Whats your biggest pet peeve working in the ED?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Specializes in ER Telemetry.

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?

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Specializes in Emergency.

Yesterday my patient asked me if I could "just give her a couple amoxillin pills, I don't have money for the prescription". Meanwhile both she and both the middle school aged children she brought with her were all texting away on iPhones, and her Coach bag sat right next to her. I had to bite my tongue, hard. Also, yesterday, as I was trying to discharge my patient who came in for a nosebleed- and was explaining to her the meaning of EVERY SINGLE ONE of her lab values- which were, mind you, more perfect than mine would have been- she asked me to call the dr back in the room because she forgot to mention something to him. What was that important piece of info? Oh- that she was beginning to notice that her hair was beginning to fall out. I did not, surprisingly, fetch the dr for her. This woman was close to 300 pounds and I could not help thinking, if you are that concerned about your health perhaps we could start with weight management. I love the ED but sometimes it leaves me speechless!!

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Specializes in ER volunteer.

Today my patient thought he had been waiting long enough for his xray after we brought him back to the waiting area (less than ten minutes) so he got out of his wheelchair - TWICE - and started wandering around trying to find the XR lab. We spent more time looking for him than it should have taken start to finish from the time we sat him to the time he left!

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Specializes in ER.

My current pet peeve is people texting or talking on cell phones while I am trying to triage them! I have had people answer their phone while I am trying to get their history. Not just answer but hold conversations! I had a MVC come in EMS last week that took call after call on his phone and I couldn't even get his vital signs. I told him to ring the bell when it was convenient for him to be evaluated! He nodded OK. I made a note to that effect saying I was unable to evaluate pt at this time. Ergggg

I was walking a patient out to discharge recently and he was so engrossed in texting as we were walking down the hall, he ran right into a wall. I almost lost it laughing! Oh well, you can't fix stupid!

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Specializes in Emergency and Employee Health.

I literally want yell at people when I ask them to rate their pain 0-10 and the tell me 12, 20, 50, whatever....I said 0-10, 10 is the worst people!!!! Not that big of a deal, but it drives me nuts!

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Specializes in Emergency, Med/Surg, Vascular Access.

^^I just chart 10 when they do that. And also, when I'm assessing a medication's effectiveness, "did the medicine help you?" "Yes, a little." "What would you rate your pain now, 0-10?" "10." *Eye roll, chart 9/10.

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^^I just chart 10 when they do that. And also, when I'm assessing a medication's effectiveness, "did the medicine help you?" "Yes, a little." "What would you rate your pain now, 0-10?" "10." *Eye roll, chart 9/10.

Aren't you supposed to chart what the patient says? If they say 10 that's what you're supposed to put down, not "eyeroll" and put down what you think it is.

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Specializes in Emergency, Med/Surg, Vascular Access.

Please don't lose any sleep about what I chart or don't chart. ;-) My point was, if a medication helps your pain, it can't be a 10 anymore, considering 10 is the maximum.

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One of many pet peeves: patients who come to the ER presenting with abdo pain/ chest pain going on for almost a week and finally come to the ER and complain how long they have to wait to be assessed by a doctor. You've "waited" almost a week to come seek treatment, a few more hours wont kill you. Oh and your troponins/CK are negative. Oh and eating that slice of pizza while you say you've been having abdo pain probably is not going to help, especially if you need surgery...there is thing called aspiration...so maybe wait to eat till you're labs are back and the doc assesses you, here are some ice chips.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

They always want to tell me their life story in triage! It's like, that's great but I need to know about today why you are here..unless it pertains to today.

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The patient dictating to me their course of care and what I'm going to do. Sorry, no. You are in my bed, in my room, under my care. You are here because you need me to take care of you. Emphasis on the need me part. I don't need you bossing me around. You do, however, need me fixing whatever is wrong with you.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

My biggest peeve, even bigger than medicaid abusers are the entitle rich ones who don't think but KNOW you are there to perform every tiny task to their slightest whims.

...I don't think so.

Just a funny: Had a pt who "couldn't" answer basic yes/no questions for triage but could rant for 8 sentences about how he's too sick to do so. Called him out on it, and the night got a little easier.

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