Emergency Care Dynamics-Urgent Care & More

a sick child, a heartless nurse.

When my grandson got an earache on our vacation in San Diego the front desk recommended Urgent Care and More on Midway. By the time we got there his stomach was upset also. The nurse, Carol, lounging behind the desk, asked if I had a note from his parents (I do have one, but hadn't thought to bring it to San Diego; when we asked about this later at Children’s hospital I was told that grandparents bring in kids all the time, and it isn’t a problem). When I asked, incredulously, “you’re turning away an 8 year old in pain? What about the Hippocratic oath?” She snapped at me "That isn't legal in California!" I called my grandson's parents to give permission on the phone, but then she refused to talk to them, saying that she didn't like my attitude. I asked a waiting patient, and he confirmed my opinion that the nurse was behaving improperly. While I don't believe that I did anything wrong, even if I had I don't think it's right to turn away an 8 year old with an earache.

When I reported all this at the hotel front desk, a young man working there said the same clinic had turned him away when he had an allergic reaction to penicillin. I was assured that the hotel will not be recommending that clinic again.