Cardiac nurse describes treatment received at Villages hospital ER
To the Editor:
After reading Letter to the Editor on June 30 in regard to changes needed in the ER, I felt compelled to share my experience from June 27. I am a cardiac nurse with 35 years of experience.
I was admitted to the ER at 6 a.m. I was seen by the triage R.N. Ordered cardiac markers, troponin and other lab. EKG was normal, chest X-ray was normal. An IV was started to draw lab. After a good while, I asked to see a nurse. Very few people in waiting area at that time. She walked out and said they would get to me soon. I believe she was busy with other patients.
At 10 a.m. a person at the desk in the ER took my BP again. BP was still elevated, pain in left arm was still present. After five hours in the waiting room, I was called back to see the doctor. The room nurse arrived as the doctor arrived. She was going to put a heart monitor on me. I declined as I thought I would go home after being left in the waiting room with an IV in, Why would they admit me? No one in the five hours asked me what medicines I was on nor had I taken a aspirin on the onset of my arm pain! An aspirin, oxygen, home meds and a heart monitor are the first things put done on a cardiac patient with symptoms.
Six hours in the ER with no treatment. Doctor explained that I should stay for observation. I told him I preferred to go home and see my physician the next day. I was free of pain now and did not feel safe being treated there. I told the RN that I had taken an aspirin at 4:40 a.m. along with my morning meds. Medicare has denied payment on patients that were not given an aspirin or treated per chest pain protocol. I plan to discuss the above required services that I was not given with the hospital soon. Yes something needs to be done to improve patient care in our beautiful new hospital emergency room!
Martha K. Bryant R.N.
Village of Buttonwood