1 /5 Leanne Flowers: My experience at the pediatric ER was absolutely awful, and I would never return. I’m not from this area and chose this facility based on a search for pediatric care, but I deeply regret it.
Upon arrival, the triage nurse was sitting in a room, staring out the window, seemingly oblivious to the patients waiting. After a long wait, we were finally called in, but the nurse cut me off several times while I was trying to explain my childs symptoms.
Once in the exam room, I encountered a noisy environment with multiple staff members standing around at the desk, which made it difficult to focus. I had to repeat my childs history and symptoms to several different people, including a nurse who came in and immediately asked for the same information. It felt like no one was communicating with each other.
When the physician entered, I was taken aback by his rude attitude. With my background in emergency medicine, I found his approach to be unprofessional. He quickly dismissed my concerns, stating my child sounded fine. However, a respiratory therapist later assessed my child and noted he sounded “coarse and wheezy,” which contradicted the doctors earlier statement.
Adding to my frustration, I informed the physician that my child had just one morning left on a 10-day course of antibiotics for an ear infection. He casually said, “His ears are not infected. He wouldn’t need antibiotics, so just stop them. This happens with kids.” This was concerning since my child was still undergoing treatment, and I felt completely disregarded.
During the visit, I had to step out briefly to take my 2.5-year-old to the restroom. Despite the chaos, I found it difficult to get help finding the bathroom, which was frustrating while managing a 6-month-old and a toddler.
Finally, the monitoring equipment was alarming frequently. The staff silenced the alarms outside the room, even though my childs heart rate was at 190, and the physician entered, saw the good waveform on the oxygen saturation and heart rate, and just turned the monitor off.
This was the worst experience I’ve ever had in a medical setting. I understand how busy and demanding an ER can be, but there was a severe lack of care and attention to patients. I cannot recommend this facility, especially for pediatric emergencies.
