Ideal experience - your feedback valued!

[boyko777]

I am doing a survey on how to improve cardiovascular units - how to make them more patient centered.  In an ideal world, what would you like to see happen to make your experience a better one?  More family involvement?  Web viedo in the room?  Message groups with others who have had a procedure done in that hospital?  Ability to contact a previous heart patient over the phone or even opportunity to meet in person?  A welcome to the area package for family members so they can explore the highlights?  A place where you can write thank you's to nurses/doctors who made you feel very comfortable or helped you more than you expected?
Any suggestions are welcome!  Hope to hear from you soon!

[Flycaster305]

After an Angioplasty procedure, keeping the right leg still really means keeping the whole body still, and with normal old man arthritis, I get very, very uncomfortable.  My first few procedures I was given a tranquilizer.  All that did was make me goofy enough to forget I was supposed to lay still.  I know ask for pain medication in anticipation of the discomfort, and that works great.  It would be great if the staff could anticipate the discomfort of no movement.  
The problem of displaying a wrinkled old bare butt is a valid concern.  I've thought that a wrap-around gown with an old-fashioned drop panel in the rear would be a great invention.  
Overall, I'm very fortunate, the Cardiac Care unit I hang out in is great!

[SusanJay]

I just think real friendly nurses would help a great deal.  I had a right & left heart catheterization and afterwards was in pain, scared and a lot of nausea.  The nurse just kept giving me these looks of contempt when I asked for nausea medication.  During this time my O2 levels were dropping to the 80 % level, also.  I was concerned about that but couldn't get any help.  She said she called my doctor but I do not believe that she did at all.  

I left the hospital throwing up and in pain and not very happy.
I don't trust nurses anymore.

[boyko777]

Your comments are great, keep them coming!

[va_tony]

Boradband internet access

The last two times I was in a cardiac unit it was to change my antiarrhytmic meds and cardivert afib.  Since I really wasn't feeling very sick, I was bored out of my mind sitting around the ward for two-three days. It would have helped if the unit had broadband internet access so that I could log on to my office computer via my laptop and get some work done.  Also just to communicate with others on boards like these, check email, etc. would have helped to pass the time.

[ireneo]

My husband volunteers on a cardiac unit. He finds the patients fearful and lonely much of the time. Part of his job is to visit them, just listen and ask questions about how they're feeling and about family. When a patient is gone from the room for some test, he may spend time with a family member while they wait. He also helps the nurses with things but that's apart from what makes the patient more comfortable.

For patients that are from out of town (my husband works at a university hospital) it would be great to have some place for family/spouse to rest other than a chair. Similar to a Ronald McDonald house for families.

[jim62]

Alls ya gotta do is ask for another gown.  Put one on frontwards and then the second one backards.  Totally discreet and secure.

[FLBrat]

thinking of Jim wandering the halls of the hospital.  Maybe they could do something about those backless gowns.  Please?  (I brought my own jammies and robe.)

[jim62]

It would have been a tremendous help to me if the cardio unit would have just taken the time to tell me a little bit about what to expect.  I had bypass surgery, and the total info that I was given at release was "if you have any unusual chest pain or difficulty breathing, call your doctor".  I hate to be the one to say it, but breathing HURTS after you've been split open for open heart surgery.  And chest pain??  Again, I must say, your damn chest hurts like hell after being split open.  How about the fear that you WILL experience when any little twinge of pain hits?  How about the depression that you will most certainly experience?  These docs have GOT to know what we should expect.  Why keep it a secret?

The care while in the cardio unit is the care that you need in a cardio unit.  I don't think any frills would make the stay any more enjoyable.  Personally, I had a ball pestering the nurses for the 4 days post surgery I spent there.  They want you to walk, but they get kind of weary of seeing you walking around about 20 hours a day.

Ain't life grand !!