"Overall I feel that I was well cared for and..."

What I liked

When I was first admitted to the EAU I received poor care and the nurse I was assigned to was unfriendly and dismissive. I was admitted at 4pm and at 7:30pm I had to go and ask for something to eat, as I had been forgotten about at supper time and hadn't eaten all day. Then it took the nurse a further hour to bring me a 'snack pack' which barely constituted a meal. As I was admitted due to complications arising from anorexia nervosa, and assessed to be 'at risk of malnutrition', I thought that this was highly negligent and poor care. I eventually had a relative bring me a packed lunch which arrived before said snack pack eventually did.

However, I was later taken to the Intensive Care Unit, where the level of care I received was exemplary and second to none. I was extremely frightened and had to undergo a surgical procedure which I had never experienced before, and both the surgeon and the nurse who was assigned to me, were incredible. They made me feel very safe and calmed my nerves, allowing my mum to stay with me holding my hand throughout the procedure and afterwards until the early hours of the morning when I finally settled. The care and attention I received was remarkable and I can't thank them enough. They made the most traumatic and frightening night of my life so much more bearable. They took such good care of me. The doctor who performed the procedure was wonderful and explained everything to me clearly and reassured me every step of the way. The nurse that looked after me so well that evening and the following morning was later taken over by another who did an equally good job of caring for me and making sure I was comfortable.

What could be improved

The care I received on the EAU, overall was poor, but this doesn't reflect all of the staff there, I was just unlucky to be assigned an incompetent nurse. The doctors I encountered on that ward, along with the other nursing staff, were caring and friendly.

However I do feel that there was a lack of communication between doctors at times, as on several occasions I was told one thing by one doctor, only to have this information contradicted shortly afterwards by another doctor. I found this to be rather distressing as I didn't ever feel as though I was being kept fully informed about decisions which were essentially about me. This made it difficult for me to settle and left me feeling anxious and tense and unable to sleep. I feel its very important as a patient to be kept fully informed (accurately and continually) about decisions relating to my care throughout any stay in hospital. Therefore effective communication between care-givers and decision-makers is essential.