's after 10:30pm, I have only just had surgery and still hanging over a sick bucket and falling in and out of sleep. The nurse said there's bed out there but my bed is needed. So, I gathered my things and heading out to the other beds and chairs... I was given a chair where I slept until my sister-in-law arrived to collect me. During that time there were 4 patients and 2 nurses. Both nurses made it very clear that this wasn't their usual ward, they didn't know where medication was which is why we hadn't received our pain meds, they didn't know where bedding was which is why the many empty beds were not made up, which is why they really couldn't assist anyone who was there needing help.

My bed that I was hurried out of remained empty, as did many of the other beds. I did explain that it would be a while before I was collected so that nurses knew it wouldn't have been a short stay in that chair. The nurses were nowhere to be seen and my sister-in-law couldn't get access to the hospital so I had to see myself out. I managed to walk through the hospital, linger around the front doors and exit with help from other members of staff before one of the ward staff nurses found me outside heading to the car.

Apparently I wasn't allowed to leave before the staff nurse seen whoever was collecting me, which confused me. I slept on a chair for a long period of time after my surgery, they couldn't assist me to go for a pee, they couldn't find my medication which I needed, they didn't even know why I was in that ward (I found that out as I was leaving), they couldn't answer any questions I had about my surgery and didn't know how to work any of the machines I was hooked up to.

I was under the impression I was not to go home for whatever reason (again, no information had actually been given), yet the nurses on ward couldn't seem to get me out quick enough as it was too busy for them, as one explained to whoever they were on the phone to, they were rushed off their feet. 

I eventually got home with absolutely no idea what was found during my surgery,what the outcome was, what I should be doing at home and so on. I eventually contacted my GP as I was so unwell and in loads of pain where even they couldn't piece together my notes and had to phone the hospital to ask more questions. I had a discharge letter and pain meds in my bag, but nothing of detail written other than the dose to take.

I am sympathetic of the nurses having to be on a ward they're not familiar with, but to feel rushed off your feet with 4 patients to 2 members of staff, to not know where toilets, medication, bedding is or to not know how to work machines or have a patient sleep on a chair..