Nurse Poured Medicine On My Daughter’s Face And Then Laughed; What Should I Do?
I could really use a bit of a sounding board and some solid advice.
Earlier this evening, my four year daughter complained of a headache. I checked and she had a fever. So, I cuddled her and her me and my husband read some books until she fell asleep.
Shortly later, she started vomiting. She also had a swollen jaw line, swollen lymph nodes, and was terribly lethargic. As I held her I noticed that her breathing had become rapid (not right after vomiting, but about 10 minutes after), and she was complaining of being very sore.
Now – my daughter has never had any of these symptoms before (except for vomiting!). No headaches, no swelling, no pain like this, no rapid breathing, etc.
Because of these symptoms and how quickly they come on, we brought her into the ER. Worst nightmare meningitis (which I doubted but wanted to be sure), I also wondered if she maybe contracted the mumps or got food poisoning. I didn’t know what the problem was, which is why we went to the ER, right? We also have a 6-month old baby, so I felt we needed to know for both of our children’s safety.
Okay – this is where I’ll try and make this long story a bit shorter…
The triage nurse was not very polite. I got the impression that she felt we were wasting her time, like my daughter just had a sniffle.
After a fairly crude and seemingly mocking triage assessment, the nurse got liquid Tylenol to give to our little girl. I was reluctant about the liquid because my daughter had a sore mouth, throat and the swelling in and around that same area – you know. I thought we’d give her a suppository, but I didn’t say anything.
Anyhow, my daughter got scared and said she didn’t want the medicine. The nurse said ‘it’s not a want, it’s a have to’ and then poured the medicine onto my daughter’s mouth where it seeped all over her face. I shouted for her to stop. And then I started to talk to my daughter again (with some compassion) about taking the medicine.
While I was talking to my daughter, the nurse said “we’re gonna get some in there” and thrust the medicine cup to her face and poured it all over her. My daughter started screaming and the bits that got into her mouth gagged her. The rest of the medicine was all over her mouth and in her hair.
It was at this time that I heard the nurse laughing. She was actually laughing.
I immediately picked my daughter up and started to leave. My instinct was to get her as far away from that woman as possible. I was absolutely disgusted on so many levels. As we were leaving I said in a very distressed voice “you think it’s funny pouring medicine all over the face of a little four-year old girl? What’s wrong with you? You laugh at a sick little girl?”
The nurse started to explain that she wasn’t laughing “at her”, but at the situation. As we rushed our daughter away from her, I commented that there is nothing funny about a sick, scared little girl getting pouring medicine all over her face.
My daughter is now sleeping. My husband is taking the next few hours. She is still sick, still has a fever but is sleeping.
Any advice on what I should do if this doesn’t clear up soon. And, any advice on how I should handle this nurse?
Thank you so much for listening (reading!).
16 year registered nurse here.
Do not let this go! That type of behavior from a triage nurse (or any nurse) in completely unexcusable and unprofessional. It never should have happened! If I saw a coworker do that……….oooo.
Report her immediately to the hospital that she works for and then report her directly to the Board of Consumer Affairs Nursing Division in the state that you live in.
She will be disciplined for unprofessional conduct and possibly lose her job.
We do not need nurses like that!!!
Have her reported to the hospital board and and have her removed from your daughters care. That its not the way a nurse supose to conduct herself//////////
go to the head of the hospital and let them write her up or threaten to file suit
wow this was a very rude lady…well i think u should talk to the OWNER of the hospital or care center…if they dont care..then talk to somebody ANYBODY like mayor…or somebody if this was my child..i would do anything
One word – Lawyer
Don’t call the hospital…. don’t call the charge nurse….make a call to a lawyer first. Talking to the hospital is only going to let them talk you out of whatever. That’s just wrong what she did.
Call the hospital and ask the receptionist to direct you who to talk to about a serious, and frightful experience you had in the ER. When you get the right person. Tell them what happened, tell them your daughter was not treated properly and the nurse did not have her care in mind. Make sure they know that you had to tell the nurse to stop trying to forcefull pour medication down your frightened daugthers mouth, and that when you need to visit the ER again you will defiently be going to a different hospital becuase you do not want to put your family in the hands of someone so unprofesional and that you would like the nurse to be evaluated. The nurse was very inapproriate and there are better ways to handle the medication of a young child who is obviously scared.
i really think u need to complain to that hospital… did she apologize???? that was just plain rude! she needs to learn a lesson, four year olds dont like medicine, u dont just pour it all over their faces!! you REALLY need to complain about that nurse to the hospital!
you should definately talk to the president of the hospital or at least file several complaints and get to the highest person you can get to. that nurse was ridiculous. definately file complaints
The HEAD NURSE is the person to talk to. In hospitals the head nurse dresses in office clothes. (She’s not really doing nurse’s duties.)
Her job is to appease people like you. I believe every word you said, so she should too. Perhaps the B**** has had other complaints. They want to keep you happy. Maybe they won’t charge you for the visit. (I don’t know if you had a co-pay or even insurance.) I don’t know what else they can really do for you.
I hope your little girl is on the mend. The head nurse can at least help you take care of her with a nice nurse.
Bless you all and good luck.