"Night shift nursing care appalling."

Anything else?

I was recently in the Daycase Ward 21-23rd Sept. after breaking my leg in three places. I never slept for the two nights I was in there, due to being in severe pain and also noisy nurses allowing a completely unsuitable patient to be admitted onto a general ward. I was in severe pain the first night and asked the nurse in charge for some pain relief ( I had been receiving morphine during the day). This obnoxious, callous nurse said 'no, I am in charge of the female section of this ward, you will have to wait until another nurse can see to you'. She was not busy and seemed to regard me with real disdain for having the temerity to ask her for some pain relief. After a while she came back with a tiny cup of water and two paracetamol, which she plonked down on my bedside table without a word and strode off! A dog in a vet's would have received more caring and humane treatment than I did that night. Absolutely appalling. Second night - a patient whom seemed to have either mental health problems and or had been drinking and taking drugs (which he still had in his pockets whilst on the ward) This guy then proceeded to walk around the ward including into the female section, talking loudly, swearing, jumping up and down on his bed, going in and out of ward to have his fags and drink, then returning and going behind the nurses 'station' on which were patients confidential information. He then was allowed by the night nurses to use the phone to order a Chinese takeaway! This arrived on the ward but as he didn't have any money there ensued an argument. Nurses said that the hospital would pay for both the Chinese takeaway and the taxi!! Later that night- still no sleep for us patients - he ordered another take away this time using my full name which he must have got from my supposed confidential notes either at the nurses station or by my bed side. Real breach of confidentiality. None of us on the ward got sleep that night due to having this patient there. Nurses seemed unconcerned about breach of confidentiality and the effect this patient had on all the rest of us vunerable patients. Nurses talking openly in middle of ward about different patients conditions, medication etc - no confidentiality. At no time was I washed or asked if I wanted to change into clean clothing from the time I came in until the day I was discharged (3 days). Thank god my wife brought in clean clothing and got me washed and shaved herself. My cannula in my arm was removed by an auxillary who said she had never removed one before - resulting in my getting infection in the site and am now on antibiotics. Sent home with syringes which I was told I would have to inject into my stomach once a day! I was not shown how to do or forewarned !! Astonishing. I will never EVER stay in Hereford hospital again - the night nurses were negligent, lazy, unprofessional and lacked care, compassion and humanity.