Should I complain about this? (Any nurses especially please) ?

Shinamae

Lucca

Poor you, that’s not acceptable.
As it happens I’ve just put the phone down on my surgery (normally very helpful) as I was about to either start crying or swear.

Ring up and asked to speak to the practice manager and complain

Definitely complain to the practice manager in writing. Things will only get worse if they do not realise how their behaviour is affecting people.
I had to ring my practice this morning for an appointment for Blood checks I was dreading it as we usually get a crabby answer.
I know a lot of people have even changed practices, but complaints have obviously worked. The receptionist was friendly and listened.
She did not question my date of birth which sounds like a code, realised we had a big music festival near us and the roads would be blocked and called my village by its local name. All of which put me at my ease and I thanked her for her kindness and help. Which was good to be able to do, instead of coming off the phone in a weeping huddle.

Ex nurse of 40 years. I had a similar bad experience in a private hospital and I didn’t complain. I’ve regretted never complaining so I strongly suggest you do. Whether you were an NHS patient in a private hospital or you were paying for your treatment their behaviour was unacceptable and unprofessional and clearly affected your recovery

Yes, complain. This is awful, insulting. Comfort and dignity have priority. This was disgraceful, unprofessional behaviour.

Shinamae

Lucca

Poor you, that’s not acceptable.
As it happens I’ve just put the phone down on my surgery (normally very helpful) as I was about to either start crying or swear.

Ring up and asked to speak to the practice manager and complain

Well the “message” got through and someone else more sympathetic dealt with me.

I could fill up the whole thread with examples of terrible practice my daughter and my mum recieved.

Nurses like that should be fired.

Complain to the hospital PALS if they have one.

www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-services/Patient-advice-and-liaison-services-(PALS)/LocationSearch/363

I hope you are feeling much better and that you do or have complained about this.

As everyone has said, the two nurses behaved quite unproffesionally and rudely.

If you have not already complained, or just need a little encourgement to believe that you have every right to do so, here is a description of how it should have been done.

I was having contrasting colour injected prior to a scanning and I don't live in the UK, but professional ettiquete should be the same (can't spell today, sorry).
The nurse tutor introduced herself to me by name and explained that she was a tutor and if I had no objection might nurse such a name who was in her last year of training carry out the procedure?
The student nurse was not present when I was asked for my permission. I agreed, the young woman came in, introduced herself to me, and explained the procedure she had to carry out ( a simple injection). She then asked me if I had taken any food within the last six hours, as the procedure required me to be fasting. I replied, that as I had left home before the stipulated time I had last eaten at 11 p.m the preceeding evening. She then explained she was to give me an injection in the crook of my elbow and asked which arm I preferred. Waited for the answer, disinfected the site, explaining what she was doing and remembered to say that I was welcome to look away if I wanted. After the injection she made sure I knew that I was to remain lying still for 20 minutes, and that when the time was up she, or another nurse, would come and tell me so, and that a nurse was outside the cubicle if I needed anything, so I was only to call. She finished by thanking me for allowing her to practise on me.

This is how it should be done. She made one very minor slip which the nurse tutor politely corrected and apologised for.

Your experience comes nothing near this standard of perfection, by this is what you had been entitled to experience.

Your nurse's final comment is offensive beyond belief.

Had you been told in advance that they might need an ECG after the operation as well as before? If not, they should definitely have told you why it had been ordered. "The doctors told us to do it" is just not good enough as an explanation.

Did either bother to ascertain that you were actually the patient they had been asked to treat?

Oh my goodness, I am so sorry you were so badly treated this was is undignified patronizing and disgraceful. Yes you must report it. Things only get better with feedback and transparency.

My granddaughter is training to be a nurse and she says basically she is left to teach herself and is often left doing things she has never done before. However I know for a fact she would have been honest, Kind, gentle and treated you with mush more dignity and care, so that is no excuse for their attitude toward you. I think when she patted you and said I am professional you should have said shame you don’t act like one. (but I know that easy for me to say )

Yes you should complain you were in a very vulnerable position and had 2 nurses having an argument over something that clearly was their mistake
You should never have been treated like it

Not good enough! No procedure should be done without your permission and that includes having an observer.

When I was a student nurse, if, in an essay or orally, the words, “Tell the patient what you want to do and ask their permission” and “Draw the curtains for privacy.” were not included, a verbal rap on the knuckles and a low mark were given.

Hi, I’m a Nurse (42 yrs experience) I’m sorry you experienced this and I think you should let the ward manager know about this so improvements can be made. I’m assuming the ECG was being done as a diagnostic tool because you felt unwell. However unless it was an emergency it would have been important to get you comfortable before starting the procedure, ie. Better position, something to help with the nausea (it wouldn’t have helped if you’d thrown up halfway through the ECG). Secondly the approach is always to ask your permission to do the ECG and explain why it’s necessary. Then ask if a student can do the procedure. Unfortunately ECG wires often get tangled, but if that was the case no attempt should be made to uncover you until that was sorted. ECG’s often do require you to remove your bra, but all this should be done keeping you as covered as possible with lots of reassurance. If they were going to chat about how to do the ECG that should have been done interacting you too. I always tell little stories about how awkward ECG’s have always been with them popping off etc. Basically anything to make the patient feel less embarrassed. Afterwards, you should have been thanked and made comfortable and warm. I do wonder what grade these ‘nurses’ were. I also understand that we all have to learn, but this shouldn’t mean that you have to experience unprofessional behaviour.

How awful for you. You should definitely complain or things will never change Dignity of the patient should be paramount.

I agree with what others have said, that you should put in a complaint. Even if it brings no obvious result YOU will feel better for having spoken out, or you will be forever wishing you had.
Good luck with your recovery.

Please report this !!

Regardless of who funded your op, NHS or yourself, this was not the sort of treatment any patient should accept.
Trust if not already done so you will make your' treatment' known to those who matter.

Definitely complain, either through PALS or ring to speak to the Ward Manager. This is wrong on so many levels and as a nurse I find I really hard to read.
ANY procedure needs consent, verbal or written, depending on the procedure. Yours needed verbal consent and an explanation if you’ve not had it done before.
Of course nurses have to learn and every procedure needs a ‘first time’, but again this should be under supervision.
Yes ECG leads notoriously tangle, but these should have been done before any undressing of you. Also there is no need to completely expose you, a towel over your hips gives you some dignity.
Her attitude to you was unacceptable and you saying you weren’t happy should have triggered a conversation to find out exactly why.
I am so sorry this happened to you.

Presumably as it was The Nuffield, you were also paying for the experience somehow too?

...just a gentle reminder MadeinYorkshire that we all pay for the NHS, its not 'free' just that there is no payment required at the point of need. If for whatever reason someone opts for private care, they pay twice over but standards of care shouldn't differ.

Made in Yorkshire - I don’t know if FannyC had her hip replaced privately but - my cataracts were done in a private hospital under the nhs. My eye history made the procedure complex. Manchester eye hospital’s waiting list was 2 years plus so I was referred to a local private hospital for essential surgery
This will happen more because of the mess the nhs I is in

I thought proper education in patient psychology was an important part of modern nurse education so I am disappointed to read Fanny's bad experience.

I'd be inclined to write to the matron or whatever the head nurse is called now. Or pay a lawyer to do the letter for me. Copies to the regional health authority and the consultant in charge of your case.

On second thoughts, the main recipient of your complaint should be the consultant in charge of your case.

I wrote such a letter on a disabled friend's behalf some time in the 1990s (Edinburgh). I got an interview in person with the head nurse and the nurse tutor, and the head nurse understood the situation and explained my complaint would be part of nurse education in his hospital in future. I also got positive replies from the local health authority chief, and the consultant.

Fanny, I'm sorry to hear of your experience. I have had umpteen ECGs and my dignity has always been maintained.
Furtehrmore, I have been advised first what was happening and if I was OK with it.

Lucca

Shinamae

Lucca

Poor you, that’s not acceptable.
As it happens I’ve just put the phone down on my surgery (normally very helpful) as I was about to either start crying or swear.

Ring up and asked to speak to the practice manager and complain

Well the “message” got through and someone else more sympathetic dealt with me.

??????????????

I don't think these people realise what a difference a bit of warmth and kindness make to someone who is feeling fragile.

I would like to write about something that happened to my girl, but I still can't without crying, to this day.

I required an ECG at my local surgery. I was taken into the room by the nurse and asked to remove my upper clothing, lay on the bed and was then connected up to all the sticky discs/leads etc.

The nurse was then called out of the room and said she would be back in a minute. Mmmmm. Half an hour later she returned and on entering the room said 'OMG', I forgot all about you!'

Me, being a good patient, had not wanted to move but was beginning to have cramp and was now rather chilly (and tired of praying that no extraneous beings would need to enter the room). This was 20 years or more ago but is still vivid in my memory!

I didn't report the nurse as it was an obvious mistake (unlike the OP's nurses who appear to have poor practice etc.).