Suicide Pacts - A Vent

[BrandyBSN]

This week has been "national nursing home dump in the ER week". Happened over mother's day too. Kids go see their parents/grandparents that they havent seen since christmas and all of a sudden realize that *GASP* they dont look too good! So what do they do? Bring gram and gramps to the emergency room. Along with 25 family members that are "oh so concerned" about that particular family member that they only care to visit twice a year. Grampa has had a UTI for 3 months... but TODAY it is an emergency. GRRRR! We are short 4 full time RNs, down two techs, and we dont use LPNs in the ER per hospital policy, people keep calling in sick even when we KNOW they are not sick because they know that when they come to work they are going to get triple patient loads because we have no staff.

This has made me decide two different things... Im going to start working as a part time recruiter for the hospital at Missouri Universities to get new grads into our facility...

If I have children, I am going to be really really nice to them so they pick a nursing home that actually ASSESSES before they send me out half naked in an ambulance for a CHRONIC UTI. If I DONT have children... im making a suicide pact with someone, so that they shoot me the day I can't make it on my own.

Ok, I rarely rant anymore... but this felt GOOD!

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

Once had a family drop off a chronic sickle cell patient at the door. He was in hosp. so much they figured we could take it from there, I guess. He was 12 and SO scared.

[Rapheal]

Where I work they call it the "granny drop".

[GeriatricNurse]

As a LTCF nurse I have mixed feelings on this one..I dread sending my residents out of my facility for ER visits and only do so when absolutely necessary. (when the physcian won't respond to repeated calls being a big reason) They often return worse for having suffered the lengthy travel time and long wait. We're an hours drive from nearest hospital. What makes me crazy is often the hospital staffs lack of concern....first question "whats the code status" second "how old" Have actually had ER nurses rant/yell about wasting their time . Aging is not a disease . The elderly population still deserve our concern. I do not have stat lab or x-ray services available. Often I am closer to my residents and know them better than than their families, when there is a significant change or acute trauma sometimes they need acute asessments. Often a untreated UTI can be very serious for debilitated geriatric Pts, and they're not always as obvious as fever, pain etc...in a confused resident. As for families demanding ER visits..it's my job to educate them on choices/needs and hopefully keep someone in the family involved all the time even if its via telephone. I spend ALOT of time on the phone. I feel for you but the real victims in this are the elderly....sounds like abuse for families/inexperienced LTC staff to treat them like that Good luck with recruiting some staff .