"Rudest nurse ever!"

I had an operation for a prolapse on 25th Jan. All went well for 10 days at home then I began to suffer excruciating pain in my lower back. Having seen and spoken to various doctors, even at the hospital, no one could suggest why I was getting this pain all the time. The following Sunday (10th Feb) the pain was unbearable so I phoned 111 and after all the questions I was told I needed an appointment with the doctor at Hastings Plaza. I arrived on time with my husband and waited for about 30mins, in agony. I was called in to see a nurse. She asked why I was there.I told her my brief history and gave her the paperwork I had been given on discharge from the operation. She started to input information into her computer and then asked us to excuse her as she had to make a phone call. We assented, thinking that the call was about my case. However, the call was to her supervisor with whom she spoke for about 5 minutes - about an autistic boy and another lady with mental health problems! The call finished with the 2 of them discussing when the were due to finish duty that night!!!!! We just sat and listened while I was in agony! It felt as if she wanted us to know that she was a very important person!

She then came back to me and said it was obvious that my pain management was chaotic, although she wouldn't listen to any of my comments. She said I wasn't managing my pain appropriately and she told me, in no uncertain terms, how I should continue. She explained that I should separate my doses of medication so I took one tablet every hour up to the max dose daily and I needed to make a chart to ensure I took medication at the correct times. No one had ever told me about taking pain medication this way before. But then, having produced a chart to help me with my tablets, she refused to let me take it home, saying that I had to work it all out for myself! - All this while I was in agony! She had no bed-side manner at all. She also suggested that the pain might be due to a damaged nerve that would take time to heal, but she never examined me.

I left, dismissing her "help",. but my husband insisted that I make the chart and try her scheme for a week. Thankfully I tried it and it is working - I have had 4 days without pain since!.

But this nurse needs to be trained in compassion skills. She did know how to deal with my problem but her whole attitude towards me was very demeaning. When patients visit a centre such as this they are in dire need and feel very vulnerable.They don't need to be shouted at and made to feel like idiots!

I hope I will never need to use this centre again!