I spent yesterday in Swindon's A&E department. There was 2 amazing nurses covering 15 beds (Emergency bed not routine!) Each bed was held there because the wards they should of been sent to was full. These 2 nurses didn't complain when there was a line of paramedics and patients waiting to get in, they didn't complain when a 'patient' threw a tantrum because they weren't allowed out for a cigarette on health grounds, nor did they complain when they same patients friend kicked off saying 'she'll be ok, I'll be with her!' They held it in when another patient kicked off complaining he'd been there for 30 minutes and the consultant hadn't been down. They carried on and put up with more crap than I could of ever put up with.
A patient was waiting for an ambulance to take him back to a cottage hospital, in the end they had to put in in resus because it hadn't turned up and they needed the bed.
While rushing about one of them realised I was upset and crying. She stopped and came over and gave me a big hug. I told her she should carry on as she was busy, she said 'No, I've got time for you'. Those words reduced me to tears (again!) She was so rushed off her feet and probably would go 12 hours without sitting down but she had time to comfort me when I was down.
It's hard not to bring politics into this. Of course it's political! Those poor nurses were probably on minimal wage and they get abuse every shift! How can the government say they're saving the NHS when it's in this state?? Over the last 13 years I've spent a lot of time in A&E and I can honestly, with hand on heart say that it has NEVER been this bad! Each patient in yesterday was a complicated and possibly even high risk case, there should of been at least double the number of nurses there. There should also be beds to move people to. A&E is not a ward. They should be administering emergency care then the patient move on.
I'm putting this on my facebook, my blog and Twitlonger and I hope that people read and share this. If nothing else I want people to know that the nurses in A&E work hard and go above and beyond. So next time you are in there and you feel like shouting because you meds are late, the consultant hasn't been or you want a cigarette stop and think about who you're shouting at. The poor nurse you scream at is only doing their job and probably that of several other nurses, they probably have been on their feet for hours and will be for hours more, but they won't complain. Why? Because they care and that's why they do the job they do.
I want to say a big thank you to Emma and Helen. I truly don't know how I'd of coped with out the 2 best nurses in the NHS yesterday. Thank you xx
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