[GoLytely]

Originally Posted by motorcycle mama

I do not believe it had anything to do with being hispanic because the same thing happened to my cousin and she was white.
Morbidly obese, went to the ER several times over two weeks with abdominal pain and was shown to be getting weaker and weaker with each visit, but other than prescribing and antibiotic and sending her on her way they did nothing. She went to the ER one night, got sent home, my aunt found her dead when she went in to check on her at 3AM.

Autopsy showed perforated bowel. She was only 34 y/o.

I do fully believe, however, the way she was treated had to do with being indigent.
I have been sent away from a hospital as soon as they found out I had no insurance, the doctor wouldn't even come in to look at me and told the nurse over the hospital phone it didn't sound like an emergency and to send me home. I mean, he didn't even try to be subtle about it, but I was 22 at the time, didn't realize I could have caused a rukus.

It's not fair, but then, that hasn't stopped the system from business as usual. There's nothing new under the sun.

I also just wanted to say, I accompanied a patient to the ER a couple of months ago (this was the second ER, the first one gave her a rocephin injection and sent her home even though she was delirius and could not stand) and I really liked the ER nurses at the second hospital (even though they dumped duties like catheterizing the patient on me I didn't get upset, it was a couple of male nurses...well, anyway, they at least acted concerned and the doctor was considerate enough to find a hospital where they would be able to take her as a patient. Anyway, I don't blame the staff, I blame the system.

[bigsyis]

Maybe I missed something-was it determined that this lady did have a bowel perf? Beyond that, I was thinking of a AAA. About 15 yrs ago when I was in ER (a CEN), we had a man come in 3 times in one weekend c/o abdominal pain. He was a BIG man, tall and wide. They did a uro workup the first time, and a GI workup the second time with an abdominal series, and was d/c'd home. The third time, he came in with a ruptured AAA. He was saved, surgically, but was permanently blind from anoxia. I took care of him several months later in ICU at a neighboring hospital where his very large abdominal incision was having to heal by secondary intention. This man was white, well-educated, and wealthy. It matters very little the socioeconomic status of a person when we ass-u-me. That was one of the first things I was taught in nursing school back in the early 80's.
BTW-as a former CEN who loved Triage, for those folks who love to generalize and throw stones, all I can say is, you have GOT to be there to believe it! Occasionally we would have nurses float down from other floors when their unit was slow, and they could not wait to get back to the peace and sanity of their own floor! I am not excusing inhumanity, but please, refrain from blowing one of the most important links in the medical care chain totally out of the water-as a whole-! Some of the best MDs and Nurses I ever worked with were in ER, and I learned more there than anywhere.

[cardiacRN2006]

Originally Posted by chuck1234

Janitor is not trained to do that, therefore, he/she is not responsible for it.

Boy, you are filled with one lined catch phrases.



I don't work in an ER, and therefore cannot possibly understand what it's like to be a nurse in one, nor do I have the right to unfairly criticize the nurses who work in them.

However, I used to be an EMT, and frequently had to drop off people who were always in "10/10" pain, or faking unconsciousness or some other kind of malady. I know how easy it is to become desensitized to this type of behavior.

I've seen many people sleeping on the ground in triage. Lots and lots. I've seen lots of people pretending to do lots of things. The ER is the premier location for bad behavior of our population. And if making someone wait 45 minutes is a crime, then lots of nurses will be in trouble in my neck of the woods.

It's typical for nurses to turn on each other, while still holding the doctor in high esteem. Fact is, this patient had been seen and worked up by a physician not once, but twice. One of which was 3 hours ago! But of course, it's the nurses fault, and somehow, she must 'go to jail' or 'lose her license'.



But, it must somehow be the nurses fault, and never the physician's fault. No, they can do no wrong...

[Roy Fokker]

Originally Posted by multicollinarity

I found an interesting article regarding this hospital:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/ki...politics-local

It sounds like this hospital is quite possibly the worst hospital in the United States. This woman's death is but one occurrence among many.

That article, in one word: Terrifying.

[hogan4736]

Originally Posted by chuck1234

Not to mention that nurse will go straight to hell....

"judge not, lest ye be judged yourself"

anyway, the solution may just be to have more triage nurses...I have been alone many times in a sea of people in the WR, and as critterlover said, you may be an hour behind in just triaging.

The last ER I worked in had a greeter nurse. A pre triage is done, and if the greeter nurse thinks someone is really sick, then that pt gets bumped and taken right to triage...

rest assured the triage nurse in that ED would certainly have taken the pt right to a bed if there had been one available...Histrionic patients are common, and more often than not, I would argue that they become a disruption to the WR, and I'll "find" a bed in back, just to quiet the WR. Are they manipulative? YES, but why fight the battle...

However, as the triage nurse, I would have gone back to a doc, and gotten his take on the quick bounce back...

However, maybe she was alone in triage, and couldn't leave...

Triage sucks
there should always be at least 2 nurses out there 24/7...

[multicollinearity]

Originally Posted by Roy Fokker

That article, in one word: Terrifying.

Here's a more terrifying article. This one details the history of malpractice at this hospital:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/ki...,5281026.story

It would be inappropriate for me to have a nursing opinion about the woman's death detailed at the beginning of this thread since I'm a student. However, I will say one thing. I bet this woman's death has more to do with systemic failings at this hospital than one triage nurse's actions.

[cardiacRN2006]

Originally Posted by Roy Fokker

That article, in one word: Terrifying.

Well, I read all 17 pages of both articles, and I can't sum it up in one word! They were awful...

[TazziRN]

I remember when that first article came out, one of the LA-area docs came in to do a shift and brought it with him. We all sat around reading it and every few seconds someone said "Oh my God!" and "I don't believe it!"

[bopps]

Originally Posted by Myxel67

BOPPS:

As I said: Of course you don't do this. But just because you don't do it, it doesn't mean that no one else does it either. That, too, would be a generalization. It seems to be what happened in the case of Mrs Rodriguez. She apparently thought she had gallstones....


Three words to assess ability to spell (at least on Allnurses.com)
1. receive
2. definitely
3. separate

Nice dig! I could just let this slide......but that comment brings out the evil ER nurse in me! I do know how to spell, however typing is another story. Whooooppss i madeee aaa speillling mictak wundir how i made it throg nerzing scul. Hmmm whoes bein judmintal now? Gues i kint spull cause i dunt match du free wurds uzed to assis spullin on allnurzes! How do ya now my computeeer wasnut workin. Guz ye jist assummed i didn't meet ur staendards.

I will work on my typing and proofreading skills. I sure want to be seen as a professional.

[chuck1234]

Originally Posted by cardiacRN2006

Boy, you are filled with one lined catch phrases.



I don't work in an ER, and therefore cannot possibly understand what it's like to be a nurse in one, nor do I have the right to unfairly criticize the nurses who work in them.

However, I used to be an EMT, and frequently had to drop off people who were always in "10/10" pain, or faking unconsciousness or some other kind of malady. I know how easy it is to become desensitized to this type of behavior.

I've seen many people sleeping on the ground in triage. Lots and lots. I've seen lots of people pretending to do lots of things. The ER is the premier location for bad behavior of our population. And if making someone wait 45 minutes is a crime, then lots of nurses will be in trouble in my neck of the woods.

It's typical for nurses to turn on each other, while still holding the doctor in high esteem. Fact is, this patient had been seen and worked up by a physician not once, but twice. One of which was 3 hours ago! But of course, it's the nurses fault, and somehow, she must 'go to jail' or 'lose her license'.



But, it must somehow be the nurses fault, and never the physician's fault. No, they can do no wrong...

"Unfairly criticize the nurses who work in them."
I have never worked in the ER....
Anyhow, Ms. Rodriquez came in and everybody in the ER did not take her seriously. She was discharged....and died..... Just only this statement along, if you have experience in the nursing field....you could tell someone did something wrong. As a result of that, Ms. Rodriquez died unnecessarily. She might not be anybody to anyone working in the ER, but she is a "butterfly" to her loved ones. If you read from the first post to the last one, the so-called ER nurses give all kinds of reason why they could not prevent the death of Ms. Rodriquez, they seldom mentioned the feeling of Ms. Rodriquez's kids. They are so self centered... What do you think if they are related to Ms. Rodriquez.... I am not related to her, but her death is not needed. Her death is horrible....not to mention that she has to suffer before she died.