I have been coming here for 2 years now. It was never fantastic, some nurses cause more pain than the others, but I am a big girl so it's OK ;) Today I brought my 9 month old baby, first baby + first vein blood drawing = trauma for both of us. Turns out Saturdays are very hectic here. They close at 11:30 am. We arrive at 11. I ask right away if they can still take us without an appointment. They say they can I just need to wait for about an hour. Works for me. An hour later I see a young nurse pick up our blood order, he puffs, shakes his head and gestures us to come in. The mere fact that I am holding a baby does not mean the blood order in his hands is for us. He didn't even confirm the name -- first red flag. So I ask him if it is us indeed he is inviting in, he calls our last name out loud, it is us :) I ask why did he behave the way he did when he read the order, was anything wrong? No, nothing was wrong, he replies. He tells us where to sit, and comments ""you picked the wrong day to bring a baby"". What????? What makes it a wrong day? Him being tired and not being able to perform? No nurses experienced with drawing blood from babies? Not enough sterile needles? Bad horoscope for the day? I let it slip. He goes back and forth, bringing the necessary things to perform the procedure, and I hear him puff again. The guy is obviously not happy. He puts the tourniquet on the tiny arm, feels the vein. A familiar puff again, then he says he can't do it without someone to hold the arm still. In my point of view there must be some sort of protocol for young kids at a lab, is there one? Is he familiar with it? Everyone is busy, the other nurse promises to help, once she takes care of her patient. Instead of letting us to wait for her to be done they kick us out to the reception again. I really didn't want to move an inch from that chair. But the jerk nurse, he actually has a name - Rico Bartolo, assures we will be next. Did not happen, they remember about us once they take care of 3 more patients in the reception, and there's no one left. There is no way I am going to trust Bartolo with my baby at this point. I hear him complain about how late it is and how late he got out last Saturday - 1:45 pm. Well it is a busy day, but it is only a 4-hour shift on Sat!!!! How tired CAN you possibly be? How about Drs performing on a 24h shift, do they show the symptoms of a minor nervous break down as well? I left, expressing my frustration and taking the ""opinion"" slip. Mr.Bartolo did not even agree that the comment about the day not being the best for the baby visit was utterly rude and unnecessary. Number of hours wasted at the lab - 1, number of babies hurt - 0.
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