[TazziRN]

On weekends there is only one admitting clerk on duty, she is both the front desk clerk and the ER registration clerk. ER pts come first; there is a sign up front that says if the clerk isn't there, to either wait or go to ER registration. The clerk was back here registering ER pt after ER pt, and when she went back up front an irate man whose wife needed OP labs started screaming at her that "the pt in the ER had better have been dying, and from now on she'd better stay at her desk!"

Rule Number 5001: do NOT scream at our ancillary staff and expect the other staff to be polite to you.

[CHATSDALE]

some people have a big mouth and a need for an ego stroke

[Jolie]

Originally Posted by CHATSDALE

some people have a big mouth and a need for an ego stroke

Or a swift kick in the rear end!

[RunnerRN]

A few months after I started in the ED, I was so frustrated with all the idiots out there. My mom (owns her own business) told me that this is just working with the public. She is a very smart person I say Everyone thinks their problem is greater than the next person's, and everyone thinks they are more important than the next person.

I was in a grocery store during a huge storm about a month ago, and I realized how far I've come since beginning to work in the ER. The power in the store went out, and I was at the self checkout. There were only about 5 other people in the store, and there was another woman next to me at the other self checkout. Long story short, there was a computer glitch that made us wait (to make sure our credit cards had gone through). I shrugged and grabbed a tabloid to read. The other woman had a complete meltdown and stomped her foot, commanded the checkers to "get me out of here." After she verbally abused the checker for about 1 minute, I broke in and said "If this is the worst thing that happens to you all day, consider yourself lucky." She stopped for a moment, muttered "b!tch" under her breath, and left her groceries there. I'm sure she had somewhere to be, but it couldn't have been too crucial if she had time to stop by the store and pick up a jug of wine and potato chips.
I learned 2 things that day....that I do value the good things that happen to me now (definitely stop and smell the roses) and that I've also grown my ER balls enough to say things like that to complete strangers

Long post that really could be summed up in 3 words....People are inconsiderate.

[andhow5]

Originally Posted by TazziRN

an irate man whose wife needed OP labs started screaming at her that "the pt in the ER had better have been dying, and from now on she'd better stay at her desk!"

Ohhhhhhhh... What a jerk. I would have been SO tempted to say, "Why, yes, the patient IS dying - it's a 2-year old near-drowning victim. Would you like for me to escort you to his mother so you can tell her you hope he's dead so that your wife can be seen for an OUTPATIENT procedure? I'm sure the mother would love to know that you hope her child is dead!"

[LeahJet]

Originally Posted by NurseErica

A few months after I started in the ED, I was so frustrated with all the idiots out there. My mom (owns her own business) told me that this is just working with the public. She is a very smart person I say Everyone thinks their problem is greater than the next person's, and everyone thinks they are more important than the next person.

I was in a grocery store during a huge storm about a month ago, and I realized how far I've come since beginning to work in the ER. The power in the store went out, and I was at the self checkout. There were only about 5 other people in the store, and there was another woman next to me at the other self checkout. Long story short, there was a computer glitch that made us wait (to make sure our credit cards had gone through). I shrugged and grabbed a tabloid to read. The other woman had a complete meltdown and stomped her foot, commanded the checkers to "get me out of here." After she verbally abused the checker for about 1 minute, I broke in and said "If this is the worst thing that happens to you all day, consider yourself lucky." She stopped for a moment, muttered "b!tch" under her breath, and left her groceries there. I'm sure she had somewhere to be, but it couldn't have been too crucial if she had time to stop by the store and pick up a jug of wine and potato chips.
I learned 2 things that day....that I do value the good things that happen to me now (definitely stop and smell the roses) and that I've also grown my ER balls enough to say things like that to complete strangers

Long post that really could be summed up in 3 words....People are inconsiderate.

It's just that we know an emergency and most people don't. They get all freaked out over nothing.

[CritterLover]

Originally Posted by NurseErica

A few months after I started in the ED, I was so frustrated with all the idiots out there. My mom (owns her own business) told me that this is just working with the public. She is a very smart person I say Everyone thinks their problem is greater than the next person's, and everyone thinks they are more important than the next person.

I was in a grocery store during a huge storm about a month ago, and I realized how far I've come since beginning to work in the ER. The power in the store went out, and I was at the self checkout. There were only about 5 other people in the store, and there was another woman next to me at the other self checkout. Long story short, there was a computer glitch that made us wait (to make sure our credit cards had gone through). I shrugged and grabbed a tabloid to read. The other woman had a complete meltdown and stomped her foot, commanded the checkers to "get me out of here." After she verbally abused the checker for about 1 minute, I broke in and said "If this is the worst thing that happens to you all day, consider yourself lucky." She stopped for a moment, muttered "b!tch" under her breath, and left her groceries there. I'm sure she had somewhere to be, but it couldn't have been too crucial if she had time to stop by the store and pick up a jug of wine and potato chips.
I learned 2 things that day....that I do value the good things that happen to me now (definitely stop and smell the roses) and that I've also grown my ER balls enough to say things like that to complete strangers

Long post that really could be summed up in 3 words....People are inconsiderate.

You know, I have found I react the same way to things. I am much more patient in my daily life. When I have to wait, I find something to occupy my time. While I'm not big on small-talk with the cashier/waitress/etc (never have been) I make sure I always smile and say "Thank You" to the poor people in the customer service industry, even if there was some delay or other problem. Being rude does nothing, especially when the situation can't be helped. For as much as I moan and groan about how nursing should NOT be so customer-service driven (because the PATIENTS are NOT always right), I can't imagine being in a career where the customer WAS "always right" (even when they are wrong). I wouldn't last ten minutes.

[GoLytely]

Yea, when I get stuck in line at the store, most of the time I consider it an extra break, and I read the tabloids.

[TazziRN]

*sigh*

Okay.....this happened at the start of the shift. At the END of the shift I answered the phone and it was someone calling from AZ, where he had gone for a funeral. He was calling because his girlfriend, who lives in the boonies just south of us, was stung by a bee and used her epi pen and is now having trouble breathing and he can't call 911 for her because he would get AZ's 911 so could I please call 911 for him?

"Sir, if she's on the other phone with you right now, tell her to hang up and dial 911 herself."

"She can't, if she hangs up the phone she'll pass out."

Okay......getting a bit frustrated but what if he's telling me the truth? I get the address from him, get him off the phone, and call our dispatch. Within minutes I hear the local rig getting dispatched from our scanner. We listen to the traffic and the rig is having trouble finding the address.

Fast forward another few minutes, and the phone rings again. It's the boyfriend.

"I just talked to my girlfriend again and she says she's fine and doesn't need any help so could you just hold off on calling anyone?"

[tryingtomakeit]

Originally Posted by TazziRN

*sigh*

Okay.....this happened at the start of the shift. At the END of the shift I answered the phone and it was someone calling from AZ, where he had gone for a funeral. He was calling because his girlfriend, who lives in the boonies just south of us, was stung by a bee and used her epi pen and is now having trouble breathing and he can't call 911 for her because he would get AZ's 911 so could I please call 911 for him?

"Sir, if she's on the other phone with you right now, tell her to hang up and dial 911 herself."

"She can't, if she hangs up the phone she'll pass out."

Okay......getting a bit frustrated but what if he's telling me the truth? I get the address from him, get him off the phone, and call our dispatch. Within minutes I hear the local rig getting dispatched from our scanner. We listen to the traffic and the rig is having trouble finding the address.

Fast forward another few minutes, and the phone rings again. It's the boyfriend.

"I just talked to my girlfriend again and she says she's fine and doesn't need any help so could you just hold off on calling anyone?"

*sigh*s with you