[Knoodsen]

in these parts it's "spider bite", hands down. (aka: "staff?")

[feebebe23]

ok.....dental pain......let me tell you!!!

My husband had a hack dentist start a tooth extraction.....couldn't get it out....referred to an oral surgon. But guess what...it's 4:00 so he can't been seen until tomorrow. When the numbing wore off at 2100 he was DYING!!! My husband is not a wimp! I work labor and delivery and he was hurting more that any natural delivery I have ever seen. Naturally.....the dentist didn't give him any pain meds....didn't answer his pager.....so off to the ER. THE ER WAS FABULOUS!!! Not only did they given him something IM ( I forgot what it was) but the ER doc put in a 12 hour dental block that got him through until he got to the oral surgon the next morning.

No you shouldn't go to the ER everytime you have a toothache....but this was an EMERGENCY!!!

[canoehead]

dental pain, sore throat, cold symptoms, and nausea/vomiting X2 hours.

Anything that has lasted more than a week is usually just an annoyance. I especially like the people with emergencies that also have an emergent appointment to go shopping at Walmart, and must be discharged before it closes, to heck with the ambulance that just came in- I want my script!

[SweetTeaRN]

Originally Posted by kmoonshine

You know how some states consider it to be a felony if you assault a health care worker? It should be a felony to knowingly falsify reasons for seeking emergency care just to get seen faster. By lying, people are possibly delaying treatment for someone whose condition is more serious which could have tragic consequences.

I agree with this completely. I'm not talking about people who have a legitimate complaint and think that something is worse than it is with imaginations running wild. I'm talking about people who KNOW what is wrong with them or why they are seeking treatment but knowingly say "I'm having chest pain" or the equivalent because they think they will get seen faster. This happened recently in my ER when a co-worker was at triage, after a man was rushed to triage and immediate EKG performed after c/o chest pain, overheard his girlfriend saying, "see? I TOLD you it wouldn't work" when he was told to go back to the busy waiting room. I think it should be a criminal charge because the delay in care this person might cause another patient with legitimate chest pain or respiratory distress could potentially be life-threatening. I also get upset when people come in via EMS with stupid complaints ("I stubbed my toe") because they think they will get seen right away. I then secretly hope we are somewhat full so the patient gets taken to the front triage desk instead of into a room. I am not talking about patients with legitimate emergent complaints, or even patients who are just overly worried and think they may have legitimate emergent complaint. I am talking about patients who think they can abuse the triage system to get ahead, the proverbial elementary school way of thinking "I know I can cut others in line."

Originally Posted by canoehead

Anything that has lasted more than a week is usually just an annoyance.

Once I was walking a patient back to a room c/o "back pain after a car accident." I asked how long ago the accident was, and without missing a beat, he stated "14 years ago." I said, "wow, you have been having back pain for 14 years and you decided to come in tonight?" He just looked at me and said, "no it just started hurting last night."

[ernrs2b]

I agree, if we didnt see the non-urgent/clinic visits and only saw true emergencies we would be without a job. I tell people that all the time. So, please call the ambulance, make up a bogus complaint to get to the ER on the other side of town, only to refuse care, because you needed a ride to the doctor

[RN_in_SC]

My point in posting this was really to see the way people knowingly maneuver to get things from the ER. It was never intended to "make fun of people". As a new ER nurse, I am learning about the way the system works and the way it doesn't work (when people abuse it).
It reminds me of an old episode of ER where a lady came in screaming of severe abdominal pain, got an ultrasound, she was pregnant and she knew it, found out it was a girl and then got up and walked out (she was just fine after she found out the sex of the baby).
As the previous poster stated - when someone does something like that I find it to be malicious because resources and time should be going to the most urgent patients first.

[cursenurse]

Cold outside- bus didn't come so mom said call 911. abd pain. vomiting x 1. smoked weed for the first time and don't feel right. family of 5 in minor fender bender- noone hurt but need to get checked out. chafing of the penis secondary to excessive masturbation. And of course all of the STD complaints.

[Spidey's mom]

Originally Posted by RN_in_SC

It reminds me of an old episode of ER where a lady came in screaming of severe abdominal pain, got an ultrasound, she was pregnant and she knew it, found out it was a girl and then got up and walked out (she was just fine after she found out the sex of the baby).
.

I remember that episode . .. . she got up and walked out to have an abortion because she didn't want a girl, she wanted a boy.

And Carol Hathaway, the nurse, was appalled . ..

I love ER . .. especially the older episodes.

Now to the subject at hand . . . . .I agree with those who say without the "clinic" type visits our rural ER would be broke.

Our most common non-emergency visits are sore throat, back pain, tooth pain, and new moms bringing in their babies for things that scare new moms - mostly no bowel movement for a few days. (I did this with my #1 son when he was screaming during a bowel movement and was very constipated . . . ).

steph

[Larry77]

Originally Posted by FutureNurseSuey

I really don't think its right to make fun of people that go to the emergency room for whatever reason. While as nurses you realize that these problems are serious, people that don't have any medical training don't, and they could be legitimately scared.

I'm sorry if you were treated badly but you obviously don't work in the ED where we see so much "crap" that sometimes you do get a little jaded.

The people that get to me are not the "scared new mom's" or severe back pain that ends up being a nasty bladder infection, its the ones that come in a couple times a week for sillly c/o, who never go for f/u from the last visit they had, and who yes, slap down that gov't coupon stating, "I have insurance". These are the people abusing and clogging up our system ruining it for everyone.

I think anyone who comes in for a non-emergent reason should be required to pony up $20 a visit--that's 4 packs of smokes--and don't display your new Iphone and try to convince me you can't afford to go to the clinic so you came to the ED where it's "free".

yikes, I really got going there...sorry for that...

[AandE angel]

Glad to hear its not just the UK and that you guys stateside get the same inappropriate ER patients as we do, does anyone else hate it when you are the assigned Triage nurse and a patient uses the term "get checked out"!! the injury happened 6 months ago but now seems a good time to get it "checked out" aarrr... which part of Emergency Department are you having a problem with! Keep smiling ER nurses everywhere