Does the ED stand for Emergency Department or the Everything Dumpster? - Page 2

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  1. Jan 21 by
    Quote from Tyler's mom
    Unless you truly need the pain meds then you are given less than adequate. Just speaking from personal experience. I broke both legs when thrown from my horse a couple years ago. I stayed in the ED for four hours in agony. When I asked for something for the pain you would have thought I asked for oxycotin. I was given Hydro 5/325mg one and sent home with discharge instructions to see ortho surgeon on Monday. I left the ED Saturday morning at 0200 in a wheel chair praying I could make it till Monday without killing my kidneys on extra strenght apap.
    Just want to point out that all that APAP would be tough on your liver but either way, it sounds like BS that they didn't send you home with any pain meds after breaking your legs... 1 Lortab while you were there?? I'm sorry that you encountered that kind of experience.
    KarenfRN, KelRN215, Orange Tree, and 1 other like this.
  2. Jan 21 by
    Quote from N1colina

    Just want to point out that all that APAP would be tough on your liver but either way, it sounds like BS that they didn't send you home with any pain meds after breaking your legs... 1 Lortab while you were there?? I'm sorry that you encountered that kind of experience.
    I stand corrected. I guess new research (new to me) shows that Tylenol can be nephrotoxic as well :/
  3. Jan 21 by
    The ED as a dumping ground is the way our capitalist system has evolved.

    It is not likely going to change in the near future.

    LTCs/SNFs/ALFs will continue to send their elderly and ill patients to you for all sort of crazy reasons and a few good ones. Those patients will be transported to a large degree the way their families want them transported...even perhaps in the back seat of their car.
    KeeperMom, KarenfRN, and VICEDRN like this.
  4. Jan 21 by
    Quote from canoehead
    It's the Exasperated Room, or Everyone's Retarded.

    And by retarded I mean Snookie, or Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah's couch. Nobody have a cow.
    Or you could just not use the word. You obviously know that some would birth a bovine by its use, yet your comment was really sooooo important to be offensive anyway?
    prinsessa, sapphire18, nhnursie, and 4 others like this.
  5. Jan 21 by
    You know what is weird though, sometimes family members ask that an ambulance NOT be used. I swear, I love my job, but the whackadoo family members really grate on my nerves!

    Then we had one family member attempt to demand we send a patient with an ingrown toenail via 911 to the ER. Podiatrist visit was the very next day, but his foot hurt. Yanno, I could have given him his percocet... Family ended up calling 911 because *I* did not under orders from doc and DON.

    I have all sorts of fun stories.
    tewdles likes this.
  6. Jan 21 by
    Quote from Esme12
    ... Some staff at NH will send problematic patients to the ED to give themselves a rest.
    What? We can do that??? Dang! I'm chartering a bus!
    sandyfeet, canoehead, Nascar nurse, and 7 others like this.
  7. Jan 21 by
    Is it because people with no insurance HAVE to be seen if they show up at the ER? I know so many patients who use the ER as their PCP. Which really sucks. It makes waiting time longer for everyone and takes staff away from patients who are truly sick. If ER is overrun with patients, some may be either incorrectly triaged, or triaged; sent to wait their turn, then can't speak up when their condition worsens.
  8. Jan 22 by
    Quote from crazy&cuteRN
    The problem in the OP is that a LTC facility chose to send a sick resident via van instead of an ambulance. If it is a life threatnening emergency than the resident should have been sent via ambulance. I'm sure it is cheaper to use the van however it is not the most prudent.
    In my LTC if the resident has DNR they almost always go in a transport van.In PA. if we sent them in an ambulance and they tried to die they would be coded despite their DNR status. What was the status on your patient? DNR? What was the outcome?
    Often the family insists the resident be transferred,it's not up to us.
    I have transferred dying patients to acute care and I have received new admissions and hospital returns from acute care who were obviously in that transition and died within the hour.It happens and it's not something we can control. I try not to take it personally and let it ruin my day
  9. Jan 22 by
    Quote from Esme12
    Because the ED/ER always has been the dumping grounds. It always will be. This nursing home sending patients out by transport needs to be talked to....you can't necessarily blame the staff as you have NO idea what they have been told to do. If they have been told by admin that his is what must be done of be fired....in this job market...you do what you are told. Sending out "half dead" patients....if they have had too many deaths recently....and they want their numbers down....guess where they are going to be sent.

    Some staff at NH will send problematic patients to the ED to give themselves a rest.
    Sorry Disagree with the idea completely..... that we send them out for a break
    Last edit by nhnursie on Jan 22 : Reason: clarification
  10. Jan 22 by
    Quote from wooh
    Or you could just not use the word. You obviously know that some would birth a bovine by its use, yet your comment was really sooooo important to be offensive anyway?
    Yay! Thank you!!! I HATE that word and can't stand hearing it!
    wooh, sapphire18, imintrouble, and 1 other like this.