Texas Children's Hospital Emergency Center

"I was there over 8 hours without receiving attention from a doctor, despite initially consulting a nurse. Upon seeking information about the expected wait time, the supervising nurse asserted that my daughter's case was not urgent, raising questions about the criteria used to determine urgency (must there be exposed blood for them to acknowledge urgency?) What criteria were employed from her? To my disbelief, she mentioned a standard waiting time of 15 to 20 hours for initial treatment at the hospital, providing no assurance that my daughter would receive timely care. Throughout this distressing period, my daughter's condition worsened, leaving me, a concerned relative, in despair without answers. Notably, this nurse consistently wears her identification badge upside down, obscuring her name, and consistently responds with rudeness and irony. I spent harrowing hours, as well as being ignored and then disrespected."

"Don’t waste your time going to this ER. Just go to another hospital because this hospital does not care about their patients. I brought my son here 5 years ago by ambulance and we were place in the waiting room for 8 hours. Unfortunately I had to bring my 8 month old in last week. We had to wait for 8 hours AGAIN. You mean to tell me in 5 years you have done nothing to work on your ER times?! No, so that just proves how you feel about your patients. We had to sit there for 8 hours with all kinds of kids sick for all kinds of reasons. My daughter was not sick when she came in. She was there for another reason. My daughter got very sick on top of what she was already going through. It’s been a week and she is still suffering from her experience at this ER."

"My only concern and complaint I have is about the ER staff. It took 6 hours before we were seen. There was a nurse walking around in the waiting area taking vitals and she was nice enough to take my son’s temp and it was 102.7 and she took me to triage so they can give my son something for fever. There was a rude nurse who came up and gave my son Tylenol and back to the waiting area. Hours passed and I was livid how long they were taking and my son suffering from pain/fever. I asked for the patients advocacy, but they refused to call them, instead they asked what I needed. Then I was told critical patient's who were having trouble breathing were being seen first, even tho my son was critical too. I was one of the first to arrive at the ER before many and yet we still waited for hours before getting a room. Guess you have to be dying to be considered critical. Now I have no complaints about the nurse/doctor that attended my son once I finally got a room. They did an excellent job taking care of my son and I appreciate how attentive they were to my son. There needs to be improvement with the ER staff tho and how they attend to their patients. ER staff need to be educated and be more attentive instead of ignoring you and not caring for patients. They did give my son a snack in the waiting area which that was nice of the nurse that was walking around taking vitals, but I guess after many complaints there was improvement. Now they have to really focus on improving time wait and ER staff."

"The absolute worst. Staff are VERY unprofessional and I waited with my son for 4 damn hours. I first called the 24 hour nursing line in regards to my son being in an excruciating pain. The lovely nurse told me to take my son to the ER within an hour and did just that. Just to wait 4 hours and not have no damn update. When giving symptoms, info on what was going on with my son, they were talking horribly about another mom. They didn’t introduce themselves or anything just completely rude, yelling within the hallway and saying “okay get on the scale”. After 6am came around and getting here at 1:45am, i told them to remove him from being seeing because i had already (might as well) made an appt with his PCP. When I told the nurse, she decided to come to the lobby and ask everyone their names LOL. I love Texas Children’s, they’ve given my son the Best care possible, but this was the worst experience for us!!! Hoping my baby doesn’t go through any more Emergencies! Definitely not bringing him here again!"

"Let me just say, this does not come easily for me as my son has been a patient for quite a long time due to his chronic illnesses we often and unfortunately end up in the ER and Texas children’s has followed by his side his entire life and I’ve always had good things to say and put the utmost trust into you guys. The hospital as a whole lately has been nothing short of terrible to him lately. But our recent experience in the ER was beyond awful. The staff at the reception and triage were RUDE. Hardly say 2 words to you or your child. Once we were roomed, we didn’t see anyone at all for very long periods of time. When the call light was initiated it was ignored so I handled what we needed to on my own with my son.. who has physical impairments and needed the bathroom and is hooked up to a very heavy IV pole/pump. Not to mention he is a fall risk. We were told we would get medication and it was never given TWICE. Came in for a high fever and didn’t take his temperature ONCE. This was INSANITY. Alarms going off like crazy and people just walking by like nothing or sitting in the hall ignoring it. I get being busy, and I get prioritizing your patients. But professionalism and patient bedside manner, is important to ALL patients and their families."