"Not impressed with treatment in emergency care"

I wrote this in the early hours of the morning as I was so disgusted in the treatment of my relative in-law from a fellow health professional.

Firstly, my in-law was triaged by caring and very professional nursing staff recently in the evening. Triage female nurse reassured and check in on my in-law as multiple life-threatening causalities (were rightly so) made the priority hence a long wait period.

My in-law was finally assessed medically in emergency and advised they were required to stay in the observation ward due to further procedures the following day. Our feedback is in concern to the nurse in the emergency pod and care provided.

The nurse didn’t introduce themselves to my in-law and just stated they are taking observations. In my opinion, very robot-like and no interacting, no smile and no reassurance to my in-law who was unwell and right in front of them. As I recalled, no use of my in-law's name and just no care factor towards them. Just another random jo on a bed.

Prior to taking observations, the nurse ripped back the curtains between each bed with patients in between them. My in-law was left exposed (as were the other patients) and felt uncomfortable in the nurse’s demeanour as their upper half was bare. I felt the nurse's actions were aggressive and in annoyance. In my opinion, there was no reasoning for their abrupt behaviour. I myself politely ask the same nurse if my in-law's bloods were back and I felt their snapped back response was, as I recalled - I don’t have time to look at them.

I get it as I am also in the same profession and understand the demands in a tertiary hospital/ nursing shortages plus the full moon craziness. Kindness goes a long way and small reassurance to the patient creates calm. Rather, I felt the nurse's interactions and abruptness added to the stress that my in-law was already enduring being in emergency.

We need to do better or, in my opinion, get out of the profession altogether. Feedback was given to the coordinator and along with the name of the nurse involved.