ER Pet Peeves

Hi Y'all. How about the patient with fibromyalgia?!! I actually had one husband tell me w/a very somber tone of voice that his wife had "end-stage fibromyalgia". Hello? And you know they are all allergic to motrin, toradol, percocet, vicodin, etc. etc. Also, how about the patient that tells you exactly where he/she does and does not want the IV!!

Have you ever smelled 2 week old fish bait left in an ice chest in 95+ degree temps? I would liken that to some of the people I have taken care of feet. Think someone who drinks listerine to the point that they urinate and defacate on themselves but are still capable of standing so it all runs down. Add this to the fact that they do not change socks until they rot off. (usually the socks not the feet) Now think of this next time you are tempted to remove someones shoes. You will only have to do it once.

Thank you, Angie!!! I'm in my first year, and the last facility I worked for had me scheduled to "orient" on the LTC side but they had nobody to orient me so I hit the ground running on an unfamiliar unit. One of the residents spiked a temp about an hour after I got there and had already been given Tylenol within the last two hours and she was very lethargic. The CNA told me that she was not usually that lethargic, etc. so I called the doc, told him what was going on, and HE ordered me to send her out. An hour later, I got a call from BOTH the ER RN and MD asking me why I had sent her out...ummmmm "Because I had an order to?!?! If you have a problem with it, why don't you call Dr. so-and-so and asked why HE decided to send her out?"

FYI if you've ever had a migraine so bad that it requires medical attention, you'd know that it's impossible to drive yourself to the ER or urgent care. You need someone else to bring you (ie. a spouse or relative).

parenteral control

These are all so true, funny to read-but not at the time! I have been a nurse for 18 years. Just went to ER/trauma a couple of years ago at a Level l Trauma center. It is the same hospital I have been at all these years. I work with some really great human beings, RN's, techs, docs, housekeeping- just great lovely people. However, my question to all you long term ER people- Does the ER have a tendency to attract RN's that have a need to be just unkind, critical, and hateful to other coworkers? Our turn over rate is 40% in 1 year. One of the new (male) nurses (he is very experienced) hired on told me it is like that everywhere. I came from L and D, this is a different world, or is it just my hospital? Poorly managed, and brutality amongst staff is tolerated. Please tell me there is hope for better as I start to travel. It is just a group of them, but they are brutal, not just to me, but to all. HELP? Advice.