Getting burnt out with non urgent patients

Specialties Emergency

Published

Hello all I just want to throw out the question. What do you all do to remain sane with the ever increasing non urgent patients? I have been an ED nurse for 10 years and love my job level 2 trauma center. Lately I am becoming more short and basically irritated with the rude demanding patients that are presenting for nonsense care. I am probably one of the nicer nurses at work and I don't want to become one of the non caring type but I see myself heading down that road.

nitenite, you just made me cry.

SherriJones, I like you!

Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.

Ugh, I'm so annoyed with some patients right now. Recently had very demanding annoying pts coming in for "dry feet" and "bug bites". How in the world is this an emergency?? And they get ****** when doing their triage I ask about alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Sorry we ask everyone these questions, sorry if it offends you! Then get a nasty email from a pt saying I didn't push them out to their car after they were dc'd. I brought them the wheelchair and told them I hoped they felt better and to take care. 10 mins later after I come out of a pt room the pt is still sitting there with his wife at his side. I asked if they needed anything else and he insisted that I push him out to his car....uh your wife is perfectly capable of doing it. Of course I didn't say that, but I guess he got offended at my confused look. I just hate how much power the patients have and how they get to complain about everything and everyone.

2 hours of off and on discussion about needing a urine sample. The 'friend' keeps asking me why it's such a big deal.

I kindly remind him that she's here for change in mental status, a uti can be the culprit. I had tried multiple times putting her on and off the bedpan. She was refusing straight cath. I can't pin her down.

The woman was a-o x's 40. She was in rehab for deconditioning and hated where she was and the staff. She was being a pita cuz she hated them.

It went from I had time to keep trying to coax her to crazy town, the friend kept following me around while I'm trying to take care of urgently sick squads.. I was so frustrated. I'm sure he complained about me. She signed out AMA. Just cuz someone is sent from a nursing facility, doesn't mean they are demented and I don't have 6 hours to devote solely to 1 pt who wants to play games for a urine sample. Oh, did I mention how she continually rang her light and yelled out for me to come in and talk to her?

Specializes in ER.

I work in a hospital where we are timed to make turn-around at three hours per pt. the hospital has also just put out a commercial that tells the locals that EMS has beds before they arrive. While this is true, it's opened the door to even more morons calling 911 for "nausea, because I didn't want to go to work" (at McDonald's.....this is also true), etc. unfortunately this won't change and I too have noticed that I'm becoming a bit bitter. I am one of the ones that generally holds my tongue to keep professional but sometimes it could be very hard to do. I have, however, educated my pts on the use of the ER for their non-emergencies and alternatives. I think that as nurses we should also be educating the pts on the proper use of emergency resources, but the fact of the matter is that it comes with the job. It might be time for a long vacation or change of specialty before you really begin to hate your job.

if you're not jaded by the demanding seekers and frequent fliers you're an android from outer space, or a psych nurse...

its part of the job, don't let em get you down...just appreciate the REAL emergencies more when they come around, the price we pay.

Good advice. I'm not an ER nurse but assume it must be very frustrating at times. Speaking as a psych nurse I can tell you becoming jaded is not uncommon. We get a lot of seekers and many borderlines/axis 2's that will do just about anything for attention, including claiming to be actively suicidal/cutting on themselves etc knowing that will increase their stay with us. Like most of you, I find it draining at times and find more satisfaction when helping the pts who are more critical. But, job security I guess!

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