Penrose- St. Francis Weight Loss Surgery Institute Hospital

The funny thing is that I was on the 11th floor which is Intermediate care - one level below ICU and the care was horrible. I had to wait forever for someone to answer my calls. While in CCU, ICU and on the 6th floor (yes I was moved a total of 4 times) I had wonderful care. The response time was fast and I didn't find myself getting frustrated.

It is obvious there is a nursing shortage but I never waited more than 2 min if I used the button. I was surprised vitals weren't taken more often and the CNA's did most of the care taking. The RN's were only in a couple times a day. Overall the stay was pleasant enough. I would stay again if the need came arouse.

The nurses for the most part were very nice. The first three days I had a morphine pump which was wonderfull.

The ICU unit was horrible. My first night was spent in ICU and that was the most awful experience for me. Once I was moved to a room, things were okay.
I had a nurse in ICU who was obviously not very pleased about her job. She slammed things around in the room. Huffing and puffing about having to do her job. Then when they were putting the trapeze on my bed she dropped a part of it on my incision and didnt even apologize! Its a good thing that I was still pretty out of it and numb there! She barely even acknowledged me. Then when it came time to transfer to a room,things only got worse.
I had a catheter so there was a bag hanging on the side of my bed and when they moved me, she forgot about it and on the way out of the ICU room, I was slammed against the wall and the bag was of course caught and the catheter was almost ripped out of me. Then, the guys moving me were playing around and swinging me back and forth down the hallway and I was SO sick from the bladder bag thing and in pain, so that made it worse.I was smacked into walls and jarred around so much that I started crying and the nurse told me to " oh, buck up "! So if you end up with a nurse in ICU named Mary, tell your family to demand another nurse for you.
But once I was moved to the 6th floor, things were okay. The only advice I have is learn to get in and out of bed by yourself as soon as they take the catheter out. It usually takes the nurses more time then you have to get there .Thank God I had my family.
Like most overweight people, I had a problem wiping myself after surgery. It isnt easy to move that way afterwards and I had a seriously problem once I had my first bowel movement. Hopefully, you will have family there to help you when this happens because the nurses dont do a good enough job and I ended up with some real problems because of this. Everything else was fine though.

they knew nothing about the nutritional aspect, and sometimes nurses just don't like their jobs, but you'll find that anywhere-overall no complaints.

For weeks after my stay, if I saw something on TV that focused on surgery or a hospital stay, I would become sick to my stomach. I think that indicates not a great stay.

I would say my experience at penrose main was good to excellent. I had a private room on the 11th floor right next to the nurses station. They let my husband stay overnight. The nurses and cna's were all very nice and helpful but also very overworked. Took a little time to get them in your room - sometimes. They have a lot of work and not many people to do it - but they always had a great attitude.

Things were great before the surgery. Everyone was very nice and helpful. After surgery, when I was taken to my room, the nurses seemed VERY BUSY. Almost too busy to take care of my needs. Such as pain meds etc. There were a few days when 4-5 hours would go by when I wouldn't see any nurses.

My stay was for 5 days. My Dr. ordered a trapeese during day 1 (so I could pull myself up) but I didn't get it until day 3. (Everytime I asked the nurses would say they were too busy.. or it would have to wait until the nurse from the next shift came on). Day 1 I asked for a pillow for my tummy when I coughed.... I asked for it maybe 6-7 times before they brought it to me. During day 4 I awoke with a horrible back ache. 5am I asked for a heating pad. I received the heating pad at dinner that night. I complained that it wasn't working (it was set 1 degree higher than my body temp) and they said take it or leave it. 24 hours after surgery my pump ran out and I turned on the light. The CNA turned off my light and said she'd tell the nurse. 20 minutes later I turned the light back on. 10 minutes later another nurse came in to deliever my dinner and turned off the light... I begged her to tell the nurse I needed my morphine. An hour later I crawled out of bed (didnt have my trapese yet) and made my way to the door... standing there hunched over and crying hysterically my nurse saw me. She felt horrible... but good god she should have. By the time she hooked me up it had been two hours since the pain was bad enough for me to hit the pump to realize I was out. The pain was beyond words.
During my stay I think I saw 5 differnt RNs. One of which was absolutely ideal.... she was completely wonderful. Two of which were non responsive.. and when they did respond they acted as if I was preventing them from getting their work done. I was so sorry that my morphine ran dry and I needed more. Geesh. The other two did their jobs.. but had no bed manner to speak of.

Penrose has a wonderful reputation... I never for a moment believed that I would have been treated in this manner. I'm just thankful that for the majority of the week I had a family member with me that would assist me to the bathroom (because who knows how long it would have taken them to help me).. or to go to the nurses desk when I needed something.

I don't think this would stop me from going to Penrose again.... but I'd have my eyes wide open before I went in.