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This is specifically a review of the 2nd floor MIC...

This is specifically a review of the 2nd floor MICU. I had a full blown heart transplant thru HMC and lived on the Heart and Vascular Unit for 5 months with Total Artificial Heart. I love the cardiac staff. I landed in the MICU due to unrelated blood Sugar issues. These are the worst nurses I've encountered in 20 years of frequent hospitalizations.

Where to start?
*They insisted on doing a skin assessment and "clean up" when I arrived (I'd showered 4 hours earlier) and never did it again for my 2.5 day stay. No toothbrush or paste, no towels - couldn't even get the nurse to refill my water (despite admitting with dehydration). Neglect is the byword, and the nurses cover each other when you call them on it.

*10 sticks to get 2 sucessful IVs placed. I asked for the IV team repeatedly for 1.5 days but was told by 3 nurses they wouldn't come to MICU. I was told by the IV team later that they "go to 2 all the time" (when someone finally called them. The nurses were mad that I accused them of lying to me.

*Broke every sterile blood draw protocol in the book. I'm post transplant and immune compromised, but got attitude from 3 different nurses when I wouldn't let them tear the fingers out of thier gloves. One walked away and left a tourniquet on me for about 5 min, then was bewildered that she couldn't place the IV.

*Elderly woman across curtain was verbally berated by several male and female nurses for not speaking loud enough. My nurse attended her and walked away after a few minutes after saying (loudly) "I can't hear you, I GIVE UP." A female nurse told her a few minutes later (they'd been with her for maybe 7-10 min at this point), "You're bed is going to have to stay where it is. I can't spend 20 minutes with you. I have a whole unit of people to save." Messiah complex much? The same nurse later basically refused to call my doctor to see if they could prescribe something for my cough.

There's serious, dangerous protocol and patient neglect - and not because they were busy. I lived on a more acute ICU for 5 months, I know what "busy" looks like. These clowns sat at thier stations while alarms and bells went off sometimes for 10 minutes (at the longest).

The icing on the cake was the construction going on above my room that vibrated the walls starting at 5am. When I mentioned it I was told it was out of thier control.

There are fantastic nurses at HMC but this particular crew has somehow bonded together over thier mutual burnout, irritation with patients, and sloppy follow through. No empathy, no bedside manner, no accountability. Mainly a bunch of put upon 20 year olds who are punching the clock. The most terrible 3 days I've ever spent in the hospital. And that says alot considering my history. Avoid unless death is impending.

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