Are all floor nurses rude to ER nurses?

[Andy S.]

Hello everyone,

I have been an RN for about 3 years (1yr med/surg; 2 yrs cardiac) I just started working ER about 3 weeks ago, and I just have a quick question. Are alot of floor nurses rude and essentially no help what-so-ever when you transfer patients? Tonight I took a patient up to Tele and I had to ask a nurse sitting at the station 3 times if my patient was in the right place and if I had the right room, she just stared at me, rolled her eyes and acted like asking her to give up a kidney or something! I don't ever remember flat out ignoring those who would transport patients from the ER or never helping get the patient into bed. I know it wasn't her patient but at least she could have told me who the secretary was so I could drop off the paper work, or do something!!?!??!!?!

Do you guys run into this alot? Not everyone is rude, but it is has definetly been a trend.

Thanks!

[rnkim]

thanks.... and you are absolutly right

it seems nurses in TX are the same as everywhere else

kim

[shannonRN, BSN, RN]

i agree with most of the posts...it does go both ways. did you ever wonder if it was just that person's personality? on my floor we have one nurse who is usually mean to all of the other floor nurses. she doesn't just reserve that wonderful spirit of hers just for the er nurses.

Ayanna1172, i totally hear you on your post. you are right on. most of my coworkers will sit around and complain about their assigment, patients, yada, yada, yada. well, what do you get from complaining? nothing! get of of your a$$ and do your work. then maybe you wouldn't have to complain about being at work 1 hour late...maybe it was that time you spent sitting arounding complaining?! if you don't like it talk to the manager, write a formal complaint...but don't follow me around the unit whining. it's only 8, 12, or 16 hours. deal with it. if you don't like it leave! just my opinion!! :wink2:

[rnkim]

we also have a problem with our ed docs that seem to piddle and procastrinate and at the end of their schif get rid of all their patients as fast as they can, that results in multible admisions at the same time, the floor nurses not knowing this, see only several patient that have been in the er for hrs and come to their own conclusion that it must be the nurses holding the patients

i guess they dont understand that we in the er get patients out asap.

not an excuse for rudeness, i have said for a long time all floor nurses should have to spend a few days in the er and visa versa.

kim

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Howdy yall

from deep in the heat of texas

ED docs and their quirks are a whole other Topic

[kaycee]

Originally posted by teeituptom

Howdy yall

from deep in the heat of texas

ED docs and their quirks are a whole other Topic

HOW TRUE!!!!!!!!

[l.rae]

originally posted by teeituptom

howdy yall

from deep in the heart fo texas

nicely put ayanna1172. i agree with you. but on the other hand try calling report and getting a nurse who doesnt understand english, at least the i abuse it. i dont speak english, i speak texan by god. and then calling report, and the nusre cant come to the phone, or shes on break, and you have to keep calling over and over. while the pt and their family are yelling at how long its taking. the charge nurse is yelling at you for not moving your patient fast enough. the doctor is mad because the pt is still in the er occuoying a needed bed. so its rough on both sides too. but my favorite is that the room isnt clean yet, and you call housekeeping to find out it was cleaned and logged as clean 2 hours ago.

oh pleeeez don't get me started on ''the room isn't ready yet.''.....the other (my 5th shift in a row..12hr)...l called at 6p and was told....''we will call for a stat clean''.........630...''not clean yet''.......7pm.....''everyone is in report''....l say no. someone has to be on the floor....''pleez hold....................she can't come to the phone right now''........finally l call supervisor...she calls floor and tells them to take report when l call back....supervisor calls me and asks will l wait till 715....l say yes and wait till 720....l call....give report to a sullen nurse.....send the patient over at 730.....and....the room isn't clean yet!....l get so tired of these games....l am all too happy to hold pt's if a 1/2 hr or so if er not crazy....but pleez don't lie to me and play games...l hate that! ..............lr

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Howdy yall

from deep in the heat of texas

I like the I speak texan, me I speak westg by god texan

eeeehhhaaawwwwwwwwwwwwww

[CSHRN]

I found this older thread looking up an issue I have recently faced, so forgive me if there are newer threads on this topic out there....

I am glad to see that my hospital isn't the only one dealing with rudness from floor nurses. I was once a floor nurse and know what it's like up there. I think its funny when they try to explain to me like I dont know what its like, because I do. Now in the ER, I constantly get attitude. The floors don't like getting patients, they are always with a patient, or mad that I don't know every last detail about the patient's life story. My places is so busy, I don't have time for the details that I floor nurse would be concerned with. Forgive me for not knowing their diet, but it is in the orders. Just read the chart. In the ER, all I have to go on is the triage sheet, where as the floor as the full story written down. And I'm tired of being hung up on. How can these "caring nurses" go take care of peoples loved ones when they hang up on their coworkers?

[Natingale, EdD, RN]

This is a national problem LOL..I feel like ED Nurses across the country work in one big hospital. You guys go through the same issues, I dont understand why they cant take report and let the patient at least SLEEP on a hospital bed instead of a stretcher. Geez, you would think they would drop everything to help out the ER. Im speaking for nights, take report, have the patient sleep take one set of vitals and wam bam thank you ma'am.

A lot of times the ER nurses have an ICU or critical patient, along with 4 other ER patients. Thats really something. I guess thats what makes you guys so special. ::squeezes your cheeks::

[Gator-ER-RN]

In the hospital I work in, it even goes beyond what was mentioned. It's like every department is fighting against every other department...lab against the ED, ED against pharmacy, ICu against ED, etc. We wear a certain color scrubs to distinguish what department we work in. When walking in the hall, if I smile at someone wearing a different color, I rarely get a return smile, usually I am ignored or worse, glared at. I have been at that hospital since January and have never seen anything quite like it.

My worst personal experience with an ICU nurse was when I tried to call report and the nurse politely said "I am really tied up right now, can you call back in 30 minutes?" Even though I was trying to make room for the lobby full of waiting people, since she asked so sweetly, I said "Sure." When I called back exactly 30 minutes later, so told me that they were getting ready to do shift change and she could not take report. THEN SHE HAD THE HOUSE SUPERVISOR CALL MY CHARGE NURSE TO TATTLE ON ME FOR CALLING REPORT DURING SHIFT CHANGE!#@@!#@$%#!#@!

UUUGGGGHHHH

[flightofpassion]

Hi Everyone,

I too work in ED. To my dismay I have also found , for the most part, floor nurses to be not only rude but indignant. I have found only a few who are pleasant, and I believe it is only because I use to be their manager. I find this behavior to be disturbing. I have been a nurse for greater than 25 years and have worked literally everywhere, and in many different capacities, and I don't ever remember treating the ED nurses like I am being treated now. Of course I remember all too well the stress an admission caused when I was busy with up to 10 other patients, or when one of my patients was crumping and requiring intensive intervention. However, I never blamed the ED nurses. As a matter of fact I found that the ED nurses would go an extra step and help with time consuming task if I asked.

Good Luck

[SuperStockRN]

I love the excuse that ER "holds" patients for shift change time. That may be true for the floors, working 12 hours or 8 hour shifts, 7a-7p or the 7a-3p routine.... RARELY do ERs have the same shifts! ! ! ! ! Many of the ERs I have worked at have 3a-3p, 5a-5p, 7a-7p, 11a-11p, etc. It is hardly ever shift change in the ER and we do not, and cannot run on the floor's schedule.

I TOTALLY agree with the policy of not holding patients in the ER. We do not close our doors and constantly have to expand our capabilities to accomidate the people coming in. We cannot tell the lady in triage with chest pain to wait 15 minutes more before the floor nurse can take this pneumonia patient who has had everything done except the antibiotics started. I don't have time to start your floor orders when I have an MI to get ready for the cath lab.

At my current job we fax report to the units and call to acknowledge the fax and transport 30 minutes later. Period. The only variation is the RN-to-RN report to the ICU RN in the meantime with the same 30 minute transport time. Bed not ready? That's your problem, not mine. Call for a stat clean, clean it yourself, whatever you need to do because I'm rollin' out in 30 minutes, GUARANTEED.

I think the communication can always be improved and it is important to avoid hasty interactions if at all possible. If I am not busy, you better believe I will start the abx, anchor the foley, start a new IV, maybe even feed the patient for the patient's sake and the floor nurse's. And I will start whatever you want if you get this patient out of the ER so I can get the next one started! BUT, in true triage fashion, I will treat the most acute first because that's where my ultimate loyalty lies.

What a sensitive subject!

Just the beginning!