My PT called 911

Specialties Emergency

Published

Ok this is really just more of a vent... and maybe to see if any others have had this happen or something similar.

I had a patient two nights ago who was status dramaticus and after giving her narcotics and valium she was still demanding more medication (i'm used to that part) but she called 911 on her cell phone from her stretcher in the ER to complain that we were not treating her. To which I then had to explain to the dispatcher that emergency services were not needed all while my co-workers were coding a patient in the room next door.

I mean I guess its not the worse thing I have had a patient do... that would possibly be the time a patient threw a basin of vomit at me when I told her she wasn't getting any more pain meds...

Its been a rough two nights.

I love the ER.

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Don't forget my favorite line:

"This is a Level I Drama Center."

:D

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Specializes in Medical ICU.

I dispatch for the police & fire department while I'm going through school (*shoot me please!*). For you LTC folks, we are required to send due to liability :(

Matter of fact, even the medical office buildings 400 ft. from the ER doors call for paramedics to transport the patient to...... the ER? I would really like to know where the phone # for 911 is stored in the brain, because no matter how stoned/drunk/narc'd someone is, they still manage to remember our number. :)

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Specializes in retired LTC.

To CS911 - I know you guys have to send ambulances. Had an for-profit dialysis unit located in the back part of our hosp parking lot. The dialysis unit WAS NOT affiliated with our hospital; it was one of those commercial ones. All our nephrologists were on staff at the hosp and it would have been so easy just to flip the pt on a gurney and roll them outside over to the hosp. But no-could-do! And you're right - there must be some designated brain nook/cranny that's indelibly wired for 911!!!

One time. had a major police issue with one pt caller of ours. She dialed 911 on 11-7 shift and told the dispatcher "her neighbor was calling for help but she couldn't assist". Dispatcher asked "where do you live? What's your address"? Confused LOL answers "123 XYZ Street and her neighbor lives next door at 125".

Police get sent out and arrive at 125 XYZ ST but got no answer, so they KICKED DOWN THE DOOR FOR FORCIBLE ENTRY. No one at home so they went to LOL's 123 XYZ St house. Again had to kick down the door. Police then did an investigation and learned from other neighbors that LOL was a pt at my NH. Detective comes out to interview LOL - after much probing, all we could determine was that LOL called 911 because her even more confused ROOMMATE was the one calling for help. LOL herself was confused also so she gave her HOME address (not the NH) to the police. After visiting my 2 pts, police were satisfied as we could only conclude that 2 confused pts were in one big mixup. (The roommate actually was calling out nonstop when police came.)

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

I had a 5150 call the White House trying to get through to the president. I still have no idea how our hospital operator fell for that as the only way to make a long distance call is through them. The patient was after all an Indian princess and the secret service needed to rescue her as we would not let her go....

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Specializes in ER.

There was a pt in med/surg who was confused, had a very distended belly, felt awfully bloated (ended up as a complete SBO) and called 911, screaming "It's gonna blow!!" (referring to his abdomen) and that was at first treated as a bomb threat, until they figured it out.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.
I had a 5150 call the White House trying to get through to the president. I still have no idea how our hospital operator fell for that as the only way to make a long distance call is through them. The patient was after all an Indian princess and the secret service needed to rescue her as we would not let her go....

Lol one of the petitioned patients in our hospital did that as well! However, we weren't sure if it was on a smuggled cell phone or if our operator just wasn't paying attention. Our pt was however, "President Obama" and he needed to speak to his "wife" Michelle lol.

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Specializes in ER, PACU, ICU.

OMG that is the funniest thing I have heard!

There was a pt in med/surg who was confused, had a very distended belly, felt awfully bloated (ended up as a complete SBO) and called 911, screaming "It's gonna blow!!" (referring to his abdomen) and that was at first treated as a bomb threat, until they figured it out.
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Specializes in ER, PACU, ICU.

Pixie.RN I love love love this!

Don't forget my favorite line:

"This is a Level I Drama Center."

:D

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Specializes in Transitional Nursing.

Had a PT call 911 because she dropped her call bell.....

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Specializes in Intensive care, ER.

I had a pt call the hospital from her cell phone and had them page her cardiac surgeon because I couldn't give her any more pain meds! Twice she did this. The first time the operator called the unit to check but the second time the pt gave a different name and the operator paged! Thankfully the page wasn't returned. Ugh!

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Specializes in ER, PACU, ICU.

I forgot about this one but recently we had someone that was triaged and then asked to sit back out in the waiting room. They got upset and called 911 to have them picked up and taken to the neighboring hospital a block away. :yes:

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Long wait in the front, mom left with her daughter and called for an ambulance, then went out front and told the triage nurse "I told you I'd get her in!"

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