Staten Island University Hospital - North Campus — Local services in New York

I'll list the areas I unfortunately have grievances with during my mothers ER visit starting on 8/5/21 until 8/6/21 at the north campus on Seaview Ave. first, and then go through the sad chronology; Fall prevention,Covid screening/precautions,Nutritional and Medication support,General patient care as it pertains to attentiveness and professional conduct. Though there for a fall resulting in a broken shoulder she wasn't given a bracelet and no fall precautions were taken in fact the opposite. She was put in a room which had a gyno table fixed to the floor with no side rails a slippery leather surface and quite uncomfortable as we waited for many hours for the x-ray and CT. This required several very painful transfers to wheelchairs and except when the transportation staff was helping, no assistance was offered though numerous line staff witnessed our struggles including changing her undergarments which I had to go purchase from a local pharmacy . I asked for a nurses aide to assist with her being soiled with urine as she is incontinent. A male aide arrived with no incontinent pads. We requested a female aide which never came, no one followed up so I took matters into my own hands. As I changed her behind a curtain she was crying out in pain and I struggled to support her standing and simultaneously clean and change her, but staff literally sat idly by only feet away listening to the struggle. Never so much as offering a hand to even help her stand on her own feet. We were asked early in her stay about her medications also mom was hospitalized there before so it was obvious she's diabetic. However during the approximate 13 hour stay she wasn't offered so much as a cookie let alone a sandwich or some other readily available lunch meal usually the minimum offered at most ERs. Nor was her blood sugar tested at all or even asked about, in fact I ran out to a local diner to get us both something to eat. This could be very serious for a diabetic patient without a family member present. After the ER emptied a bit I requested a normal bed or stretcher with wheels so she wouldn't have to be transferred which she finally was , and after about 9 hours able to rest and wait. However we were placed in a room with a parent and child that weren't wearing masks. I had ran out to move the car earlier but I'm pretty certain no covid screening was done and I wonder if these occurrences are at all consistent with best practices. Usually during any of my parents numerous hospitalizations I would linger in the doorway until the busy staff would finally inquire if I need anything. This trip I could have stood there perpetually and no one would inquire. The staff were more interested in chit chat and looking at their cell phones at times then having the courtesy to ask. Only nurse Brianna who I think was my mom's nurse asked and went out of her way to help one time. Usually nurses introduce themselves and let us know they are our nurse and if there's anything we need just ask. Most times they are ahead of me with keeping family comfortable, clean and nourished but things have apparently changed at your hospital. When my mom was last there about two and a half years ago I wrote literally a dozen maybe two commendation e mails about the awesome staff in both the ER and unit 3A. So I'm not a malcontent or someone who likes to complain. In fact just the opposite and those emails from years ago are evidence. I couldn't tell who was an RN or aide back then because they all acted as a team to give attentive care. This time the aides seem to be mostly men during our stay so perhaps staffing or schedule adjustments could be made to better tend to different gender patients. We weren't even offered a hand getting mom to the car still in agony. Apparently the last two very tough years have degraded the quality of service to a point that is pretty abysmal. My hope is that administration will institute audits and or inquiry to patients and return to at least close to what it once was not...

If you want to suffer and die- go here. The nurses will make sure you suffer. Probably the worst care I’ve ever seen. I’m 99% sure prison hospitals have better nurses and practices. Staten Island should be scared and ashamed of having a facility like that on the island. The nurses literally do not care, they don’t listen to patient needs, they don’t answer the bells, actually my father’s nurse ripped the button off the wall to make sure she wasn’t bothered. The other nurse was screaming on the phone to internal people that they are “killin her” and “it’s not her job” and “doctors are prescribing too much meds for her to distribute” and clearly incapable of doing her paid responsibilities. I called my friends and family in the industry to ask if their lack of urgency and care was normal, provided examples, and was told by several to complain and speak to their supervisors. When I did, they were kind, but reminded me that sometimes nurses have bad days too. LOL the dying patients in your care are having bad days not paid “professionals”. They do not manage their patients, departments don’t communicate, nurses change shifts and do not read their patients charts, they don’t speak to each-other, the people getting paid less than them that aren’t RNs are more helpful and more respectful than any of them. Resident doctors are no where to be found. The specialists will come and be responsive and helpful -the problem is the nurses literally don’t call them -don’t check on the patients so by the time the doctors visit the patient is in despair. doctors put in orders- nurses have zero clue, if you don’t have a personal advocate -a loved one- your dying there, you have zero voice- your nurse can neglect you. One of the nurses asked me if I told the doctor my father was in pain and needed medicine when he had clear chart instructions on his pain. She just legit didn’t look and read. The doctor was so confused as to why he didn’t get his medicine. When multiple peoples beds are beeping, people (elderly) are screaming help help help, nurse, nurse, water, water, help- and staff are literally just looking at their computers and phones totally ignoring the people who are shouting for help are completely left to fend for themselves in such vulnerable states- it’s insane. Its clear their is a huge lack of leadership, empathy, resources, and talent. The surgery team is excellent but they will always fail with the lack of aftercare support and negligence of the team that is suppose to care for patients afterward. Don’t go to the ER either. Just save yourself and don’t go here. If your lazy and have a bad attitude and hate working in the industry- definitely a place you would fit right into this nursing group. If Jesus is on your side you might get the 1 nurse you won’t ever see again to help you. If you are an executive, please investigate your nurses there is a problem- either someone is not hiring properly and better standards should be met for having nurses, look at culture something’s wrong, look at staffing levels, they are all just terrible. The ones that have been there forever old time Staten Island nurses are good. The new wave is horrible. I mean disrespectful zero empathy sloppy dirty careless frazzled overwhelmed (but i did notice the long breaks they get and heard plenty of personal conversation). Hire qualified, kind, professional, empathetic, respectful, and dignified nurses. They get paid enough and knew what nursing was when they went through all the schooling they needed to go through. There are plenty of nurses in other facilities that are the total opposite of your nurses. Nurse that make the real difference, that save people lives with care and diligence and pride- are out there all around...

Nurses are amazing and take time to care for the patient and are willing to answer questions and address concerns as needed. Medical and speciality teams of residents and Drs. is another story. They are condescending when you attempt to advocate for, and get accurate and straight forward answers about the status of a patient. My mother is seen by various Drs. In the clinics and they are usually good. While being admitted to the hospital on the other hand, each Dr. that came to see her was contradictory and would not agree or take another stance on an opinion and comment another Dr. had just made earlier in the day. They talk in circles when specific questions are asked. The Dr. only made it a point to call me and further elaborate upon the possible reasons for my mothers dehydration ( her meds which I already assumed but he wouldn’t give me this answer till after I gave him a tude back and he saw I am my mothers caregiver), but in person he gave little explanation and was dismissive. He only called because he noticed that once his attitude changed towards me I broke eye contact and became monotone and unbothered by his prescience. I have been taking care of my mother for over ten years, and I will say for a fact that the Drs. in the clinics do not always monitor potential medication interactions for an individual on over 15 medications. Every time my mother is having a medical issue, I witness it and recognize the symptoms first and when they see you advocate they get annoyed.

I was also misdiagnosed by this hospital on multiple occasions. There are a select few amazing Drs. that work here, that deserve to work at a prestigious hospital, not SIUH meanwhile they have about half that should be working at an even worse off hospital. They have a lot of Drs. that love to dismiss you, your symptoms and your pain. I commend Dr. Tamburrino for helping my mother with her health for years, as well as her psychiatrist Dr. Sweeney that help her tremendously. But as for the hospital team responsible for admissions, they should be attending continuing education courses geared towards professionalism, patient satisfaction and effective interpersonal communication skills. I was also misdiagnosed for years by several Drs. here and I was suffering from an auto immune condition with severe pain levels. Fortunately I now see Dr. Moshrefi who is an understanding and thorough physician. But many a time I have come to this hospital to be ignored as they are not educated on auto immune illnesses such as inflammatory arthritis caused by Lupus or RA. This has been my experience with my mother and I attending this hospital for 15 years. It’s a hit or miss. Please be cautious and advocate for your own health and safety and those that you care for. They can and will miss something if you do not properly advocate. A job is a job and at the end of the day a Dr. has to have some sort of bedside manner or they will make the hospital lose business. Due to my experiences I have switched to a different dental clinic as well as GYN. This is also why I am switching some of my mothers Drs. In the near future. This hospital has made a lot of $ off of us and our insurance companies that they just do not deserve. It must be hard for the Excellent physicians that do work here and care to work with sub par colleagues. SIUH definitely has some excellent physicians pulling the weight of others that are not empathetic to...