Dear Editor
Re Danny Lee's letter of Nov 22 regarding patient services available to her brother-in-law at CBH following heart attack.
I was in a similar and yet more fortunate situation following a heart attack and was able to leave Cairns Hospital based upon my own decision to do so and to seek other services elsewhere as time went by.
I found the staff at Cairns Hospital to be alright. As a Registered Nurse who has worked in major Sydney cardio-thoracic units, etc, I found Cairns Hospital was okay.
It's a relatively small regional hospital and does good enough of a good job in a crisis. It's like public transport; it's uncomfortable, the seats/beds are hard and the springs are stuffed, and things seem to take forever (because they do take forever), but it's relatively cheap and it does its patchwork job well enough.
If I had to talk about the consumer interface with the expert cardiac and surgical consultants, and the 'notion' of informed consent, well, that would be another thing altogether.
There seems to be an information-blockade sometimes unless you agree to every test and every treatment.
Me: "Well, from the tests and procedures you've done so far, please advise me, Doctor, of the results before I agree to any more...this helps me get an indication of what I will do next, which may not be what you advise me to do, but it could be...this is informed consent."
Reply: "Well, no, it's not like that. We don't know anything unless we do...this and then that...etc..."
I didn't like that at all because they would have known some test results and been capable of an informed talk with me but refused to; so I just walked out.
Being told that unless I have every test/procedure the specialist told me to have that I 'would end up in a pine-box', tended to cross the border from advice to intimidation. Still, he is a busy professional and gifted guy, but so am I... and I have no fear of pine boxes.
Being as precious to myself as the cardiac physician/surgeon was precious to himself, there was always bound to be some disagreements, as I am a difficult patient, being a nurse with a sound knowledge base in cardiac treatment and care, for sure...but I'm always polite and respectful and it was a shock to know this respect was not reciprocated; it was fascinating to meet a cardiac surgeon who had never heard of Westmead Hospital... but all in all the Cairns Hospital was okay.
Would I go back to the Cairns Hospital if I had some more chest pain? Well...no, not if my life depended upon it; but that's nothing personal; I just don't like people withholding information from me, information that I have every right to, unless I comply with their pontifical assumptions and fit into their structured operating times.We are all busy professional men and women operating within very concise guidelines and always with the same 'through-put' obligations surgeons have to get money..
Re Danny Lee's letter of Nov 22 regarding patient services available to her brother-in-law at CBH following heart attack.
I was in a similar and yet more fortunate situation following a heart attack and was able to leave Cairns Hospital based upon my own decision to do so and to seek other services elsewhere as time went by.
I found the staff at Cairns Hospital to be alright. As a Registered Nurse who has worked in major Sydney cardio-thoracic units, etc, I found Cairns Hospital was okay.
It's a relatively small regional hospital and does good enough of a good job in a crisis. It's like public transport; it's uncomfortable, the seats/beds are hard and the springs are stuffed, and things seem to take forever (because they do take forever), but it's relatively cheap and it does its patchwork job well enough.
If I had to talk about the consumer interface with the expert cardiac and surgical consultants, and the 'notion' of informed consent, well, that would be another thing altogether.
There seems to be an information-blockade sometimes unless you agree to every test and every treatment.
Me: "Well, from the tests and procedures you've done so far, please advise me, Doctor, of the results before I agree to any more...this helps me get an indication of what I will do next, which may not be what you advise me to do, but it could be...this is informed consent."
Reply: "Well, no, it's not like that. We don't know anything unless we do...this and then that...etc..."
I didn't like that at all because they would have known some test results and been capable of an informed talk with me but refused to; so I just walked out.
Being told that unless I have every test/procedure the specialist told me to have that I 'would end up in a pine-box', tended to cross the border from advice to intimidation. Still, he is a busy professional and gifted guy, but so am I... and I have no fear of pine boxes.
Being as precious to myself as the cardiac physician/surgeon was precious to himself, there was always bound to be some disagreements, as I am a difficult patient, being a nurse with a sound knowledge base in cardiac treatment and care, for sure...but I'm always polite and respectful and it was a shock to know this respect was not reciprocated; it was fascinating to meet a cardiac surgeon who had never heard of Westmead Hospital... but all in all the Cairns Hospital was okay.
Would I go back to the Cairns Hospital if I had some more chest pain? Well...no, not if my life depended upon it; but that's nothing personal; I just don't like people withholding information from me, information that I have every right to, unless I comply with their pontifical assumptions and fit into their structured operating times.We are all busy professional men and women operating within very concise guidelines and always with the same 'through-put' obligations surgeons have to get money..
Good manners, professionalism, the consumer-interface, and the notion of informed consent, apparently haven't arrived at Cairns Hospital as yet...but, I'm sure, in the fullness of time it will be better for everyone if someone respectfully mentions it now.
I wish Danny's brother-in-law well, and hope that he gets a nice pillow.
John Fitzpatrick Registered Nurse
I wish Danny's brother-in-law well, and hope that he gets a nice pillow.
John Fitzpatrick Registered Nurse
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