Sally Hurtado

Review of Cedar Park Regional Medical Ce...

My husband had an outpatient surgery recently. Th...

My husband had an outpatient surgery recently. The people in registration were efficient and the nurses preparing him to go to surgery were very good. Everything went downhill when he was transferred to recovery. The doctor came to talk to me about the procedure and assured me that all had gone well. He did tell me that my husband had to stay for an x-ray to make sure all was good, and then he could go home. About 20 minutes later an RN (surgery specialist) came to get me telling me my husband was awake and ready to go home. I was puzzled. I inquired about the x-ray the doctor mentioned. She immediately began looking at all his paperwork, but said the doctor did not write an order. I requested that she check with the doctor before my husband was released. She said she would call. In the meantime the machine that measures heart rate, respiration, etc. starting making a loud noise. I noticed my husband's respiration was at 42 which seemed very low. Another RN that was sitting at the desk along with three other nurses(??) were chatting, laughing, eating and carrying on. I looked at them and said there is a bipping sound on this machine and someone needs to check on my husband. The female nurse sitting behind the desk said "he is not my patient". I said then someone needs to come here and check on him. I believe that every medical staff personnel who was there on duty should be responsible for any and all patients in that area in case of emergency. Just then a doctor walked in and heard the machine, came in and said "I don't know anything about this patient, but I'll try to help." He looked at the machine and told me that actually 42 on respiration is still acceptable since he just got out of surgery. The original RN taking care of him came back in and told the doctor about the x-ray I mentioned. He looked at my husband's paperwork and said "the order is right here." By then several of the "nurses" that were behind the desk came in to my husband's area and said they would call x-ray for my husband. I asked one of the male RN's what the x-ray was for. She said they want to make sure that all is in place and that they didn't puncture his lung. If they did puncture it, right around now he would starting being short of breath. I said so this other nurse was going to send him home and if all was not well, I would have to call 911 because the nurse did not read the orders properly? He just nodded and walked away.

Fortunately, all was well with the x-ray and my husband was good. I don't want to think of what might have happened if all was not well. This is the first time we have used Cedar Park Regional Medical Center and I don't believe we will use them again. The RN's in that surgical recovery should have enough education to be more professional around all the people that were sick and their families, since WE ARE who pay their paychecks. I would write the CEO of this hospital personally, but I couldn't get his email address. Thank you.