Rules for the ER (long)

Seriously? Some people are amazingly freaky!

Very nicely stated, Sugar.

It's obvious that some nurses here believe that patients can't know anything, since they are a patient --- unless maybe they see the M.D. after the patient's name. It's very sad. There can be lots of reasons why patients are knowledgeable about their own health, drugs, needles, or what have ya. They could be a cancer patient, have an elderly grandparent that they help care for, have a chronic condition that causes them more specialized visits, and/or have allergies galore to name a few.

The butterfly needles are not just for the size of needle's gauge but are for less pressure of the vials being taken.

Yes, no one of any background cannot guarantee that the patient's vein will not roll or have a hard time for some other reason. Tip: Listen to the patients that tell you which vein(s) are their best ones; they are usually right.

Tip to Patients: Bring in a copy of a list of your medications, allergies, medical history, age, gender, et cetera. They can easily add to or edit it as needed. The Universial Medical Form is easy and free to use -- just ask your doctor or hosptial for couple copies of it.


Patients: Have a relative order the pizza and have it delivered right outside of the ED. The only downside to doing so is that you still can't eat until given premission.

I may be wrong here, but I thought this was a nursing site, not a patient advocate website. We use it to vent, it is very helpful, it keeps us sane. Especially since we are so uncaring & uneducated as the last few posters have pointed out. I have been a nurse for 14 years-all in an ER, please do not preach to me about how to care for a patient, what is best for them, what I am doing wrong, and especially about choosing veins. I think you would be see things much differently if you actually worked ER, or especially if you or a loved one were one of my patients, you would be very thrilled at the knowledgable, compassionate, care I give, even when I stick a 14 gauze in your high an mighty AC. We really don't care what you think of us, just don't forget you can always just NOT read posts you don't like. Its easy, just don't look...we'll be fine without you here, we'll manage...somehow.

Geez. Let the poor ER nurses blow off steam. That is the purpose of this thread.

and just for the record, the only patients I let tell me where to start their iv is heroin user, they are always right, & if you tell me they can only get an iv in such and such place, I will NOT stick you there, just b/c I get a lot of satisfaction from smiling at you when I get 2 big ivs in you elsewhere. I've already started at least 20 tonight, and if I can get the dehydrated 3wk old's hand/scalp, the 400+lb guy, the trauma who lost his bp 10 min ago, the 90lb 88y/o grandma who has cancer and looks like a pin cushion, & the 40 y/o who has done heroin for 20+ years, trust me your little "rolling" veins don't stand a chance.

you're lucky ed you only got 4 patients. I usually have minimum 15patients at ED in an 8hour shift. but still i love my job. =)

Nothin wrong with a little venting. We who have to deal with the yahoos of this world have all the right to do so. Its what prevents us from actually carrying out the things we say in here. I think all would agree that on a given day, at least 85% of the people who come in the door are not emergent. More to the point, every facility has the patient who comes in at least 2 times every day, ******* the entire time and leaves AMA every time after the doc gives Dilaudid in order to keep his Press Ganey score up. Now just wait until those of us who work for a living have to pay higher higher insurance premiums to foot the bill for these deadbeats to continuously come in for their "hydros"......