Whats your biggest pet peeve working in the ED?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Id have to say my biggest pet peeve is when someone hands you a medicaid card as they pull it from their Louis Vuitton handbag with bling on their hands after having rolled up to the ER in their Mercedes Benz! After that I'd say when someone comes to the ER for a UPT. Dont they know they are available at the dollar store now adays?

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Pet Peeve:

When families send in or drop off their non-English-speaking elderly and then refuse to stay around to help us communicate with them.

When families do the right thing and stay the course, I be sure to thank them profusely and explain what a service they're providing to their loved one. Said families often express surprise at my gratitude and then amazement when I explain how often families fail to follow through.

Not an ER nurse. (But I love reading your threads!) My pet peeve is the non-English speaking elderly person who has been in the US for forty years. Grandson HAS to spend the night because he is the ONLY person who can translate for Grandpa. (He's 15; visiting age is 16 and older.) So at 3AM when Grandpa is increasingly agitated and trying to communicate to me -- and I speak no Cantonese -- I try to wake up the grandson who is sleeping on the sofas some anonymous donor has provided for "family comfort" in the ICU, and Grandson pulls a pillow over his head and tells me to leave him alone; he's sleeping. If you wanted to sleep all night, you should have stayed home. You're supposed to be here to translate!

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

Another set of peeves:

Me: "So the good news is that the next time you're constipated, you can pick up exactly the Dulcolax as this, over the counter at CVS."

Pt: "Well, I can't afford it there." (while sporting a new set of Vibram 5-fingers, no less)

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Pt only a bit older than me, totally manipulative, noncompliant, and a flagrant abuser of the EMS system: "I need a TAR for that medication. I'm disabled... I can barely get around because my knees hurt so badly."

Me, with osteoarthritis throughout and a hx of a knee fracture: "Yes, I understand. My knees hurt all the time. It's very hard to have to be on my feet for 12-hours ever shift."

Pt: "I need you to help me up."

Right up until the point the doc refused to admit for the 6th CP workup in 3 weeks... at which time they pt almost kicked the door down storming out.

Me: "Wow, doc... you healed them."

----

The doc who comes into the office complaining about the obvious drug-seeking behavior... followed by an order for IM Dilaudid...

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Pt's who complain that their 'insurance' (Medicaid, right?) doesn't cover their abx which is why they didn't take them and are now back with a raging abscess and cellulitis.

====

Oops, time to toss on the scrubs and hit it again for another 12...

On the flip side, y'all.

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Specializes in ER.

"How much longer?" is a pet peeve question because I don't know, and can't even guess with any accuracy.

"Can he/she have a drink of water?" is usually within the first five minutes of some very sick patient that needs their ABC's attended to. Family wants to help somehow, so they ask the patient if they'd like a drink. And then they ask us to GET the drink while we're applying O2 or drawing blood.

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"How much longer?" is a pet peeve question because I don't know, and can't even guess with any accuracy.

"Can he/she have a drink of water?" is usually within the first five minutes of some very sick patient that needs their ABC's attended to. Family wants to help somehow, so they ask the patient if they'd like a drink. And then they ask us to GET the drink while we're applying O2 or drawing blood.

I keep quoting Maslow in my head. Food and water are basic needs.

I had to laugh at myself yesterday. Md orders ct scan for Pts complain of severe back pain. I speak with her and say this is chronic, documented pain from multiple back surgeries ect. 30 mins later she orders a food tray and verbalized it to me.

I gave him the tray and I said do you still want that ct, I see you never cancelled. She says why not. I said well he's eating like you told me to feed him and an abd ct seems just so wrong ;)

Asking to eat or drink is a minor peeve of mine I just get a kick out of how many people ask for it as soon as they roll in.

Guess a minor peeve of mine is asking about health history. They deny any. But I look through chart and ask about their Htn, high cholesterol ect doc dx and they still say they have none.

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Specializes in Emergency.

"Are they going to be admitting her?" Ma'am you just got into your room. How about we do some blood work and figure out what's going on FIRST?

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Specializes in Emergency.

"When are they going to move her out of the hallway and into a room?" What I actually say: "let me speak with my charge nurse and see what I can do. I apologize we're very busy today. I know being in the hallway is difficult".What I would like to say: "Never. You're in the hallway cause you aren't that sick and I'm saving my rooms for ppl who actually need them".

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"Are they going to be admitting her?" Ma'am you just got into your room. How about we do some blood work and figure out what's going on FIRST?

Yes. I see the language of ER is universal lol

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Specializes in Peri-operative, M/S, ER, SCU.

The food and water thing! oMG! It never ends, does it! Last shift we were getting ready to incubate a bad COPDer and her daughter was like, "Can she drink some water before y'all do that?" UM, NO. had to go through the whole ASPIRATION RISK schpiel. Sorry, Maslow, basic need, yes, but airway comes first!

On the flip side of that, had a patient's bratty kid kept coming and asking for snack boxes one night. After three, I noticed they were all open in the room and the kid was just drinking the apple juice out of them. We don't keep separate juice, just soda. Well, she comes back and keeps asking for them and I start telling her no. I explain that I have given her three and that if she is thirsty, I can give her ice water. Nope. Kid is not having it. My charge nurse backs me up because she hears me explaining to the 10 year old this. Kid catches me and charge nurse busy and manages to get three more snack boxes out of staff, just for the little apple juices! Boxes wasted! And they wonder why healthcare is so expensive! So much waste!

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My biggest pet peeve?

When there is a trauma going on, or we are dealing with a really sick patient (intubation) and someone who is in a room for dental pain X 2 months, or foot pain X 12 years or something like that comes up to the nursing station and says:

-So, when is the doctor gonna come and see me?

Me: I'm sorry, the doctors are busy with a really sick patient. We will get to you as soon as we can.

-But I've been waiting (insert time here) and I was here first.

Me: I understand you have been waiting to be seen for your (insert complaint here), but we have someone who is actively dying right now so that person is the priority.

-So, it takes all those doctors to work on one person? How long is that gonna take? *with arms crossed*

Me: It will take as long as it takes. And how would you feel if it were you in there actively dying or one of your family members and there is someone who has toe pain questioning how long is it gonna take to save your life? How would you feel?

-But I was here first!

Me: Please go back to your room. *walks away*

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Specializes in ER trauma, ICU - trauma, neuro surgical.

Pts who come in for chest pain and then disappear to go outside and smoke.

Pts who say they have no past medical history, but are on 5 different prescribed medications.

Pts who say they are allergic to morphine because it makes them "sleepy."

Pts who play their IPOD out loud.

Pts who request an ambulance to take them back home.

Family members who walk around and stare at other pts.

Family members who are asked to leave the room for a minute and stand right outside the curtain.

Family members who lower the HOB on pts with a bleed.

Family members who "faint" and magically bends their knees, sit on their butt, slowly roll on their back, while never touching the head to the ground, as the arms spread all the way out to mimic the crucifixion of jesus christ.

Family members who come get you because something starting beeping 3 seconds ago. You don't have to tell me it beeping. That's why it beeps.

I hate it when I enter a room and then everyone immediately stops talking and stares at you as you draw blood.

My biggest pet peeve...the one that drives me absolutely insane...When a pt has a fever, the family member drapes 3 blankets on them. You take them off, explain to them that it only makes it worse, you explain that the shivering is not because they are cold. Then, you leave, and they put the blankets back on. It's the only time I really raise my voice.

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Had one time when a homeless man called EMS due to chest pain. They brought him from the other side of town. As they pulled into the bay and opened the back doors he jumped off the stretcher and ran as fast as he could out towards the street. We retrieved the pt and asked why he did that.

Pt: I just needed a ride over here. I have a birthday party down the street at my friends place. I don't have anymore chest pain. Can I go now?

:no:

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but you can sedate it...

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