Different teams of staff don't communicate with the others and make things even more confusing. My nurse comes and asks how I am, telling me that telemetry picked-up that my heart rate kept dipping into the 30s and 40s. Five minutes later, the Charge Nurse comes in and tells me she's taking my heart monitor (portable), because I don't need it any more. I asked if she'd spoken to my nurse and told her why. She didn't take it. When I talked with my nurse, she said that the Charge Nurse was sitting right next to her when they got telemetry about my low heart rate, so she's not sure why she'd say that. Same goes for the docs......the resident who had been seeing me tells me that they are bridging me to be discharged, then a team of other docs come in 5 minutes later to tell me that they are prepping for me to have a pacemaker installed that day......just 3 hours later. So of course, they take the breakfast I ordered and had just arrived (before I ate anything). The nurse comes in 5 minutes later, after my lunch was taken, and tells me that I can reorder my breakfast, because they rescheduled my surgery for two days later......then move my rooms (as mentioned above).
We were vacationing in the Berkshires. On the morning of our last full day, my husband was concerned with upper back pain, heavy sweating and high pulse rate. Just to be safe we were off to BMC. Arrived at the ER just before 10 AM. By 2:15, they ran him through EKG, X-rays, blood tests and three visits with a doctor. Thank God no real problems were found. Really important since we had a 6 hour drive awaiting. An unplanned but very positive experience.
Most of the nurses are very nice and attentive, but my overall experience has been very poor. I was admitted via ambulance after losing 4+ units of blood internally (on Coumadin for artificial mitral valve). In the first 24 hours, I was moved 3 times. On the second day I was moved again, and on the third day moved again. I was in the same room for 3.5 days, and then moved a sixth time. I wasn't given any explanation and advanced warning......staff just showed up, loaded my bed, and pushed me to the next room. I was on 3 different floors.
After three different procedures, they never deduced the problem, but discontinued blood thinners and heart meds for 5+ days. I was used as a pin cushion because no one could seem to place an IV or get blood. They would insert ports, then remove them, then put them back in, and then take them out.....until I had enough. My right arm isn't usable because it has a central line, but before they put it in, I was stuck 5 times. The nurses don't seem to be in agreement on what the central line can be used for, because some say they can draw blood from it and others say they can't.....which is why they want to keep putting in ports in the left arm.
I'm working on trying to get transferred to Bay State Medical Center.
I just came from the ER and the staff there couldn't have been nicer. I was taken right away and since the doctor thought I either had a torn rotator cuff or a pinched nerve in my arm I had X-rays done. From the X-Ray tech to Sean D and Kristen, I thought their service was great! ER's are never fast, so grateful I was out in less than 2 hours.
I am now in the smallest of the 6 rooms with 42 square feet of space to myself. It's shared and I have no privacy. There is no space for visitors, thus no furniture. There is a folding chair propped up against the wall in the other patient's area, but I can't see how visiting is possible. Oh, did I forget to mention that nearly every meal was brought to me wrong?
Long wait in E.R. but, people need to realize colds are not an emergency, so it is not BMC'S Fault. Mom was in here many years ago and was treated awesomely
My wife came in the ER with chest pains at 5:45, by 6:20 she had an EKG and blood taken. We then waited to get a room in the ER for 3 hours. The nurse came in 20 minutes, checked my wife's vitals. All looked good. She said she would take a look at the lab work, all of that came back good as well. But my wife needed to see the Dr and it would be another hour or two. Dr Pelkey finally came in to she her at 11:30 and spent 10 minutes with her and said someone would be in to discharge her. We finally left the ER at 12:00. Over a 6 hour visit to the ER is just wrong.
Overall, this has been a harrowing 8 days with little resolve and tons of frustration. I'm on the verge of ripping my central line out myself, taking the portable heart monitor off, and getting the hell out of here myself. I spoke to the docs and they didn't hear a thing. They talked over me, ganged-up on me, and told me it's not wise to make decisions out of frustration......then left and I haven't seen them all day. So it's my second day of fuming, not eating, and ready to take matters into my own hands.
Berkshire Medical Center is a US Hospital based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Berkshire Medical Center is located at 725 North St, Pittsfield, MA 01201, USA.
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