"Emergency department visit with my toddler"

Recently, I brought my toddler to the Emergency Department at Broome Hospital after they had been experiencing a high fever and lethargy for three days. Panadol was not effectively reducing their temperature, and I was becoming increasingly concerned. I am also currently heavily pregnant, which added to my distress.

The triage nurse was efficient and quickly found us a bed, which I appreciated. However, the care we received after this point was, in my opinion, unprofessional and lacking in compassion.

Throughout our time in the department, I felt that both the doctor and nurse offered very limited reassurance, despite it being clear that I was distressed. When they attempted to take my toddler's blood pressure, they became extremely upset. The cuff appeared to be applied too tightly and left marks on my toddler's arm that looked like burns. No sympathy or acknowledgement was offered by the nurse following this.

I was also concerned when the nurse appeared unsure about administering Nurofen and asked me how many doses my toddler could have. This did not give me confidence in their knowledge or competence. During a handover, I overheard a nurse say, oh not another RSV child, which I found very unprofessional and upsetting to hear as a parent. It made me feel as though my child’s condition was being treated as an inconvenience.

The doctor also seemed disengaged. They repeated questions I had already answered, as though they had not retained the information, and appeared unsure about what medications my toddler had been given. Instead of checking notes or confirming with staff, they asked me directly, which made me feel that my child’s care was not being properly managed or prioritised. At one point, I had to ask for my toddler's temperature to be checked again because I was increasingly concerned.

It was only after I became visibly upset that a senior doctor became involved, and I felt the attitude of the staff noticeably changed. I do not feel that it should be necessary for a parent to reach that level of distress in order to receive appropriate care.

Although my toddler was fortunately not seriously unwell, this experience has left me feeling anxious and very disappointed in the standard of care provided. This is also not the first time I have felt let down by the Emergency Department at Broome Hospital.