LETTER: Nurses in Antigua and Barbuda need to be taught some customer service skills

21
SLB-MSJMC

Dear Editor,

On Wednesday 19th July at about 7:15 a.m.

I arrived at the Potters clinic and when I arrived, I met three persons so I was fourth in line.

I went early because I had to go to work so I expected that the earlier I went, the faster I would finish when the clinic opens at 8:00 a.m.

The clinic opened on time and more people kept coming while being there.

It took them up until about 8 : 45 a.m. to call the first person and all of the nurses were just coming in to work one by one.

They were already late and on top of that they were still taking their precious time and walking like snails.

Then they were outside talking to each other and friends by the fence and not trying to speed up the process. 

Finally, it was time for them to see my child and perform their basic check-up(weighing, head measuring and body length).

After they were done with the check-up I was told to go back outside and have a seat and the nurse will call me.

I sat outside for about 15 minutes before I was called.

I went in and the nurse interviewed me and was asking questions about the child so she could make a note of the progress that my child is making.

After that she told me to go down the hallway to the nurse so the baby could get his vaccine. 

I went and I realized that the nurse was seeing somebody so I stepped back until she was done. I went back in and she was not there.

I did not see when she got up because I was at the back door for the room she was in and she walked through the door at the front.

When she came back in I said “Good morning, the nurse sent me to you so that the baby can get the shot”.

She replied “You have to sit and hold on because me hab people cyard infront ah me”.

I replied “I was here very early this morning and when I arrived all these people were not there and I was with the nurse and she sent me here” .

I went on to explain to her that I do not expect her to just sit and wait on me and not deal with anybody while I am with the nurse but I also do not expect to have to wait until all these people are finished when I did not meet them when I came.

She replied “Miss Miss jus gimme da cyard gimme da cyard cause ma just tell you people yah a wait and dem before you”.

I gave her the card and she proceeded to place it beneath all the cards when I just explained myself to her.

She called in three persons while I am there waiting so I went back and I asked her how long is it going to be because I have to go to work.

She started to curse “You jus a disturb me from do ma work and me nah nuh wa u wa me fa do, siddung you will get tru”.

I asked “what is your name”.

She replied “ wa you wa ma name for me nah gi you ma name” and then she paused and she told me her name.

My child is just a couple of months old and even after she heard my child  fretting she still proceeded to ignore and continued dealing with other people plus she came to work after 9. 

I was behind there for a while and another nurse came to me and asked if I was getting through so I explained to her and she went into the nurse and she came back out and said to me jus now you will get through and she asked me the child’s name.

She walked back up the hallway and went into the room I was in previously and I walked behind of her thinking that she was going to assist me since she just asked me the child’s name.

When I reached to the room door I saw her explaining something to the nurse that dealt with me before and I was just in time to hear “she jus dung dey a argue and nurse done say she will get through me jus tiyad a dis place ya me need some time off”.

Another nurse came down to me and said “maybe nurse come inna one bad mood today”. I went back to the nurse and I asked her for my child’s card and she handed it to me.

Upon taking it from her she exclaimed to a patient “you see wa she jus do, ya see wa she just do” and this patient was about her sixth or seventh patient since I was out there waiting and she’s asking him like he was there from the start.

I left the clinic without my child getting the vaccine because I could not wait any longer and in addition I did not want her to dig my child after she was already in her vengeance and came to work in a bad mood like her colleague said.

I made a phone call and I called the individual who is over the nurses. I explained the situation to her and she told me she will look into it but she will call back the clinic now and let them make someone else administer the shot to my child.

I went back and I was out there waiting on the gallery and not one of the nurses called the child’s name to get the shot.

The nurse who was at the front desk was sitting eating yogurt or something of that sort and she is licking her spoon and having a nice time while persons are there waiting to get through.

Another young nurse is just on her phone texting and walking up and down before they all come together and try to make the process faster.

I called back the number and it rang out but the lady returned the call about 2 minutes after and stated that she already called them and she is trying to get to a meeting but I should get through.

I got tired of waiting and I left again after I turned back because I was promised that someone else would see me so I can get to work. 

If you go to the clinic at 9:45 they argue why you so late and they are done working for the day and people need to learn how to come on time but still when you go on time they are coming to work extremely late and still giving attitude then when they feel overwhelmed after they see how much persons are waiting when they are just driving in to work at nine and after nine they want to be upset.

You are supposed to be the vaccine nurse and you still want to come to work late and it seems to be a trend with her because the last time I went she came to work after 9 too. She dug my child so hard the last time and pushed everything into the leg in one push.

My child cried for days and it seems as if she is always upset and angry hence the reason she dealt with my child so rough the last time but after seeing her behaviour this time I just left because I meant she was not going to dig my child again and have to deal with excessive crying.

In summary, whether going to the hospital or the clinics, the nurses are never people friendly, they arrive to work late and they still continue to sit and waste time and eat food while people are there waiting to be looked at.

Time and time again persons go to the hospital and still have to end up leaving for the long wait sometimes 24 hours and sometimes more.

They seem to not genuinely care for people and they seem to just get up and go to work to get paid at the end of the month.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]

21 COMMENTS

  1. The writer is not lying. Too many of them are “piggish” and lack basic human decency. No compassion, rude, unkind, unprofessional, lazy, lakadasical, miserable and angry!

    They like to be on the frontline when it comes to demanding increased pay, but no increase in their professionalism. horibble hogs and witches they are….some of them.

  2. my personal case, i have a herniated disc L1-S1 which is bulging on my nerves as well so for me standing for a long time gets very irritated and causes me to feel pain which then leads to a burning sensation and i will loose all functions in my lower half if i keep pushing it. i mentioned that to a nurse because i was to see the Dr and missy gave me some unneeded attitude and no seat was available… i ended up partly sitting on the floor because i couldnt manage the stand any more. eventually i just left and came back home.

    i have yet to meet the doctor again and because i know i had that and other exp cases up there like the fact its always only 1 cashier working when im there to stand in that line so long mess with me, so i havent been back to the hospital since. at the moment im looking to go and stay private and see if i can get another doctor to take up my case.

    • How sad @ Salty, and what a sorry state of affairs. I pray that you get the required treatment and a full recovery.

      A relative of mine had a similar problem, and they went to a private practitioner and made a full recover – all the best!

  3. Some of them are really not nice. They need to do better. It doesn’t seem as if they are really dealt with even if you report the matter. The public service needs some extensive training in customer service.

  4. I pay no attention to these complaints and have no compassion because when these whiners are on the other end they do the same crap. Swallow your poision!!!!!

  5. Calling on the Minister of Health to have a serious talk with these nurses. When they go to England and Canada to work they work like slaves in sun, rain or snow without complain because as you rightly said all they care about is the money. NO EMPATHY.

  6. I guess also that they may be just tired, and they work long shifts meeting all kinds of persons, some who may be offensive. Then you’re also dealing with admin problems. So I are it could be better, but it may also be that they’re just tired

  7. Tends to happen when you bring MAN PROBLEMS to work. Knuckle not easy to tek, so tek it out on patients

  8. This is a sad commentary of this person’s experience of going to a clinic to get something done for her child..omg..
    The supervisor of nurses needs to look into this..
    Basic customer service skills is lacking here, 😑
    Plus she’s a nurse?
    Shouldn’t she be kinder and compassionate..smh

  9. What hospital photo has to do with something that happened at the clinic? They should sue the media for false report

  10. Some of them ACK like animals they need to be train in customer service like last week. Mark you some of them are darlings.while some of the doctors they are left much to be desired.

  11. I was visiting Antigua and Barbuda, someone needed services at the hospital, so o went to visit. While visiting the Mount St. John’s hospital, a particular nurse, last name Tho, was so rude to me, that I thought I did her something. But that could not be it, I haven’t been to Antigua in decades. That is how rudd she was that it made you feel like in another life you killed her or committed some vicious crime against her.

    I had to ask, why are you behaving this way? Do you not have any customer service experience or empathy?

    Then un an unrelated matter, I was asking the doctor if he was the only doctor working, this doctor, description; he is black, a bit round, short and was working in the emergency room so was so rude.

    I was asking him, is he the only doctor working today, he looked at me when I asked him over 5 times this question. He was upset because I said the service should be better and more doctors should be available.

    The doctor literally ignored my question and gave attitude.

    I promise you my intent was to donate $100,000ec to the hospital before I leave. The Mount St. John’s hospital was going to get a minimum of $10,000ec cash donation and supplies. While there I needed wipes or tissue or hand sanitizer, the hospital had none.

    So, my decision was to ship these and other equipments back. But leaving the $10,000, up to $100,000 as a donation to the hospital.

    My experience with the hospital and other person of authority connected to ministry, immediate had me decide, it was not the appropriate thing for me to do.

    It was honestly horrible, and I would never make up such experience on people within such a vital field, medical field.

    These are people we should be able to look up to, admire and definitely respect but the service in that emergency room is so horrible I expressed to family members if I am dying while visiting there, I truly would consider not going to that hospital.

    And I know I can do it, I have done it for years while studying and was unable to pay for medical care while paying for my education. No matter how serious it was, I wasn’t going to incur those medical bills without insurance. So, I tolerated what no one should tolerate.

    In Antigua, I would consider tolerating the pain and suffering, even death, and avoid going to that hospital not only because of the common negligence but the outrageous lack of proper customer service conduct.

    This is the truth.

    Victim is defined as………

  12. @my way of helping
    I personally think if you wanna really help : take the 100k and try to get rid of the health minister
    Granted people may need a refresher course in their interpersonal maneuvering and basic human attributes, but after being promised this allowance, this other matter being resolved, this concern being addressed, big hearted workers go numb after years of being duped.
    Then decisions are made that make no sense and serve purely to victimize persons who truly care. Thus good persons stop caring, stop sharing love and start losing hope.
    We are trying everything but the one thing that is needed. We need to restore hope.

  13. Antigua pipol love to congplain to much mayne. You gada lada ting to say ol de tiy but when de tiy come to see de nurse dey sleeping in dey chare mayne. You rida bout one ting ery bady in Antigua wan pay for lidy work coñasos

  14. Lord, an insect went down in my ear. I went into the emergency. Lawd, the doctor was so piggish and horrible, that it continued digging further down my ear column. I screamed, bawled . He didn’t even pour something down my ear to kill or incompassitate the insect. I had to leave that night. By the next morning, the insect had nearly reached my throat, but mercifully, it died. I went back and was lucky to see Dr. Roberts. God bless him.I only knew the incest was out of my ear, with the smell of the dead extracted insect. He was so polite, considerate, sympathetic. Unlike the nurse who dug my grandson so hard, because I asked a question. I really understand how the writer feels. Take a trip to a private lab or clinic, then compare the treatment you get at a government health institution – SAME YUH MUNNIEE

  15. I have been to clinics also and has witnessed the behavior of patients.
    Waiting on the report from the clinic because there is always two sides to a story.

    Keep it real….

  16. Customer service in Antigua generally needs to improve. However, personally, I have been to several clinics locally and the nurses have always been pleasant to me. I have arrived both at early and later times at clinics and found that no matter when you arrive they generally start seeing patients around an hour or more after opening and then the patients go through fairly quickly. So, you finish around the same time either way. It can take a few hours though. So, if you have to go to work then it’s best to go private (as I did for my child’s shots) or tell your boss you need part of the day off on those occasions. I understand the letter writer’s frustrations, but once you get used to their system you can plan ahead better.

    • Also, I am sure the clinic workers have some sort of internal system as to who does what when. So, the front desk worker can’t just leave the desk and tend to you. The young nurse texting may have other duties, and the vaccine worker might have to wait until people go through a preliminary evaluation before she can start working. I am sure the healthcare system needs improvement, but perhaps the workers get annoyed because persons who don’t know how their system works want to tell them how to do their jobs. It’s best to practice patience when at the clinics.

  17. #kaiso_time!

    🎵🎼🎵🎼🎼🎼🎶🎶

    …with anger, and frustration
    …running, ‘oh gud,’ rampant in the Nation
    …the percentages are gonna be, high!
    High! Hi! High!
    …regarding, these shit_U_ation!
    …so, to you My Way of Helping
    …and, the others #who’re complaining!
    …this is not, a new phenomenon!
    …it’s called, “dem to, dung-k-damn!
    …and, few professionals! Including some politicians
    …don’t really, give a damn!
    …no not one damn! Gud gad man!
    …about, these unfortunate situations!
    …so, this is why I put it, in a song!
    …therefore, you too can sing along!
    …to bring meaningful changes to Our Nation!

    Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
    De ‘ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrat_Bastard

    Vere C. Edwards

Comments are closed.