One of our ER nurses has been just UGLY to all of our EMS people over the past couple weeks. No matter what EMS brings in and no matter what EMS does she finds fault with it. She is refusing to answer questions when calling the service for an interfacility transport, "I want a paramedic to transport a patient and that is all you need to know!," she'll say. She's also told paramedics who have offered to assist with getting IVs started, inserting foleys, EKGs, that those procedures require a REGISTERED NURSE, not an ambulance driver who got their license out of a mail order catalog, has ripped out IVs started by EMS, removes C-spine precautions, refuses to take report, and the list goes on and on. There is already tension between the EMS people and the ER staff as it is...don't know why, just one of those long standing things.
So what's is your opinion? As a member of the ambulance service and the ER staff, I am caught in the middle a lot. When I am on duty in the ER, this nurse is my supervisor and if she tells me to pluck out the IV, I am expected to do it. When I am on duty with the ambulance service, I am MAD when I am told I am too stupid to do a procedure that I do on a regular basis and is makes me really mad to have my judgement questioned by someone who thinks we shouldn't have c-spined a patient who had MOI.
The ER supervisor and the ambulance service supervisor (who just happen to be best friends) are aware of the situation and they just keep telling everyone, "Well, that's just how she is...don't let her get to you." Fine, great answer, but it sure makes for a lot of tension and makes people not want to show up in the ER when this nurse is on...
